Night 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft put some prominent trends on display on both sides of the ball.
Defensively, we saw an early run on defensive tackles, indicating a priority for coordinators around the NFL. On the other side of the ball, the tight ends who were drafted show how offenses around the league are emphasizing the position to create mismatches.
Here are my takeaways from the second and third rounds of the draft:
1. Carson Beck and Drew Allar prove that traits still matter in scouting rooms
Despite the skeptics dismissing the importance of size and tools in the evaluation process, the selections of Beck and Allar show that coaches and scouts are still chasing prototypes at the quarterback position.
Measuring 6-foot-4, 233 pounds, Beck is a throwback with a classic drop-back playing style that would have worked well in the 1990s. The Miami standout flashes the ability to make every throw from the pocket with touch, timing, and anticipation. While he has some untimely turnovers that cloud his evaluation, scouts were enamored with his experience (43 career starts) and management skills as the leader of two championship-caliber programs.
Allar measures in at 6-foot-5, 228 pounds with elite arm talent, but accuracy and ball placement issues. Despite his issues, the former five-star recruit logged 35 career starts, during which he flashed enough skills as a pro-style passer to warrant some consideration as a developmental prospect with starting potential.
While his inconsistencies made it hard for some evaluators to view the Penn State product as a legitimate QB1 consideration, Mike McCarthy’s experience as a quarterback developer (SEE: Aaron Brooks, Aaron Rodgers, and Dak Prescott) gives Allar a shot to defy the odds as a potential starter.
With teams looking for a quarterback with starting potential, the size and traits continue to weigh heavily in the evaluation. As a pair of highly touted quarterbacks viewed as QB1s of their respective classes at various stages of their collegiate careers, I am not surprised Beck and Allar came off the board in the third round as developmental prospects with intriguing traits.
2. Run-stoppers rule Night 2
The top of the second round featured a run on run-stopping defensive tackles, which was a direct reaction to the NFL’s renewed emphasis on the ground game.
Kayden McDonald, Christian Miller, and Lee Hunter were selected in the first 17 picks of Day 2. Defensive coordinators have leaned on general managers and scouts in this draft to add more big bodies to the lineup to help them snuff out runs directed between the tackles.
With more teams favoring two-high or split-safety looks to eliminate big plays, defensive play callers needed more big bodies on the frontline with “two-gap” potential to win with fewer defenders in the box. McDonald, Miller, and Hunter excel at handling double teams, while also flashing enough quickness to win with finesse maneuvers (swim move).
As the league returns to some of its rugged roots, with the running game back in prominence, the early run on defensive tackles is not a surprise.
3. New York Jets focus on changing the culture
After a disappointing debut season, in which the locker room seemingly fell apart amid a mix of believers and non-believers feuding over the squad’s direction, Aaron Glenn and Co. have made a concerted effort to populate the roster with “winners” from championship-caliber programs.
With their first four picks, the Jets took College Football Playoff participants from this past college football season: EDGE David Bailey (Round 1 from Texas Tech), TE Kenyon Sadiq (Round 1 from Oregon), WR Omar Cooper (Round 1 from Indiana) and D’Angelo Ponds (Round 2, also from Indiana).
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn will be thrilled with his team’s draft so far. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
While the winning pedigree is rarely discussed in pre-draft coverage, teams covet players from winning programs because they understand the standards and expectations of a championship program. The Jets are not close to title contention, but the team is laying the foundation for a playoff run by adding a handful of rookies with championship swagger to a revised roster that added quarterback Geno Smith, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and linebacker Demario Davis in the offseason.
4. Offensive coordinators are stockpiling tight ends to create more mismatches
The Los Angeles Rams opened up a can of worms with their clever utilization of “13” personnel (one running back, three tight ends, and one wide receiver) to create mismatches all over the field.
Teams have started to manipulate the numbers at the line of scrimmage with multiple tight ends lined up close to each other to create extra gaps for off-tackle runs. The illusion of a run play with more tight ends can also produce big plays through play-action. Teams are also featuring more “YOZ” (tight ends lining up wider than wide receivers) formations, with the tight end’s wide alignment forcing linebackers and safeties out of their comfort zone.
The Rams added yet another tight end with former Ohio State standout Max Klare in the second round on Friday night. (Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Regardless of how they’re looking to find an edge, offensive play callers have found a cheat code utilizing ultra-athletic tight ends on the perimeter.
The 2026 draft saw XXX tight ends come off the board during the first three rounds, with a mix of “Y” (traditional tight end) and “FLEX” (H-back) playmakers selected on Day 2. The teams looking for throwback tight ends opted to take Nate Boerkircher (Jacksonville Jaguars), Marlin Klein (Houston Texans) and Sam Roush (Chicago Bears). Meanwhile, play-callers intent on finding mismatch creators snagged Eli Stowers (Philadelphia Eagles), Max Klare (Los Angeles Rams) and Oscar Delp (New Orleans Saints).
With the game evolving to feature more multi-tight end sets, the run on tight end reflects the league’s changing landscape.
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