2026 NFL draft: Kiper's Rounds 2-3 winners, losers, values - ESPN

Two days of the 2026 NFL draft down, one to go. I broke down what I liked (and didn't like) in Round 1 on Thursday night, and now I'm doing the same for Rounds 2-3.

Only four players in the top 32 of my Big Board rankings were still available Friday, which meant teams had to be savvy in finding strong fits and value. The 49ers — who had traded back with the Jets to land at No. 33 — started things off with De'Zhaun Stribling. It took seven picks before receiver Denzel Boston came off the board, joining the Browns' offense — he was my best available prospect coming out of Round 1. We also saw two quarterbacks get picked; Arizona took Carson Beck, then Pittsburgh selected Drew Allar. And one of the stories of the night was the tight end run. The picks came fast at the position, but they might have come too fast.

There were some really strong selections, where front offices attacked roster needs. But there were also some confusing moves, where teams missed opportunities to make better additions. Let's put the 68 picks into context.

Which teams were the big winners of the night? To break down the best and worst from Friday, I leaned on my own Big Board rankings and prospect grades to get a sense of which teams got steals and which teams reached. Each roster's biggest needs, what each front office did in Round 1 and any trades involved in the picks — both up and down the board — were also important considerations.

We'll be back for Rounds 4-7 on Saturday (noon ET on ESPN and the ESPN App). I still have 21 players in my top 100 on the board, so expect more impact selections on Day 3. (I listed my best available prospects at the bottom here with early lookahead thoughts.) I'll also have complete postdraft grades for all 32