2026 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper names biggest winners of Rounds 2 and 3

ESPN’s Mel Kiper named his biggest winners of Rounds 2 and 3 during the 2026 NFL Draft. Day 2 is really where teams can shine and make up for having no first round pick or excel in their selections going into the final day.

Certain teams stood out with multiple picks, heck, even one pick. Others got a litter and built for the future as well.

So without further ado, let’s dive into what Kiper saw as the winners from Friday night. We’ll start in the AFC North.

Cleveland Browns

The pick: Denzel Boston (No. 39), Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (No. 58), Austin Barber (No. 86)

The Browns got a litter of young players, all loved by Kiper in Rounds 2 and 3. He said they reached on Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion, but Boston was the best remaining player on his board. So, there’s value! McNeil-Warren was ranked No. 33 on Kiper’s board as well and the defensive back comes in with five career picks. Not only that, Barber comes in as a hybrid tackle, being able to play both sides.

Baltimore Ravens

The pick: Zion Young (No. 45), Ja’Kobi Lane (No. 80)

Baltimore already brought in veteran Trey Hendrickson, but Kiper loved the addition of Young to the defense. The Ravens got great value in the second round. Lane is a “silky smooth” wide receiver who should give Lamar Jackson quite the rookie option in this offense as well.

Atlanta Falcons

The pick: Avieon Terrell (No. 48), Zachariah Branch (No. 79)

Kiper loved the Terrell pick simply because he’ll be paired with his brother AJ in the secondary. Well, more than that, Avieon Terrell is a great cover corner, is a ballhawk when it comes to forcing fumbles and should fit nicely into the slot. Branch comes in as a speedster and a great return man. But he really developed as a wide receiver as his career progressed at USC and eventually Georgia.

Indianapolis Colts

The pick: CJ Allen (No. 53), A.J. Haulcy (No. 78)

The Colts didn’t even make a pick until No. 53 and ended up being one of Kiper’s biggest winners of Day 2. Indianapolis desperately needed a linebacker and Allen was one of the best available as a three-down backer. Haulcy has tremendous ball skills, too, so it was a nice addition to the secondary. He had eight interceptions and 12 breakups in the last two years.

Los Angeles Chargers

The pick: Jake Slaughter (No. 63)

Slaughter comes from Florida and will head out west. But he’s part of Kiper’s winners from Day 2. The powerful center was one of the draft analysts’ favorite players coming out of the SEC. He started 33 games and is listed at 6-5, 303 pounds, while being light on his feet. He’ll be in charge of protecting Justin Herbert, who was sacked 54 times last year.

Arizona Cardinals

The pick: Chase Bisontis (No. 34), Carson Beck (No. 65)

If you want to talk about building a core for the offense in the future, the Cardinals added to it here. Bisontis will shore up the interior blocking for Jacoby Brissett and new RB Jeremiyah Love. But as Kiper puts it, Beck might be the future. It won’t be right away, but perhaps he develops nicely over a year or two before taking over. It’s good to take a chance.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The pick: Germie Bernard (No. 47), Drew Allar (No. 76), Daylen Everette (No. 85), Gennings Dunker (No. 96)

The Steelers added a lot on Day 2, giving Kiper good reason to shout them out. Bernard will serve as a useful wide receiver in the offense, while Allar just might be the future under center. Pittsburgh could ill afford not to take a chance on a QB with Aaron Rodgers’ future undecided, again. Everett should provide nice depth to the secondary, while Dunker, a fan favorite, will fit into the culture as well as help the run blocking from a guard position.