2026 NFL Draft grades, tracker: Live Round 2 analysis for every selection made in order
Mike Renner grades Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft
The NFL has already seen 32 picks come down the wire during the first round of the draft on Thursday. Now, it's time for even more action to unfold as Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off from Pittsburgh on Friday night.
Over the course of the opening round, trades were the major storyline as eight deals went down over the course of the evening. As we transition to Day 2, the wheeling and dealing is expected to continue, if not amplify, as this area has been circled as the true meat of this year's draft.
The second round will also see over a handful of teams finally enter the fray, as there were eight clubs that did not make a first-round selection on Thursday. That includes the San Francisco 49ers, who are slated to pick first at No. 33 overall.
Be sure to refresh this page throughout the weekend to get all the latest grades. If you want to do all that plus track the best available prospects and get access to every pick in the draft on one page, you can in our draft tracker. And follow along with each pick and every trade in our live blog.
This year, my pick-by-pick grades are being used to create real-time team report cards, so keep this page open throughout the weekend.
Grades: Round 1 • Round 2 • Round 3 • Round 4 • Round 5 • Round 6 • Round 7
33. 49ers: De'Zhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss
Grade: C+
The 49ers tab Stribling as their Jauan Jennings replacement. He's one of the better blockers in the class and will do the dirty work in the offense. Stribling will add a stronger vertical element than Jennings did. The Ole Miss receiver just isn't nearly the route-runner that Jennings was in the offense.
34. Cardinals: Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M
Grade: A
After taking Jeremiyah Love in Round 1, the Cardinals come back and give him someone to open up running lanes. Bisontis is also a physical presence in pass protection where he thrives cleaning up pockets whenever he can. Without any options to fill their tackle need, this was the next best option.
35. Bills: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Grade: B-
The Bills were in desperate need of pass-rushing help and add just that at the top of Round 2. Parker is a physical edge rusher who's been a plus run defender and pocket-collapser since Day 1 at Clemson. He would have gone much higher than this after his sophomore year, but his lackluster 2025 tape drops him to Round 2.
36. Texans: Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Grade: A+
If there was any weakness on this Texans defense, well, it just got fixed. McDonald is nothing short of an elite run-defending nose tackle prospect. His ability to envelope double teams and make plays in the run game will allow DeMeco Ryans to dedicate more resources to the back end in coverage - a scary thought.
37. Giants: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Grade: B+
New defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson gets himself one of the better press-corners in the class. Hood is physical at the line of scrimmage and has top-end speed to make up ground deep. While he can get a little overly aggressive, he's still one of the younger corners in the class, just turning 21, with room for development
38. Raiders: Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona
Grade: A
Stukes was college football's top slot corner in coverage last season. He has the length and athleticism to play man as well as the quick processing for zone. He could end up at either slot, outside corner, or safety for Las Vegas - that's how versatile he is. A tremendous influx of talent for a secondary in need.
39. Browns: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Grade: A
The Browns double up at receiver a year after doubling up at running back. It's an indictment of their current room, for sure, but also indicative of the loaded receiver class. Boston is a distinctly different type of receiver from KC Concepcion as he's more of a possession receiver with a big wingspan and catch radius. He also has some of the best hands in the entire class.
40. Chiefs: R Mason Thomas, EDGE, Oklahoma
Grade: A
Thomas represents a distinct departure from the bigger-bodied edges that Steve Spagnuolo has coveted in the past, and I like it. He's a speed rusher with one of the more refined toolboxes in this class. He may not be much of a run defender, but the Chiefs won't have to use him on run downs to get their money's worth.
41. Bengals: Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M
Grade: A+
If you can do what Howell did this past season to SEC tackles, you can rush the passer in the NFL. Short arms be damned. He's a twitchy mover who sets up tackles with his pacing extremely well. He goes to the perfect spot on a Cincinnati team that needs edge-rushing help and can also afford to let him be a specialist.
42. Saints: Christen Miller, DT, Georgia
Grade: B+
Miller is one of the safer run defenders in the class. He has prototypical 3-4 defensive end traits, although he could probably even kick into nose if you really wanted him to. He may never be an elite pass-rusher, but he can at least walk back guards occasionally.
43. Dolphins: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Grade: A
The Dolphins continue their strategy of drafting high-floor football players. Rodriguez was the best linebacker in all of college football last season. He may not have the prototypical frame, but he's got great range and has the best instincts in the class. He'll be an extension of Jeff Hafley on the field.
44. Lions: Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan
Grade: A-
Moore is nothing if not a culture fit for the Lions. The man treats every rep like he's upset at the offensive lineman in front of him. While he's a middling athlete, he maximizes his traits through sheer force and effort.
45. Ravens: Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
Grade: C+
Young is somewhat reminiscent of former Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson in that he's a bit of a tweener. He's a jumbo defensive end, but his athletic testing numbers are closer to those of a defensive tackle. The problem is, we never really saw him play on the interior in college. He'll, at minimum, be a hard edge-setter who can spell Trey Hendrickson on early downs.
46. Buccaneers: Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri
Grade: A
Trotter is the perfect linebacker for a Todd Bowles defense. He's a tremendous blitzer who plays on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage better than any other linebacker in this draft class. The Bucs front seven just got a couple of butt-kickers.
47. Steelers: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
Grade: A+
If the Steelers wanted to come away with a tackle and receiver in this class, they did about as well as they could have expected, given their draft capital. Bernard is a nuanced route-runner who can create on his own after the catch. While he lacks the juice to be a true downfield weapon, he can get open at the intermediate level consistently.
48. Falcons: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Grade: A+
The Terrell brothers are reunited once again. I say again, but being six years apart, they've likely never played on the same team until now. Avieon is the shorter, scrappier version of his brother AJ. He has the same smooth coverage skills, with a little more edge from being the younger brother.
49. Panthers: Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
Grade: A+
Hunter was the best playmaker in this defensive tackle class last season. He's a violent shedder one-on-one and his range in the run game is special for a man his size. While he doesn't eat double teams exceptionally well, the Panthers have Derrick Brown for that.
50. Jets: D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
Grade: A+
This one was written in the stars. Ponds is a carbon copy at corner of Jets head coach Aaron Glenn. He's the smallest corner drafted top-50 since Glenn himself went 12th overall in 1994. Ponds has a dog mentality and doesn't back down from anyone. The only receiver that really "got" him in his three years as a starter was Jeremiah Smith and he gets everyone.
51. Vikings: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
Grade: A
Golday went to the perfect scheme for his skill set. He's a former edge-rusher who moved off-ball at Cincinnati. He can range sideline-to-sideline while still looking like an edge rusher. His pass-rushing prowess will be perfect for Brian Flores's scheme.
52. Packers: Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
Grade: A-
Cisse is one of the most explosive movers in this corner class. His ability to click-and-close is special. He goes to the perfect defense for his skillset with how much off-zone coverage the Packers ask from their corners. Cisse is also one of the youngest players in the entire draft class and hasn't yet turned 21-years old.
53. Colts: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
Grade: A
The Colts had a desperate need at linebacker, and they got arguably the most physical one in the class. Allen is a thumper in every sense of the word who'll be a tone-setter for Lou Anaruomo's defense on Day 1.
54. Eagles: Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
Grade: B
This is a big swing of the bat for the Eagles under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. It's an indication that they're going to be a little more creative in personnel deployment than years past as Stowers is a movable chess piece TE2. The biggest worry with the pick is that he's a really poor blocker still and is very much a tweener at 239 pounds.
55. Patriots: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
Grade: A
Jacas is a well-rounded pass-rusher who has added more tools to his toolbox every season. He's a former wrestler and you see that with the twitch in his hands. That's a recipe for a productive edge-rusher in the NFL.
56. Jaguars: Nate Boerkircher, TE, Texas A&M
Grade: C
This one feels like a misappropriation of value, even if I think Boerkircher is a very solid, all-around tight end. He's one of the better blockers in the class with reliable hands and separation ability underneath. Still, he'll be a 25-year-old rookie and backup to Brenton Strange.
57. Bears: Logan Jones, C, Iowa
Grade: D+
I had three centers on my board, considerably higher than Jones, that were all good scheme fits for Ben Johnson's offense. Jones's ability to run outside zone is why he comes off the board here, but you're going to consistently give up a lot in pass protection with him in the middle.
58. Browns: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
Grade: A+
McNeil-Warren is the best box safety prospect in the draft class. His violence as a hitter caused 11 forced fumbles over his career. I love how fluid he is tracking in space or in man coverage against tight ends. The Browns continue to rack up immediate impact starters in the draft.
59. Texans: Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
Grade: D-
The most head-scratching pick of the entire draft so far. The Texans not only have a ton of recently drafted tight ends on their roster, but they also have Dalton Schultz and the recently signed Foster Moreau. Klein might be a little intriguing given how new he is to football, but he's a bit too stiff to be called a developmental route-runner.
60. Titans: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
Grade:
61. Rams: Max Klare, TE, Ohio State
Grade:
