The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, and it did not play out according to expectations.
Fernando Mendoza came off the board at No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders, which was expected, but the draft began to veer into chaos-land shortly thereafter. Perhaps the biggest surprise came at No. 13, when the Los Angeles Rams addressed the future, not the present, and selected Ty Simpson as the eventual heir to Matthew Stafford’s throne.
However, there are still 225 slots remaining in the 2026 NFL Draft, culminating with the Denver Broncos currently set to draft Mr. Irrelevant at pick No. 257. Check out our list of the best players still available after Day 1 here. Now that the dust has settled a bit from night one, here is a look at how the second round could unfold, with some thoughts following the picks.
Denzel Boston was a popular selection near the end of mock drafts, often to the Buffalo Bills to give Josh Allen more help on the outside, but the Washington wide receiver slid out of the first round entirely.
While the 49ers did make some additions at wide receiver, including Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, questions remain regarding Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings. In Boston, the 49ers are getting a ball-winning receiver on the outside, and in San Francisco, Boston gets a chance to learn from one of the NFL’s best in Evans.
Might this be too early for Garrett Nussmeier? Perhaps. But as we argued earlier this week, the revelation that Nussmeier was dealing with a cyst on his spine, which was pressing on a nerve and causing significant pain and discomfort, changes his evaluation.
Nussmeier is still an undersized quarterback prospect, but the timing, rhythm, and anticipation he showed at LSU, particularly when healthy, is a strong foundation for his NFL journey. He also might be an ideal fit for what we expect this offense to look like under new head coach Mike LaFleur.
Lavonte David’s retirement created a big hole in the heart of the Buccaneers’ defense.
Tampa Bay fills that with linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, whose play-making skills and nose for the football saw him finish fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. He might give up the occasional big play in pass coverage, but his run-stopping skills and athleticism are fantastic building blocks for an NFL career.
On film alone, Jermod McCoy’s draft profile is among the best in this entire class.
However, as we saw last year with Will Johnson, injury concerns pushed McCoy out of the first round entirely. At some point, a team is going to accept the injury risk, and we think that will be John Harbaugh and the New York Giants tonight. McCoy’s 2024 tape is close to elite, with excellent footwork and movement skills. His press technique could use some refinement, but what I love about McCoy when he is in press alignment is his patience. He does not panic, and that trait was on display on this interception against Alabama:
It’s one thing to stay calm as a press corner with the ball at midfield, it’s another to do so with your feet near the goal line. But this is a fantastic play from McCoy, who stays patient, is strong with the jam, and then gets his eyes and hand to the football.
Last season, the Houston Texans defense was terrifying.
In this mock draft, not only do the Texans get Kayden McDonald, one of the top defensive tackles in the class and a player who was in Pittsburgh as a potential first-round pick, but they add one of our favorite players in Keionte Scott, a slot corner who can create havoc all over the field. Just watch him blow up this screen against Texas A&M in the college football playoff:
Dropping him into this Houston defense? That’s just mean.