Even in what’s considered a weak draft class — you know, like the 2026 NFL Draft class — there is still value to be had on Day 2 of the proceedings. In all honesty, there’s an argument to be made that the draft can be won in the second and third rounds just as much as the first round. Because of that, though, it also means that whiffing on a Day 2 pick can be just as detrimental. And we certainly saw a bit of both on Friday night in Pittsburgh.
Some of the best picks came early in the second round, while some were made later in the third. And once again, the same can be said for the worst picks as well. Which teams fell in those categories on Friday at the 2026 NFL Draft? Come find out.
Best picks from Day 2 of the NFL Draft
Cleveland Browns – WR Denzel Boston (No. 39 pick)
It couldn’t matter less to me that the Browns already took KC Concepcion in the first round. Ask yourself this: Who was going to be the WR2 in Cleveland? Maybe it’s Jerry Jeudy, though that’s not a guarantee — then it’s Cedric Tillman we’re talking about. For a team that needs to give Shedeur Sanders a viable shot to prove if he’s the guy or not, adding Denzel Boston still made a ton of sense.
Boston falling almost outside the Top 40 was a gift for Cleveland because of that. He complements Concepcion with a contrasting skill set that should mesh well and give Sanders and any Browns quarterback more options through the air. The Browns can feel like they came away with a massive win after making this pick.
Kansas City Chiefs – EDGE R Mason Thomas (No. 40 pick)
Since the Mansoor Delane pick, which drew mixed reviews (to put it kindly) in the top 10, the Chiefs have been absolutely crushing it with their class. Peter Woods is a great Chris Jones tandem and eventual replacement, and now R Mason Thomas can give Kansas City and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo some much-needed upgrades on the outside with the pass rush.
His fit with the Chiefs is great. His slight frame leads to struggles against double teams, but that won’t be much of an option with Jones and Woods in the middle. That will allow Thomas to use his impressive bend and burst off the edge, along with a relentless motor, to get after the opposing quarterback. This is like a glove for what Kansas City should’ve been looking for.
Green Bay Packers – CB Brandon Cisse (No. 52 pick)
Brandon Cisse was a pretty clear-cut top 45 prospect for me. There were flashes on his tape of one of the best corners in the class. The issue was the consistency that he played with in coverage. However, he’s the type of athlete that teams should bank on in the secondary, especially with his size and length combo. With that, it’s no surprise the Packers snatched him up quickly with that being the case.
The Packers love their athletic and physical thresholds, and Cisse fits the bill, but he also provides a huge boon for the secondary. Not just because he’s a Gamecock, I’ve likened him to potentially be this year’s Nick Emmanwori in terms of fast ascenders at the pro level. Should that happen, Green Bay could vault to another tier of contender.
Seattle Seahawks – S Bud Clark (No. 64 pick)
After losing Coby Durant in free agency this offseason, this made so much sense for the Seahawks in this spot. Bud Clark’s best potential comp would be Durant with his ability in coverage. Yes, Clark’s not shown to be much of a downfield player who you’ll see in the box, but that’s not what Mike Macdonald and this defense asked of Durant, nor will they of him. He’s an essential one-for-one replacement at a key spot for this defense, and there’s not much to say beyond that as to why you should love the pick.
Jacksonville Jaguars – OG Emmanuel Pregnon (No. 88 pick)
Getting an offensive lineman who has been a longtime starter in college and who many projected to be a mid-round second-round pick in this class at No. 88 is an absolute steal for the Jaguars. Pregnon is a certified people mover as he plays with a ton of power and packs a mighty punch on the interior.
Jacksonville’s second-round pick was questionable at best (more on that in a bit), but they more than redeemed themselves in the third round with this pick. They needed to provide some more pop on the offensive front moving forward, especially on the interior, and there’s no imagination needed to see the Oregon product filing that role promptly.
Dallas Cowboys – LB Jaishawn Barham (No. 92 pick)
Dallas has to be one of the biggest winners of the draft, despite having to wait from the 23rd pick until the 92nd. Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence will now be joined by Jaishawn Barham on the defense that needed a massive amount of help coming into the 2026 season. And Barham is going to be a fascinating chess piece for new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Barham is in the mold of Zack Baun or Arvell Reese as a sort of hybrid off-ball linebacker and edge. Given their need at both spots, and Parker being at least partially behind the breakout for Baun, there’s reason to believe that the Cowboys just landed an absolute diamond in the rough with this selection that could shape their defense immediately.
Worst picks from Day 2 of the NFL Draft
San Francisco 49ers – WR De’Zhaun Stribling (No. 33 pick)
Once the 49ers traded out of the first round, I thought they were an easy pick to take some of the defensive linemen on the board. Instead, they reached by about 80 spots on the consensus big board to take De’Zhaun Stribling, who almost no one had in their top 100 prospects for this draft.
Now, let’s be clear: No team is going to have odd draft picks quite like San Francisco. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan are consumed with the latter’s offensive system, and they target guys who can do that well based on the tape. As such, you can see Stribling’s YAC ability playing into that for the passing game and Brock Purdy. At the same time, that still doesn’t mean they had to reach as egregiously as they did to get Stribling in this spot.
Jacksonville Jaguars – TE Nate Boerkircher (No. 56 pick)
Not only did I not really consider tight end a need for the Jaguars, I definitely didn’t think that using their first selection on a player at the position would’ve made sense. Then they somehow made that even worse by taking Nate Boerkricher, who just simply doesn’t make any sense to me given some of the players still on the board.
Broerkircher is not particularly athletic, even if he’s a large human, and his college production was tepid at best, including just 19 receptions last season with A&M. More than that, he’s essentially a block first, catch little type of player, which limits the overall upside. After such a big season for Liam Coen and the Jags, I expected more from this draft, and it would almost be hard to not do better than this.
Chicago Bears – C Logan Jones (No. 57 pick)
Put as simple as possible, this had all the trappings of a panic pick by the Bears when it really, truly didn’t have to be. No doubt, Chicago should’ve come into this draft with the intention of finding a replacement for Drew Dalman after his surprise retirement. They didn’t have to reach like this for that player, though.
There were four centers I’d have drafted over Logan Jones, not the least of which are Connor Lew and Sam Hecht, and he became the first player off the board at the position. Jones hasn’t been a proven pass blocker, even if he fits the Ben Johnson run game, and his movement ability is average, I’d say. Just felt like if they loved Jones, they absolutely could’ve waited.
Arizona Cardinals – Carson Beck (No. 65 pick)
There’s a very real chance that Carson Beck could win the Cardinals starting job by the time that training camp and the preseason are said and done. He’s a fine passer with a ton of experience, and you don’t exactly play for Georgia and Miami if you aren’t a big-time talent. But he’s not that big of a big-time talent, and the chance of him being the franchise guy in Arizona is quite low.
Now, you look at this Cardinals roster after the draft, and it leaves a lot to be desired. They drafted a running back, a guard, and a potential QB1.5 with their first three selections in this draft, which isn’t going to really help this team win that many more games. That feels ultimately like Beck is the opposite of a cherry that belongs on this sundae.
Pittsburgh Steelers – QB Drew Allar (No. 76 pick)
Make no mistake, Steelers fans are going to try and talk themselves into this. And I’ll be there to keep pushing it back. This is one of the instances when being an ardent college football fan in addition to someone who dives deep into the NFL Draft pays off. The tools have been with Drew Allar since he got to Penn State, and he’s still never become the player he was supposed to as a recruit.
Accuracy is his biggest issue, but I also question his overall poise and football IQ on top of that as well. He’s lesser than the sum of his parts, and while Mike McCarthy and Pittsburgh can pretty easily tell themselves that they can develop these players, it’s just not going to happen. The Steelers needed a quarterback, but I’ve seen enough of Allar to not believe this was one worth betting on in this spot.
Miami Dolphins – TE Will Kacmarek (No. 87 pick)
For what he is, there’s every good reason to think that Will Kacmarek can be a good NFL player. Maybe the best way to put it is that he’s in the vein of a Geoff Swaim in terms of being a guy who you’re lucky if he catches a dozen passes across the course of a full season, but he’s going to block his tail off, which is certainly true with the Ohio State product as maybe the best blocking tight end in the class.
If you’re the Dolphins, though, how is this the pick? You have a roster that’s scarily devoid of talent, and though I like some of the picks this team has made in the draft, Miami should be aiming hire or trying to land a bigger dart throw with selections like this, not essentially playing it safe with a player who you know exactly what he is.
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