The 2026 NFL Draft began as expected, with Fernando Mendoza coming off the board with the first overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders.
From there, however, the night did not follow the script.
By the time the dust settled, we had seen trades between division rivals (the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys pulled one off as did the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots), Ty Simpson came off the board much sooner than anyone expected, and 32 players had begun their NFL journeys.
However, we still have six more rounds to go and there are still over 200 players to be selected. That means there’s a lot of talent left on the board. That starts with Jermod McCoy, considered one of the best cornerbacks in the entire draft. But McCoy has faced serious injury questions in recent days, including his state of mind due to ACL surgery before this season.
Other top talents include Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who could come off the board early Friday night.
Here’s our list of the best players remaining ahead of Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. In the first column you’ll see their overall ranking on our Big Board and in the second you’ll see their ranking among the remaining players.