First Round Draft Analysis and Night Two Draft Preview

SNS 2026 NFL Draft First Round Draft Analysis

NEW YORK! NEW YORK! The Jets & Giants Executed Flawless Draft Plans

The Jets and the Giants entered Thursday evening with four first round draft picks and many question marks but leave Thursday night with five picks and excited fan bases after executing sound draft strategies that addressed areas of need with some of the most talented prospects in this draft. The Jets entered the day needing an EDGE, a CB, and additional offensive weapons to assist QB Geno Smith and addressed EDGE by picking the best pass rusher in the 2026 draft in David Bailey and then added offensive weapons in TE Kenyon Sadiq / Oregon and WR Omar Cooper / Indiana, after trading back into the first round. The Giants traded DT Dexter Lawrence last week for the tenth pick and then immediately improved the defense with EDGE Arvell Reese / Ohio State at number 5 and then selecting the best OT in the 2026 draft in Francis Mauigoa / Miami, Fl, at number 10, who will immediately start at either ORT or ORG as a rookie. The Jets are now a much more entertaining team to watch and the Giants under new coach John Harbaugh are contenders for the NFC East title this fall. A good night for New York City.

Jermod McCoy Fell Out of the First Round - How Far Will He Fall?

McCoy missed all of last season in Knoxville with a torn ACL but was able to work out at Tennessee's Pro Day and ran and jumped like a first-round pick. But his medical examination at the NFL Scouting Combine revealed structural damage in that same knee that may shorten his NFL career. McCoy, SNS' number 15 prospect overall, then proceeded to tumble out of the first-round on Thursday evening. Based on pure ability, no CB, other than Mansoor Delane, grades out nearly as highly as McCoy but concerns around his long-term availability are scaring NFL teams. Expect McCoy to be selected early in the second-round since he has plug and play starting potential as a rookie.

Ohio State Got Close But the 1967 Michigan State Spartans Still Stand Alone

In 1967, the first-year of the modern era NFL Draft, an NFL record was set that has never been equaled - the Spartans had four prospects drafted in the top 10 - EDGE Bubba Smith went number one to the Colts, RB Clint Jones went second overall to the Vikings, LB George Webster was selected fifth overall by the Oilers, and WR Gene Washington was selected at number eight overall by the Vikings. No other school has ever had four players go in the top ten of an NFL Draft but the Buckeyes seemed poised to equal the standard after WR Carnell Tate went fourth overall to the Titans, EDGE Arvell Reese was picked fifth by the Giants, and Sonny Styles was selected by the Commanders at number seven. But Caleb Downs surprisingly fell out of the top ten and was an absolute steal by Dallas at pick number 11. Will any school ever equal MSU's 1967 class? After OSU fell short, this record is likely to stand the test of time for the forseeable future.

Nine OL are Drafted in the First Round - And NFL QBs Will be the Beneficiaries

Nine offensive linemen were drafted in the first-round, all between picks 9 and 28, a sign of the top end talent and depth at the top of the OT and to a lesser extent, the IOL, classes. Cleveland traded back to the ninth pick and were still able to select the first OL off the board in Spencer Fano / Utah, who could start at either OT spot as a rookie. The Giants added Mauigoa at number 10, and then the Dolphins selected the mammoth Kadyn Proctor at number 12. The first guard off the board is Olaivavega Ioane / Penn State who looks like a potential Pro Bowler for the Ravens. The Lions select the solid technician Blake Miller, a steady and durable ORT who will allow Penei Sewell to move to OLT. The Panthers select the long limbed and quick-footed Monroe Freeling which may allow Ikem Ekwonu to slide inside to guard (when he returns from his knee injury), where he has Pro Bowl potential. The Steelers added bruising ORT Max Iheanachor to play either ORT or ORG and improve Pittsburgh's run game. The Texans added the nasty and physical Keylan Rutledge to improve the interior of their OL and finally, the Patriots added Caleb Lomu of Utah, who will likely have to convert to ORT in New England. 

NFL Draft Night Two Preview

Expect an early run on CBs on the second round

Only two CBs (Mansoor Delane at number six to the Chiefs and Chris Johnson at number 27 to the Dolphins) were selected in the first-round on Thursday evening, an unusually low number. This leaves five of the top ten best available prospects as CBs (see below), including two Vols with immediate starting potential in McCoy and Colton Hood, and two of the best slot CBs available this weekend - Keionte Scott / Miami, Fl and D'Angelo Ponds / Indiana. Seven of the top 32 prospects available are CBs and they are all great value picks at this point in the draft. Expect to hear a lot of CB names called Friday evening.

With Mendoza and Simpson already drafted, who is the third QB drafted and when should he hear his name called?

To the apparent dismay of coach Sean McVay, the Rams decided to draft Matthew Stafford's eventual successor at number 13 in Alabama's Ty Simpson, an inexperienced but talented one-year starter in Tuscaloosa, as opposed to a prospect that could help the Rams close the gap with the World Champion Seahawks like an OT (Blake Miller and Monroe Freeling were still on the board) or a WR (Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, and Omar Cooper were all available for selection). Simpson is drafted into an ideal situation for his long-term development in LA, even if McVay is less than thrilled with the pick. So, who is the third QB to get drafted and when will he be selected? Of the top 100 prospects available, three QBs make the grade - Carson Beck / Miami, Fl, Haynes King / Georgia Tech, and Garrett Nussmeier / LSU - but the likely next QB to be selected is Drew Allar / Penn State, a big, strong-armed pocket passer with the upside to be developed into a potential starting QB. Keep an eye on the Steelers who have a need for a QB with the uncertain future surrounding Aaron Rodgers. Allar could go off the board at number 53 overall later tonight.

When will the Run on LBs Begin?

The 2026 NFL Draft offers one of the best group of LBs to enter the NFL in years but only Sonny Styles earned a first-round pick (number 7 to the Commanders). Day two is when the value of the position should show itself as six LBs earned second or third round grades - Jacob Rodriguez / Texas Tech, Anthony Hill / Texas, CJ Allen / Georgia, Jake Golday / Cincinnati, Kyle Louis / Pittsburgh, and Kaleb Elarms-Orr / TCU all graded out as day two picks. LB is not a sexy position on draft day but if you want to stop the run and cover LBs in space, a LB is irreplaceable. These LBs will immediately impact the NFL on defense and special teams. If your favorite team needs a LB, Friday is the day to grab a starter.

Top 100 Players Available (After the First Round)

1. TJ Parker / EDGE / Clemson

2. Jermod McCoy / CB / Tennessee

3. Avieon Terrell / CB / Clemson

4. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren / S / Toledo

5. Keionte Scott / CB / Miami, Fl

6. Colton Hood / CB / Tennessee

7. Jacob Rodriguez / LB / Texas Tech

8. Dani Dennis-Sutton / EDGE / Penn State

9. Lee Hunter / IDL / Texas Tech

10. D'Angelo Ponds / CB / Indiana

11. Germie Bernard / WR / Alabama

12. Gabe Jacas / EDGE / Illinois

13. Caleb Tiernan / OT / Northwestern

14. Jonah Coleman / RB / Washington

15. Darrell Jackson / IDL / Florida State

16. Emmanuel Pregnon / IOL / Oregon

17. Zachariah Branch / WR / Georgia

18. Zion Young / EDGE / Missouri

19. Anthony Hill / LB / Texas

20. CJ Allen / LB / Georgia

21. Emmett Johnson / RB / Nebraska

22. Bud Clark / S / Toledo

23. Max Klare / TE / Ohio State

24. Christen Miller / IDL / Georgia

25. Skyler Bell / WR / UCONN

26. Brandon Cisse / CB / South Carolina

27. Jake Golday / LB / Cincinnati

28. Gennings Dunker / OT / Iowa

29. Malachi Fields / WR / Notre Dame

30. Treydan Stukes / CB / Arizona

31. Jake Slaughter / OC / Florida

32. Chris Brazzell / WR / Tennessee

33. AJ Haulcy / S / LSU

34. Denzel Boston / WR / Washington

35. Alan Herron / OT / Maryland

36. Michael Trigg / TE / Baylor

37. Daylen Everette / CB / Georgia

38. Kyle Louis / LB / Pittsburgh

39. Austin Barber / OT / Florida

40. Cashius Howell / EDGE / Texas A&M

41. R. Mason Thomas / EDGE / Oklahoma

42. Mike Washington / RB / Arkansas

43. Charles Demmings / CB / Stephen F. Austin

44. Justin Joly / TE / North Carolina State

45. Jeff Caldwell / WR / Cincinnati

46. Derrick Moore / EDGE / Michigan

47. Chase Bisontis / IOL / Texas A&M

48. Josh Cameron / WR / Baylor

49. Chris McClellan / IDL / Missouri

50. Demond Claiborne / RB / Wake Forest

51. Carson Beck / QB / Miami, Fl

52. Chandler Rivers / CB / Duke

53. Ted Hurst / WR / Georgia State

54. Romello Height / EDGE / Texas Tech

55. Jalon Kilgore / S / South Carolina

56. Antonio Williams / WR / Clemson

57. Eli Stowers / TE / Vanderbilt

58. Max Llewellyn / EDGE / Iowa

59. Logan Jones / IOL / Iowa

60. Haynes King / QB / Georgia Tech

61. Kaleb Elarms-Orr / LB / TCU

62. Sam Hecht / IOL / Kansas State

63. Nolan Rucci / OT / Penn State

64. Mason Reiger / EDGE / Wisconsin

65. Malik Muhammad / CB / Texas

66. Zxavian Harris / IDL / Ole Miss

67. Reggie Virgil / WR / Texas Tech

68. Isaiah World / OT / Oregon

69. Chris Bell / WR / Louisville

70. Zakee Wheatley / S / Penn State

71. Beau Stephens / IOL / Iowa

72. Nicholas Singleton / RB / Penn State

73. Rayshaun Benny / IDL / Michigan

74. Keagan Trost / OT / Missouri

75. Domani Jackson / CB / Alabama

76. Vincent Anthony / EDGE / Duke

77. Tanner Koziol / TE / Houston

78. Deontae Lawson / LB / Alabama

79. Keith Abney / CB / Arizona State

80. Garrett Nussmeier / QB / LSU

81. Bryce Boettcher / LB / Oregon

82. Kaytron Allen / RB / Penn State

83. VJ Payne / S / Kansas State

84. Jalen Farmer / IOL / Kentucky

85. Hezekiah Masses / CB / California

86. Jack Endries / TE / Texas

87. Kendrick Law / WR / Kentucky

88. J'Mari Taylor / RB / Virginia

89. Nadame Tucker / EDGE / Western Kentucky

90. Joe Royer / TE / Cincinnati

91. Aamil Wagner / OT / Notre Dame

92. Caleb Douglas / WR / Texas Tech

93. Will Lee / CB / Texas A&M

94. Genesis Smith / S / Arizona

95. Joshua Josephs / EDGE / Tennessee

96. Elijah Sarratt / WR / Indiana

97. Markel Bell / OT / Miami, fl

98. Aiden Fisher / LB / Indiana

99. Parker Brailsford / IOL / Alabama

100. Oscar Delp / TE / Georgia

The Prospect Scouting Report and NFL Team Needs Analysis Databases are two of many exclusives to subscribers! SNS features independent draft analysis including mock drafts, Big Board 500, Prospect Rankings, the Comprehensive Eligibility Tracking (CET) database, NFL Team Needs Analysis and the Prospect Scouting Report databases with over 400 scouting reports on draft-eligible players - all available exclusively for subscribers. And it's risk free! Check it out!

https://www.stacknshed.com/subscription

Stack 'N Shed - YOUR Source for Everything NFL Draft!