Another day of the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books. Below, we take a closer look at Rounds 2-3, including the day's winner, what lies ahead for the two quarterbacks taken and more. Statement: Cleveland Browns won Day 2 The Browns were among the most active teams in the second and third rounds, adding three more players after making two Round 1 picks on Thursday. Cleveland began by double-dipping at wide receiver, selecting Denzel Boston, who had first-round potential, at No. 39, to join KC Concepcion, selected No. 24 the previous evening. In one of the night's biggest steals, the Browns landed safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren near the end of Round 2 at No. 58. Per Sports Info Solutions, he ranked as the second-best safety in the class and No. 22 overall prospect. For the second night in a row, Cleveland also won on the phone lines, too, executing advantageous trades. In addition to moving up for McNeil-Warren, in Round 3, it dealt No. 74 overall, acquired in the first-round trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, to the New York Giants for a 2026 fourth (No. 105), 2026 fifth (No. 145) and 2027 fourth. The Browns then packaged Nos. 105 and 145, along with a 2026 sixth (No. 206), in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for No. 86 overall, which they used to select offensive lineman Austin Barber, a potential starter as a rookie. For a team with plenty of work to do, Friday was a promising step forward. | TRUE Statement: The Houston Texans defense will be even better in 2026 The Texans moved up to select nose tackle Kayden McDonald at No. 36. For a defense that was already among the league's most dominant, it could possible make it even better in 2026. McDonald was the top defensive tackle prospect, according to SIS, which also ranked him No. 21 overall. At 6-foot-2, 326 pounds, the former Ohio State Buckeye can plug the middle of the defense against the run. Paired with edge-rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, he makes Houston's front four even more terrifying. The Texans also have three returning Pro Bowlers in the secondary, leaving them without any noticeable defensive weakness. | TRUE Statement: New Orleans Saints will have league's most improved offense After selecting wide receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 8 in Round 1, the Saints further improved their offensive weaponry by adding tight end Oscar Delp in the third round. The former Georgia Bulldog ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at Georgia's pro day, which would have been the second-fastest among tight ends at the 2026 scouting combine. His 38-inch vertical would have been fourth. Per SIS data, Delp was dynamic with the ball in his hands last season, averaging 8.2 yards after the catch per reception. He produced a 53 percent positive play rate against man coverage, his speed and 6-foot-5 frame allowing him to exploit mismatches. The Saints finished 2026 ranked No. 28 in scoring, averaging 18 points per game. Their offense is in much better shape heading into 2026, giving it a chance for a big turnaround. | TRUE Statement: Carson Beck will start for the Arizona Cardinals in 2026 While no quarterbacks went in the second round, Arizona struck early in the third, taking Beck with the first pick of the round. The Cardinals have one of the league's worst quarterback situations, giving him a chance to start as a rookie. Jacoby Brissett put up serviceable numbers a season ago but is nothing more than a stopgap option, while free-agent addition Gardner Minshew is a below-average replacement. Beck is limited as a thrower, but after six collegiate seasons, including three as a starter, he won't have the learning curve of less seasoned prospects. Arizona won't be contending this year, making it perfectly reasonable to expect Beck to get a look as QB1 before next year's draft. The only question is how soon until he does. | TRUE Statement: The Pittsburgh Steelers have their quarterback of the future While Pittsburgh awaits Aaron Rodgers' decision, it selected former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar at No. 76 overall, the pick acquired in last year's trade sending wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. After the selection, the Steelers now have Allar and second-year quarterback Will Howard on their roster, giving the organization two young options as they search for a long-term solution. The problem is neither provides much optimism. Both project as backups with limited starter upside, suggesting the Steelers still haven't filled their biggest need. Maybe next year. | FALSE
Just a couple of weeks ago, Tennessee's Jermod McCoy was considered CB2 in the 2026 NFL Draft. There was a point where he was the clear-cut best cornerback in this class. That's why, even after watching him miss the 2025 season with an ACL injury, seeing him fall to the third day of the draft was a bit of a surprise. According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, his ACL healed just fine. Nevertheless, he might need another knee surgery and could miss the entire 2026 season. Jermod McCoy may need another knee surgery “Obviously, McCoy did not play because of the ACL. That is not what this is about,” Rapoport said. “The ACL is fine. He did drills at a pro day, he is okay. This is about teams wondering if there are going to be long-term issues on his knee. And actually, colleague Tom Pelissero has also reported that the bone plug after knee surgery might need to be replaced, might need a second surgery. That is why he has fallen.” While multiple teams could afford to have him sit for a year and get back to full strength, concerns about potential lingering knee issues have hurt his draft stock. Of course, it shouldn't be much longer until someone rolls the dice on him, but doing so with a mid-round pick would make much more financial sense. When healthy, McCoy has shown the traits to be an elite, shutdown corner at the next level. That said, availability is the best ability. Given how many talented prospects have struggled to stay on the field and failed to live up to their lofty draft status, it makes sense that teams err on the side of caution here.
Some new photos of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and NFL insider Dianna Russini together were published on Thursday, adding further credence to the suspicion that the two are having an extramarital affair. The New York Post’s Page Six, which initially published photos of Russini and Vrabel together at hotel in Arizona, published a follow-up story on Thursday. The follow-up story included never-before-published photos of Vrabel and Russini together at a bar in New York City in March 2020. Vrabel was still married to his longtime wife at the time, while Russini was six months away from marrying her current husband Kevin Goldschmidt. Page Six says Vrabel and Russini were said to have been “all over each other” at the bar in 2020. Coupling the 2020 bar photos with the 2026 hotel photos isn’t good for Russini and Vrabel. The fallout from the photos Russini was under a probe from her employer, The New York Times, which owns The Athletic — a sports brand for which she was a reporter. She resigned from her position on April 14. Vrabel, who is the head coach of the New England Patriots, has said he will begin counseling this weekend. Vrabel was a three-time Super Bowl champion linebacker as a player with the Patriots. He led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in his first season as their head coach. That followed a six-season stint as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023. Support from the Patriots While Russini has lost her job, Vrabel’s seems secure. He received support from the team in a statement issued on Thursday. “The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being. Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment. “We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend.”
A series many thought would go one way due to key injuries has gone the completely other direction. With their come-from-behind Game 3 win on Friday night, it's the Los Angeles Lakers who have a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Houston Rockets. Just when it seemed as if the Rockets were going to get back in the series and win without Kevin Durant, the Lakers managed to tie the score and send the game into overtime, where they would win the extra session. And with Durant on the bench, unable to help his team, LeBron James added another big moment to his playoff lore. James got open and hit a corner three to tie the game with just a tick over 13 seconds left in regulation. He finished the game with a throwback performance, putting up 29 points in 45 minutes. James hit 10-of-22 shots from the field and four threes, including the game-saving dagger to the hearts of Rockets fans. But for James, his game-tying shot may not be the moment he holds closest to his heart from the game. James threw a pass to his son, Bronny, successfully creating the NBA's first father-son assist in playoff history off an alley-oop play. "I was like 'Just go get it!'... that was a special moment," LeBron James said after the game. The Lakers outscored Houston 11-7 in overtime, winning the game 112-108. Los Angeles' win creates a stronghold on the first-round matchup with a 3-0 series lead. Durant has been absent. He missed the series opener, returned to score 23 points in a loss in Game 2 and missed Game 3. James' co-stars, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, both dealing with late-season injuries, have yet to suit up in the series. To help James on Friday, Rui Hachimura stepped up and scored 22 points in 44 minutes. He averaged just 11.5 points per game during the regular season. Luke Kennard, who led the way in Game 1 with 27 points and five three-pointers and then added 23 on Tuesday, contributed 14 off a 4-for-12 game from the field. While it's still unlikely the Lakers would be able to embark on a deep postseason run without Doncic and Reaves, James and Los Angeles have been able to take advantage of no Durant to coast in one series. Game 4 of the series will take place at Houston's Toyota Center and is set to tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET.
