NFL Player News

The Bengals selected Howell in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 41st overall.

Howell spent the last two seasons of his five-year college career with Texas A&M. He broke out in his senior year in 2025, when he was a Unanimous All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year after posting 31 tackles, including an SEC-leading 11.0 sacks, one forced fumble and six pass defenses across 13 games. Howell served as a boundary edge rusher with the Aggies, and while his shorter reach could be a concern at the NFL level, he has the quick initial burst to give opposing tackles plenty of trouble and the versatility to drop into coverage to mask blitz pressure. Howell will join a new-look Bengals defensive front that includes Super Bowl LX champion Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy, Jonathan Allen and the recently acquired Dexter Lawrence.

The Chiefs selected Thomas in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 40th overall.

Thomas (6-foot-2, 241 pounds) is undersized in terms of both height and frame, but that didn't prevent him from tallying a combined 15.5 sacks across 23 appearances with Oklahoma over the last two seasons, earning first- and second-team All-SEC honors those years. George Karlaftis is established as a starter for Kansas City's pass rush, which veteran DT Chris Jones remains the anchor of, leaving Thomas in position to compete with 2025 third-rounder Ashton Gillotte and 2023 first-rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah (hamstring) for snaps.

The Saints selected Miller in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 42nd overall.

Miller (6-foot-4, 321 pounds) makes contributions that don't show up in the box score, so while he didn't post big numbers at Georgia he did make meaningful contributions to their otherwise strong interior trench rotation. Miller has the ability to hold up as a nose tackle/two-gap tackle, so if the Saints put forth an improved run defense there's a good chance Miller will have something to do with it.

The Browns selected Boston in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 39th overall.

Boston (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) has the build to impose physicality and reach from the boundary, where he did big damage especially as a downfield and red-zone jump-ball target at Washington. That Boston declined to run a 40-yard dash before the draft invites the suspicion that he might lack the long speed to regularly push downfield at the NFL level, but if he can keep winning on jump balls in the intermediate and end zone then that might be enough for Boston to prove a quality WR2 in the NFL. It might not be easy for Boston to immediately displace Cedric Tillman as the primary big wideout in Cleveland, but in the long term it's expected that Boston and 24th overall pick KC Concepcion should top the Browns' depth chart at wideout.

The Raiders selected Stukes in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 38th overall.

Stukes had to fight for his roster spot as a walk-on at Arizona in 2020, where he spent all six years of his college career. He spent the last couple of seasons at safety and as the nickel corner after starting out as an outside corner, and he saw his tackling and pass defense numbers rise as a result. Stukes tore the ACL in his right knee during the 2024 season, but he bounced back nicely in 2025 and was selected to both the All-American Third-Team and the All-Big 12 First-Team after logging 52 total tackles, including 1.0 sacks, and six pass defenses (including a career-high four interceptions). Stukes has a chance to earn a consistent role in the Raiders secondary in his rookie season, with his main competition coming from Tristin McCollum.

The Giants selected Hood in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 37th overall.

Hood (6-foot-0, 193 pounds) wasn't widely projected to come off the board ahead of former teammate Jermod McCoy, though the latter DB's medical concerns may have contributed to this outcome. That isn't a knock on Hood's talents. He showcased greater physicality and competitiveness for 50-50 balls than his size might suggest at Tennessee in 2025, and it wouldn't be surprising for him to immediately provide free-agency signee Greg Newsome with competition for the starting outside gig across from Paulson Adebo. Hood's arrival seemingly spells the end of 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks' developmental tenure with New York.

The Texans selected McDonald in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 36th overall.

The Texans traded up with the Raiders to take McDonald, a classic nose tackle in stature (6-foot-2, 326 pounds) but one who finds the ball carrier much more often than most two-gap defensive tackles. McDonald set the interior anchor for Ohio State's smothering defense in 2025, yet even while working through the thickest part of the trenches McDonald managed to accumulate 65 tackles (nine for a loss) in 14 games. The Texans run defense and pass rush were both already strong, yet with McDonald in the rotation it gets even tougher to block the Texans.

The Bills selected Parker in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 35th overall.

After trading back and eventually out of the first round three times Thursday, the Bills addressed the defensive side of the ball with their first pick of the draft by selecting Parker. The Clemson product had his best season as a sophomore in 2024, when he posted 57 total tackles, including 11.0 sacks, and six forced fumbles across 14 games. Parker's numbers dipped noticeably in 2025, but he still finished his three-year college career with more tackles for a loss (41.5) than games played (39). He found success at Clemson for his combination of motor, power and speed, though that will be something he'll need to work on to adjust to NFL-level blocking. Parker joins a Bills pass-rush group that's headlined by Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb.

The Cardinals selected Bisontis in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 34th overall.

Bisontis (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) was a three-year starter at Texas A&M, boasting rare starting experience for a soon-to-be 22-year-old, and he could challenge Isaiah Adams for the starting RG gig early in his career. Arizona inked Isaac Seumalo to a three-year contract in free agency, solidifying the team's LG spot, so the selection of Bisontis further firms up the interior O-line to the benefit of No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love.

The 49ers selected Stribling in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 33rd overall.

The 49ers made Stribling the first selection of the second round, which is considerably higher than where Stribling was projected before the draft. Perhaps it was an unexpected selection, but it's easily justifiable given Stribling's quality production at Washington State, Oklahoma State and, most recently, Mississippi. At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Stribling has the build to hold up on the boundary, and his 4.36-second 40 at the combine showed he has the wheels to threaten downfield. The 49ers feature Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall as their projected starters, and Jauan Jennings remains a free agent, but if Stribling sees snaps there's reason to believe he can capitalize.