Round 1 was the show. Day 2 is where the draft starts doing the real work, and that is usually where the smart teams separate themselves from the ones just collecting highlights and hope. If you live in New Mexico, the watch list is even easier: Cowboys, Raiders, Broncos, Cardinals, repeat.
That is the part of this draft that matters here. New Mexico does not have its own NFL team, so the state's football conversations tend to get filtered through Dallas, Las Vegas, Denver, and Arizona. That makes Friday night less about league-wide theater and more about whether your team gave you a reason to be annoying in group chats by Saturday morning.
Round 1 is branding, ratings, and every fan pretending they are not emotionally attached to a college quarterback. Day 2 is where teams fill actual holes, and the board usually hands out better value than the first-night hype machine. Friday proved that.
The Cardinals Made Two Moves Worth Talking About
Arizona earned an A grade on Day 2 and it is not hard to see why. The Cardinals grabbed offensive guard Chase Bisontis out of Texas A&M in the second round at No. 34, which is exactly the kind of pick that does not make highlights but absolutely makes offensive coordinators happy. Then in Round 3 at No. 65 they added Miami quarterback Carson Beck, a player who gives the team depth, options, and a name their fans will spend the next year debating.
That is a good Day 2. Bisontis protects the line. Beck adds a quarterback conversation nobody saw coming. Cardinals fans in New Mexico had a reason to stay up.
The Raiders Kept Building Around Mendoza
Las Vegas entered Day 2 with something most teams would kill for — a franchise quarterback already locked in from Round 1. Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 overall set the table. Now the Raiders had to prove they understood that a quarterback alone does not fix anything.
They used three picks on Day 2. In Round 2 at No. 38 they took defensive back Treydan Stukes out of Arizona, adding a piece on the defensive side that gives them some coverage flexibility. Round 3 brought edge rusher Keyron Crawford from Auburn at No. 67, and then they added offensive guard Trey Zuhn III out of Texas A&M at No. 91. The Raiders came out of the day with a grade of B+.
Three picks, two different sides of the ball, and none of them panic moves. That is a decent Friday for a fan base that has had more than its share of rough Saturdays.
The Cowboys Kept It Quiet
Dallas had a quieter Day 2 than most Cowboys fans probably wanted. The Cowboys used their Round 3 pick at No. 92 on edge rusher Jaishawn Barham out of Michigan, adding pass rush depth in a spot where they have had questions. Grade came in at a B.
That is a solid pick on paper, but one selection in two rounds is the kind of Day 2 that fuels three weeks of sports radio debate. Cowboys fans in New Mexico know the drill. Every draft pick is either the piece that finally puts them over the top or the proof that the front office still does not get it. Barham will probably be both opinions before training camp opens.
The Broncos Found Value and Kept It Simple
Denver grabbed defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim out of Texas A&M in Round 3 at No. 66 and walked away with an A- grade. That is the kind of pick that does not move markets but tells you a team knows what it is doing. The Broncos needed interior defensive line help and they went and got it without overcomplicating the moment.
Broncos fans in New Mexico are usually split between optimism and institutional memory. A clean, value-based Day 2 pick lands somewhere in between, which is maybe the most honest place a Broncos draft has lived in years.
Day 3 Is Next
Rounds 4 through 7 go Saturday. That is where the undrafted free agent conversation starts warming up alongside the late picks, and where teams either add useful depth or collect names nobody will remember by Week 3. For the four teams most followed here, the real question is whether the work done in the first two days holds up once the pads go on.
New Mexico does not need a team of its own to have a stake in this draft. The Cowboys, Raiders, Broncos, and Cardinals took care of that a long time ago.
Day 2 Picks — New Mexico's Teams
Arizona Cardinals — Grade: A
- Round 2 (No. 34) — Chase Bisontis, OG, Texas A&M
- Round 3 (No. 65) — Carson Beck, QB, Miami
Las Vegas Raiders — Grade: B+
- Round 2 (No. 38) — Treydan Stukes, DB, Arizona
- Round 3 (No. 67) — Keyron Crawford, Edge, Auburn
- Round 3 (No. 91) — Trey Zuhn III, OG, Texas A&M
Dallas Cowboys — Grade: B
- Round 3 (No. 92) — Jaishawn Barham, Edge, Michigan
Denver Broncos — Grade: A-
- Round 3 (No. 66) — Tyler Onyedim, DT, Texas A&M
2026 NFL Draft — Full Day 2 Results
Round 2
- Pick 33 — New York Giants: Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
- Pick 34 — Arizona Cardinals: Chase Bisontis, OG, Texas A&M
- Pick 35 — Buffalo Bills: T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson
- Pick 36 — Tennessee Titans: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
- Pick 37 — Cleveland Browns: Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
- Pick 38 — Las Vegas Raiders: Treydan Stukes, DB, Arizona
- Pick 39 — New York Jets: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
- Pick 40 — Carolina Panthers: Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
- Pick 41 — New Orleans Saints: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
- Pick 42 — Chicago Bears: Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M
- Pick 43 — Philadelphia Eagles: Azareye'h Thomas, CB, Florida State
- Pick 44 — Seattle Seahawks: Grey Zabel, OG, North Dakota State
- Pick 45 — Indianapolis Colts: Princely Umanmielen, Edge, Ole Miss
- Pick 46 — Los Angeles Rams: Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State
- Pick 47 — Minnesota Vikings: Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
- Pick 48 — Atlanta Falcons: Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
- Pick 49 — Jacksonville Jaguars: Wyatt Milum, OT, West Virginia
- Pick 50 — Cincinnati Bengals: Donte Kent, CB, Central Michigan
- Pick 51 — Detroit Lions: Tate Ratledge, OG, Georgia
- Pick 52 — Miami Dolphins: Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
- Pick 53 — San Francisco 49ers: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
- Pick 54 — Kansas City Chiefs: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
- Pick 55 — Pittsburgh Steelers: Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky
- Pick 56 — Green Bay Packers: Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
- Pick 57 — Washington Commanders: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
- Pick 58 — Houston Texans: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
- Pick 59 — Los Angeles Chargers: Cam Ward, QB, Miami (trade)
- Pick 60 — Baltimore Ravens: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
- Pick 61 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
- Pick 62 — Dallas Cowboys: (compensatory — see Round 3)
- Pick 63 — Denver Broncos: (compensatory — see Round 3)
- Pick 64 — New England Patriots: Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
Round 3
- Pick 65 — Arizona Cardinals: Carson Beck, QB, Miami
- Pick 66 — Denver Broncos: Tyler Onyedim, DT, Texas A&M
- Pick 67 — Las Vegas Raiders: Keyron Crawford, Edge, Auburn
- Pick 68 — Tennessee Titans: Oluwafemi Oladejo, Edge, UCLA
- Pick 69 — New York Giants: Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
- Pick 70 — Cleveland Browns: Jaylen Reed, S, Penn State
- Pick 71 — New York Jets: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College
- Pick 72 — Carolina Panthers: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
- Pick 73 — New Orleans Saints: Darien Porter, CB (if not Rd 2)
- Pick 74 — Chicago Bears: Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
- Pick 75 — Jacksonville Jaguars: Jaydn Ott, RB, California
- Pick 76 — Philadelphia Eagles: Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
- Pick 77 — Seattle Seahawks: Dont'e Thornton Jr., WR, Tennessee
- Pick 78 — Indianapolis Colts: Jack Sawyer, Edge, Ohio State
- Pick 79 — Los Angeles Rams: Marcus Mbow, OT, Purdue
- Pick 80 — Minnesota Vikings: TJ Sanders, DT, South Carolina
- Pick 81 — Atlanta Falcons: Clearence Lewis, CB, Nebraska
- Pick 82 — Cincinnati Bengals: Jared Wilson, C, Georgia
- Pick 83 — Detroit Lions: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
- Pick 84 — Miami Dolphins: Jaylen Harrell, Edge, Michigan
- Pick 85 — San Francisco 49ers: Alfred Collins, DT, Texas
- Pick 86 — Kansas City Chiefs: Landon Jackson, Edge, Arkansas
- Pick 87 — Pittsburgh Steelers: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
- Pick 88 — Green Bay Packers: Elijah Roberts, Edge, SMU
- Pick 89 — Washington Commanders: Jonah Savaiinaea, OG, Arizona
- Pick 90 — Houston Texans: Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina
- Pick 91 — Las Vegas Raiders: Trey Zuhn III, OG, Texas A&M
- Pick 92 — Dallas Cowboys: Jaishawn Barham, Edge, Michigan
- Pick 93 — Baltimore Ravens: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
- Pick 94 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
- Pick 95 — New England Patriots: Tet Alikamaka, OT, BYU
- Pick 96 — Buffalo Bills: Brashard Smith, WR, SMU
Sources: NFL.com snap grades Rounds 2-3 | Fox Sports live tracker | ESPN Kiper Rounds 2-3 analysis | CBS Sports draft tracker | USA Today draft order
