2026 NFL Draft Winners and Losers: Day 2

Atlanta Falcons:

• Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
• Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia

When teams don’t have a first-round pick, it can be difficult to add playmaking talent to their roster, but the Falcons were able to accomplish that with their second-day haul. Sources from teams picking late in the first round had Terrell as a candidate for their pick. They raved about his tape with his cover corner skills. While he is a little undersized, Terrell was a gritty defender with a real knack for forcing fumbles as well. Terrell could be an excellent slot corner as well as playing outside across from his brother, A.J. Avieon Terrell was a steal at pick 48, and Atlanta came away with a first-round talent.

In the third round, the Falcons were fortunate again to have Branch fall into their lap. The playmaking receiver is dynamic with the ball in his hands, showcasing explosive elusiveness in the open field. Along with being a weapon as a receiver, Branch is a dangerous returner on special teams. He easily could have been taken in the top half of the second round, and it would not have been a reach. Landing Branch at pick 79 in the third round was great value for Atlanta.

Cleveland Browns:

• Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
• Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
• Austin Barber, OT, Florida

Denzel Boston was one of the steals of the 2026 NFL Draft, as he easily could have gone in the back half of the first round. In fact, Boston was a better player in college than some of the players taken in that range. Boston is a tall, physical receiver who is a red zone weapon and an excellent weapon along the sideline downfield. While Boston may not be quite as fast, he is very similar to other successful pro receivers like Drake London and Tet McMillan. Cleveland entered the draft with a big need at receiver, and they filled that need impressively with a smaller, speed receiver in K.C. Concepcion and then a big outside receiver in Boston.

After landing Boston, Cleveland was able to address a weakness at safety with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. He could be a nice contributor as a strong safety and bring more physicality to the middle of the field. While McNeil-Warren was overhyped by the media as a top-20 pick, he was a quality value pick being taken in the back half of the second round.

Late in the third round, the Browns added a quality swing tackle backup in Austin Barber. Barber was a solid starter at Florida and improved as he gained experience. While he may never be an elite starter, he could be a quality backup at tackle and guard. That is a valuable commodity to have on game days, and perhaps Barber grows into a starting role. The Browns made three wise picks on day three and landed good players.

Miami Dolphins:

• Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
• Caleb Douglas, WR, Texas Tech
• Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio State
• Chris Bell, WR, Louisville

The Dolphins had four picks on the second day of the draft, and they came away with some very good value selections. Rodriguez could be a plug-and-play starter potential at inside or outside linebacker for Miami. The former quarterback has excellent instincts and is a tackling machine. He was a turnover machine last year for the Red Raiders and was a key cog in their defense, carrying them into the college football playoff.

In the third round, Miami landed two receivers with Douglas giving them a tall outside receiver with dangerous top-end speed to stretch defenses vertically. Chris Bell looked like he would be a first-round pick as he was dominating college football last year, including leading Louisville to an upset of the National Champion runner-up Miami Hurricanes. Bell looked like a young A.J. Brown with the Cardinals, and only slid in the draft because of a late ACL tear. He might need a redshirt year, but he could turn into a steal for Miami. Third-round tight end Will Kacmarek is a big, strong, blocking tight end who will help the Dolphins at the point of attack. Kacmarek will be valuable as a run blocker and pass protector. Miami was one of the winners on day one of the NFL Draft, and they followed it up with an excellent day two.

Chicago Bears:

• Logan Jones, C, Iowa
• Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
• Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU

The Bears had some questionable picks on day two of the draft, starting with Jones in the second round. Other teams had other centers rated higher, and Jones is an undersized center for the NFL. Chicago probably could have had him in the third round, but they reached on him at pick 57. Roush was a good tight end for the Cardinal, and in Chicago, he will top out as a backup to Colston Loveland. Roush will probably be the replacement for Cole Kmet. Thomas is a speed receiver with just average size, and he was not a productive player in college. He looks limited to being only a backup role player. It would not surprise me if this trio of picks ends up offering just a modest contribution for the Bears roster in the years to come.

Jacksonville Jaguars:

• Nate Boerkircher, TE, Texas A&M
• Albert Regis, DT, Texas A&M
• Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
• Jalen Huskey, S, Maryland

The Jaguars made some reaches with the pair of Aggies. Boerkircher is a limited receiver and looks like just a backup quality tight end. That was not a good value for their second-round pick. Regis could be a rotational backup as well. Pregnon was the best pick of their day two haul, and he could turn into a quality starter at guard. Huskey looks more like a third safety and backup with special teams ability. This group was not an impressive haul for Jacksonville, and they could have little to show for it in terms of starting talent.