The Next Gen Stats Team uses its draft model to identify the five best value picks in Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
- Production Score: 76
- Athleticism Score: 82
- OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 82
Daniel Jeremiah's No. 21 overall prospect lasted until the fifth pick of Round 2, giving the Giants one of Friday's clearest values. Hood is the only cornerback in this year's class to finish among the top six in all three categories that are scored by the Next Gen Stats draft model: production, athleticism and overall. The only CB with better overall draft score than Hood's 84 is Mansoor Delane, who went sixth overall to the Chiefs.
At 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, Hood ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and posted a 40.5-inch vertical at the NFL Scouting Combine. NGS tracking data added even more context: he recorded the third-fastest max acceleration among cornerbacks at 6.45 yards per second squared and reached 18.30 mph by the 10-yard mark, the fifth-fastest speed among corners in the class. Pair that athletic profile with the physicality that led Lance Zierlein to describe him as a "press-man bully," and Hood looks like a natural fit outside in Dennard Wilson's defense.
- Production Score: 82
- Athleticism Score: 86
- OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 85
GM Howie Roseman does it again. Less than 24 hours after scooping up receiver Makai Lemon later than expected in Round 1, the Eagles added another value pick to the skill group in Stowers, who looked like one of the stronger Day 2 sleepers entering the draft. A.J. Brown isn't the only pass-catching weapon who might soon need to be replaced in Philly; 31-year-old Dallas Goedert re-signed this offseason on a one-year deal and averaged less than 10 yards per catch for the first time in his career in 2025, while the Eagles' tight end group overall finished with the sixth-lowest total receiving yards in the NFL. Stowers brings plenty of proven production and tons of explosiveness to an offense that needs it.
As we noted earlier this week, the only other tight end in this class to top 80 in the production and athleticism categories was Kenyon Sadiq -- and Roseman managed to nab Stowers 38 picks after the Jets took Sadiq, without compromising his ability to bolster the roster with Lemon or offensive tackle Markel Bell (No. 68 overall).
- Production Score: 81
- Athleticism Score: 74
- OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 82
McNeil-Warren looks like one of the biggest Day 2 steals, falling to the Browns at No. 58 after being widely viewed as a first-round talent by draft analysts and ranking as the 15th best prospect overall, according to Jeremiah. The do-it-all safety can be an intriguing long-term chess piece for a defense whose starting safeties (Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman Jr.) are both headed for free agency after this season.
The 4.52 40 might not jump off the page by itself, but McNeil-Warren's movement profile is still easy to buy. Checking in at 6-3 1/2 and 201-pounds, McNeil-Warren posted the fastest max acceleration (6.39 yards per second squared) among safeties in the 40, according to NGS combine tracking data. That blend of size and short-area burst gives the versatile defensive back the ability to line up deep, play in the box or compete for snaps at nickel.
- Production Score: 72
- Athleticism Score: 86
- OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 81
The Titans needed more speed and range at the second level after finishing 2025 with the third-most rushing yards over expected allowed (+334). Hill -- Jeremiah's No. 37 overall prospect and one of our top Day 2 sleepers entering the weekend -- fits the bill, possessing the kind of three-down athletic profile that should enable him to compete for snaps right away alongside starters Cody Barton and Cedric Gray.
His athletic testing helps explain why he stood out so clearly in the model. At 6-2 and 238 pounds, Hill ran a 4.51 40 with a 37-inch vertical and a 10-5 broad jump while reaching 22.39 mph on his 40-yard dash, the fourth-fastest top speed among linebackers in this year’s class. Pair that movement profile with his production and command of the defense at Texas, and it is easy to see why Hill looked like one of the better bets on the board to outperform his draft slot.
- Production Score: 79
- Athleticism Score: 78
- OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 80
Ranked 56th overall on Jeremiah's big board, Pregnon didn't just finish tops among guards in overall draft score and production score; he was also the only prospect at the position to earn at least a 78 in all three NGS categories. The Jaguars' interior line play was uneven last season. This was a smart spot to add a player with near-term competition value and a plausible long-term path at left guard, with Ezra Cleveland entering the final year of his deal.
Pregnon's measurables help explain why the model was so favorable. While weighing 314 pounds and boasting an 82 7/8-inch wingspan, Pregnon posted a 35-inch vertical, the best among offensive linemen at the combine, and totaled 30 bench reps at his pro-day workout, giving him one of the more impressive size-power profiles in the class. That kind of movement and strength should play well for Jacksonville's front, considering the Jags' guards allowed the 10th-highest quarterback pressure rate in the NFL last season, while Jacksonville ball-carriers averaged the 10th-fewest yards per carry on runs between the tackles at 4.0. Pregnon is a plug-and-play guard candidate with starter upside and the physical profile to help stabilize the middle of the offense.
