1. Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
He wasn’t there. But hey, the draft continued without him. As long as he shows up in Vegas!
Grade: B

2. New York Jets – David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech
Whether it was Arvell Reese or David Bailey, the Jets picked production.
Grade: A

3. Arizona Cardinals – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Who is playing quarterback again? Regardless, Love has the potential to be the next Jahmyr Gibbs.
Grade: B+

4. Tennessee Titans – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Can he be a true number-one receiver? It looks like they are low-key sabotaging Cam Ward.
Grade: C-

5. New York Giants – Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
The Giants add a hard-hitting presence to the second level of the defense.
Grade: B

6. Kansas City Chiefs (from Cleveland) – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
The Chiefs aren’t paying any corners. He will be traded four years from now.
Grade: B-

7. Washington Commanders – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Washington secures a versatile, modern defensive piece.
Grade: B

8. New Orleans Saints – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
He cried when he was selected. I love the passion.
Grade: A

9. Cleveland Browns (from Kansas City) – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Cleveland reinforces the offensive trenches. Who’s playing QB here again?
Grade: B

10. New York Giants (from Cincinnati) – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Uce said he’d die about this pick. I love this draft class.
Grade: A+

11. Dallas Cowboys (from Miami) – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Jerry Jones sneaks in and takes the best value as usual. It still won’t win them a title, though.
Grade: A-

12. Miami Dolphins (from Dallas) – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
He was my number-one prospect if he could have kept his head on straight. I am not sure if Miami is the right city for him.
Grade: C+

13. Los Angeles Rams – Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Matthew Stafford will play one or two more years. I called for them to draft Shedeur Sanders, so I am not surprised by the move for a quarterback.
Grade: B

14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, OL, Penn State
Baltimore adds wide-bodied power to the interior line.
Grade: B

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami
Here is another player who is about his business. I love this class, and he gets to stay in Florida.
Grade: A

16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis) – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Why did they need this player again? He is a good player, but Geno Smith is your quarterback.
Grade: C-

17. Detroit Lions – Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
Detroit adds a tough, physical blocker to the perimeter.
Grade: B

18. Minnesota Vikings – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
Minnesota beefs up the interior defensive line.
Grade: B

19. Carolina Panthers – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Carolina invests in offensive tackle depth. Panthers fans are not feeling this selection but it may grade out as the right move.
Grade: B

20. Philadelphia Eagles (from Green Bay via Dallas) – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
So A.J. Brown is gone gone?
Grade: B+

21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
Pittsburgh continues to prioritize offensive line stability.  Who’s playing QB here?! And why is that a question that keeps occurring?
Grade: B

22. Los Angeles Chargers – Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami
The Chargers add disruptive edge-rushing depth.
Grade: B

23. Dallas Cowboys (from Philadelphia) – Malachi Lawrence, DE, UCF
Dallas doubles down on the defensive front.
Grade: B

24. Cleveland Browns – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
He is my favorite player in the class and reminds me of Deebo Samuel. It is too bad his quarterback will be Shedeur Sanders, and his cult-like fanbase will sabotage KC.
Grade: A for talent, C for fit

25. Chicago Bears – Dillon Theineman, S, Oregon
Chicago adds range and intelligence to the secondary.
Grade: B

26. Houston Texans (via Buffalo) – Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech
Houston reinforces the interior offensive line.
Grade: B

27. Miami Dolphins (via San Francisco) – Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Miami adds secondary depth for the AFC East.
Grade: B

28. New England Patriots (from Houston via Buffalo) – Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
New England secures reliable pass protection.
Grade: B

29. Kansas City Chiefs – Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Kansas City adds raw power to the defensive interior.
Grade: B

30. New York Jets (from Denver, via Miami and San Francisco) – Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
I am still not understanding what the Jets are doing. Your quarterback of the future is Geno Smith, and he is 35 years old.
Grade: D

31. Tennessee Titans (from New England via Buffalo) – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn
I once had him number one overall, but the production never came. Again, what are they doing to Cam Ward?
Grade: C

32. Seattle Seahawks – Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
I predicted this for the second round, but they probably figured they should lock him in and get him now.
Grade: B+

The Las Vegas Raiders secure the top overall spot by selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza to stabilize their offense. Later in the round, the Cleveland Browns secure a potential succession plan by taking Alabama’s Ty Simpson at pick 24.

Defensive and offensive linemen dominate the top of the board. The New York Jets add elite length with Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese at pick two. The Arizona Cardinals immediately follow with Texas Tech’s explosive David Bailey at pick three. The New York Giants lock in a foundational bookend by taking Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa at pick five.

Explosive playmakers fill the remaining gaps to round out the offensive side of the ball. The Tennessee Titans return to a dominant run game with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Teams like the Cleveland Browns (Carnell Tate) and Baltimore Ravens (Jordyn Tyson) secure elite receiving targets with the speed and size to stretch the field.

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The analysis is complete. The board is set. The clock starts at 8 PM.

In our latest two-round projection, we witnessed a massive shakeup that saw Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama) and Kevin Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M) skyrocket into the first-round conversation!

With the “Blue Chip” talent pool shifting, the New York Jets kicked off the second round by snagging Avieon Terrell. In a division defined by elite quarterback play, finding a corner with Terrell’s Clemson-bred instincts at pick 33 is the definition of value.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans proved that the best way to win the draft is to let the board come to you. By waiting until the second round to grab Anthony Hill Jr. and D’Angelo Ponds, both teams secured Day 1 starters without the “top-10” price tag. Ponds, in particular, represents a massive win for a Titans secondary looking to reset the culture in the AFC South.

Perhaps the most polarizing move of the mock was Ty Simpson’s ascent into the first round. By moving the Alabama signal-caller into the top 32, the Cleveland Browns are forced to pivot. While the Browns opted for technical security with center Connor Lew, the Steelers also stayed aggressive under center, landing Garrett Nussmeier at 76 to compete in a wide-open QB room.

If you’re looking for the pick that will be graded an “A+” three years from now, look no further than Zachariah Branch to the Atlanta Falcons at 48. In an era where “high-end” playmakers are the ultimate currency, getting a home-run threat like Branch outside the top 40 is highway robbery.

Other notable Round 2 values include Eli Stowers (TE, Vanderbilt) to Miami, a mismatch nightmare for a Dolphins offense that thrives on speed. Malachi Fields (WR, Notre Dame) to Tampa Bay, the “Pro’s Pro” who provides immediate reliability for the Bucs’ passing game. And Gabe Jacas (DE, Illinois) to Detroit, a high-motor edge rusher who fits Dan Campbell’s “kneecap-biting” philosophy like a glove.

The 2026 NFL Draft class is proving that there is no consensus. Teams aren’t just drafting for talent; they are drafting for identity. From the Jets’ defensive doubling-down to the Texans’ trench-warfare approach, the battle for AFC supremacy is being fought in the mid-rounds.

Check out the full Round 2 breakdown below to see if your team found their next superstar!

Moore, who transferred to Oregon after a brief stint at UCLA, has quickly emerged as one of the most polished young quarterbacks in the nation. McShay praised his smooth mechanics, advanced accuracy, and ability to manipulate defenses—traits that stand out even in a stacked 2026 QB class.

The declaration comes as Oregon prepares for a marquee matchup against Penn State, led by fellow top quarterback prospect Drew Allar. McShay has already made clear where he stands, writing in The McShay Report that Moore’s poise and passing consistency put him ahead of Allar heading into the season.

With scouts already circling and expectations rising, Moore will have every opportunity to solidify himself as QB1 on draft boards. If he delivers on McShay’s lofty projection, Oregon could be sending one of the most highly touted passers of the decade into the NFL.

Thamel surveyed 25 NFL scouts and executives, asking them to project who will ultimately emerge as the top quarterback in the class. The responses revealed both excitement and uncertainty across the league, with seven different signal-callers receiving at least one vote.

Leading the pack was South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, who earned eight votes, edging out LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (seven). Sellers’ combination of size, arm talent, and dual-threat ability has scouts intrigued about his ceiling as a franchise quarterback.

Behind the two frontrunners was a group of contenders, each drawing support from multiple evaluators. Miami’s Carson Beck and Oklahoma’s John Mateer received three votes apiece, while Penn State’s Drew Allar earned two. Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Texas star Arch Manning rounded out the list with one vote each.

The spread of votes underscores how fluid the quarterback landscape remains, with no clear consensus QB1 emerging just yet. Still, Sellers’ showing suggests that momentum is building around the Gamecocks’ rising star as the 2026 draft cycle begins to take shape.

If Sellers can build on his breakout campaign in Columbia, he could position himself as South Carolina’s first quarterback ever to be selected No. 1 overall.