標籤: class

The New York Giants have received high praise for their 2026 draft class and are viewed as one of the winners of the draft. We’ll have to see how the seven players perform on the field to assess them, but the outlook for the seven players selected by the Giants appears to be promising.

• Averell Reese, LB, Ohio State (5^th overall)
• Francis Mauigoa, OT Miami (10^th overall)
• Colton Hood, CB Tennessee (37)^th overall)
• Malachi Fields, WR Notre Dame (74^th overall)
• Bobby Jamison-Travis, DT Auburn (186^th overall)
• Jesse Davis, OL Illinois (192^Ra overall)
• Jack Kelly, LB BYU (193^third overall)

The Giants acquired two opening day starters in Reese and Mauigoa and potentially a third starter in Hood. They also added depth and players who would contribute on special teams.

These players would play a huge role in building the foundation of the John Harbaugh era with Big Blue. Here are our bold predictions on what to expect from each player in the 2026 draft class.

RELATED: Report suggests New York Giants GM Joe Schoen could be fired soon

averell reese

Shortly after taking Averell Reese with the fifth overall pick, Harbaugh said the rookie linebacker would play on the inside. The versatile Reese will show off his playmaking ability and make plays sideline to sideline. Reese would not only lead the Giants in tackles, but he would have the most tackles of any rookie, be named to the All-Rookie team, and be voted to the Pro Bowl.

Francis Mauigoa

Despite playing right tackle at the University of Miami, Mauigoa will be the team’s new starting right guard. He will start all 17 games at guard and help reduce the number of sacks given up by the line from 48 in 2025 to 30 in 2026. He would also be named to the All-Rookie Team.

colton hood

Hood would spend the first half of the season in and out of the starting lineup. Then in the second half of the season, he would emerge as the full-time starter opposite Paulson Adebo. He will bring big play ability to the secondary as he has two pick-sixes on the season.

Malachi Fields

The 6’4, 223-pound Fields is the biggest target in the Giants’ wide receiver room. As the season progressed, his playing time would gradually increase, and he would become one of Jackson Dart’s favorite targets in the red zone. Fields scored five receiving touchdowns in each of his final three years in college, and as a rookie, he would also find the end zone five times.

bobby jamison-travis

Jamison-Travis is the only defensive lineman the team took in the draft, so they definitely have plans to help the interior defense. His 6’4 322-pound frame allows him to stack blockers so his teammates can make plays, and he will clog running lanes. His stats won’t be off the charts, but he will play a big role in improving the team to their 31^{scheduled tribe} Run defense from a season ago.

jesse davis

A sixth-round pick is never guaranteed to make the final roster, but Davis appeared in 47 games during his collegiate career, and the franchise has always preferred players with lots of experience. He will make the final roster and add depth to the line. Teams can convert him from tackle to guard, and he can be used in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

jack kelly

The Giants’ final pick in the draft could end up being the best value pick in the draft. The versatile and offensive linebacker had 75 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks in his two seasons at BYU. The defensive coordinator will integrate Kelly into the defensive rotation, but Kelly will also make a big impact on special teams, as he will lead the Giants in special teams tackles this season.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Power Rankings: Evaluating the worst, best teams after the NFL Draft

There is a version of this column that spends 700 words parsing each Las Vegas Raiders 2026 NFL Draft pick and finding reasons to hedge. It would take too much thinking on this. The Las Vegas Raiders had one of the best drafts in the NFL this weekend, and Jon Spytek deserves credit for running it like a front office with a real plan.

With how his first year unfolded, many in Raider Nation were skeptical about whether Spytek could be trusted with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. After all, his first year, with former coach Pete Carroll, was filled with missed drafts and free agent misses. Yet, according to astute observers, there was something else at play.

No, 2026 was the first time we got a full glimpse of how Spytek, along with minority owner Tom Brady and some new scouting and front office staff, will run and build this thing. And, I must say, it was impressive.

Jon Spytek didn’t overthink it, he addressed key roster needs

Start with the foundation: Fernando Mendoza was never going to be wrong at No. 1. Las Vegas is already building a real support system around him, including Tyler Linderbaum at center, Ashton Jeanty in the backfield and Brock Bowers at tight end. The job of picks two through 10 was to add that infrastructure and fix the secondary. They did both, and then some.

Treydan Stukes addressed two needs at once – nickelback and safety – and was a legitimate first-round pick heading into draft weekend. Stukes isn’t a sexy pick, but he is a functional guy, and in a draft where the Raiders had a long list of needs, picking the guy who covers the most ground makes sense.

At 91, Trey Zuhn III might have been the steal of the day. He posted the highest pass-blocking grade at 96.8 among all college tackles on Pro Football Focus, and the Raiders took him in the third round. He was announced as a center but played tackle at Texas A&M. As for his NFL career, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Either way, he is a high-floor player protecting a rookie quarterback. You can’t argue with that.

Then the third day came and Spytek did not turn off the gas.

McCoy’s selection was off the charts

Honestly, at 101 years old, Jermod McCoy feels like a steal. He was the 14th overall prospect on the consensus big board and shouldn’t have fallen that far. Length, pace, ball skills – he has everything you want in a modern cornerback. The knee injury concerns are real – there are a lot of questions about McCoy’s health, and that’s why he still sat out Day 3. But the Raiders liked him enough to trade up a spot, sending a 7th-rounder to Buffalo to make sure they got him. It’s about being aggressive, and when top-14 talent is sitting in the fourth round being aggressive is always the right decision. If McCoy is healthy, this selection looks like the best value in the entire draft.

trend: #attacker A phone call made when new CB Jermod McCoy was drafted has gone viral.

McCoy was extremely emotional, as he was a projected first rounder who slipped to the fourth round.

What did you think? pic.twitter.com/lArNsz3fOR

– mlfootball (@mlfootball) 25 April 2026

Mike Washington Jr. adds versatility and physicality to the backfield. He ran a 4.33-second 40 and gave Ashton Jeanty a real running partner – someone who can contribute in the passing game and break tackles if needed. The attackers made a bargain to get him too. Again, perfect trend.

Before crowning the attackers, consider what didn’t happen

So, where does all this leave us? In a really good place, something you couldn’t say about this franchise 12 months ago.

That said — and this column will be honest — there are real questions that weren’t answered this weekend.

Wide receiver Malik Benson was taken in the sixth round. Sixth rounder. The Raiders brought in several top wideouts for Top 30 trips throughout the spring, only for it to play out as a smoke screen. Benson has 4.37 speed and is legit, but he is a developmental piece, not a solution. Las Vegas took Deonte Thornton Jr. and Jack Beech last year, and neither of them came off a screen. At some point, Mendoza is going to need a legitimate No. 1 target outside of Brock Bowers to make things work. That question is still open.

and the defensive tackle position – the Raiders finally addressed a gap at nose tackle with their final selection of the draft, Brandon Cleveland, in the 7th round. 7th round. He has good size and is a reasonable run stopper, but it’s hard to see him making a real impact as a rookie. Passing Tyree Wilson and answering the D-tackle position at pick 229 is a bet that the room is better than it looks. Maybe it is. But this is a condition.

None of this changes the overall verdict. The Raiders had a strong free agency period followed by a draft that would yield good grades throughout the league. Spytech was aggressive, targeted real needs and found value at almost every turn. For a franchise that has spent years drafting without direction, this weekend really felt different.

Ceiling questions at receiver and interior D-line are real. But the Las Vegas Raiders 2026 NFL Draft gave themselves a chance. After decades of head-scratching drafts, it’s a good place to be.

Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1…More about Scott Gulbransen

Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft will really help shape the future of the National Football League. There are always Day 2 selections that prove to be massive hits for clubs every year and these selections also shed light on how the front office views the needs and future of the team.

As tonight’s action comes to a close, we’re providing some analysis on what we learned from tonight’s selections. The lessons outline how general managers and scouts view the 2026 NFL Draft class.

Let’s take a look at the takeaways from Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Houston Texans’ defense will be even more impressive in 2026

In 2025, the Houston Texans defense allowed the third-fewest total yards per drive (25.4) and second-fewest points per drive (1.54), all with the fourth-highest takeaway rate (14.6 percent) in the NFL. All of this was accomplished without getting a truly spectacular output from Demeco Ryans’ interior. That’s about to change. Kayden McDonald has been overshadowed by Ohio State’s stout defense, but he is an absolute force as a starter. A year after the Texans allowed the seventh-lowest rush success rate (37.7 percent), this could be a top-five run defense. That means a lot more second- and third-and-longs, which means the Texans’ pass rush gets more treats. Houston’s defense is going to be an even bigger problem for the rest of the league.

RELATED: Winners, losers from Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft

Teams excited by 2027 NFL Draft class

How high are NFL teams taking the 2027 class compared to the 2026 NFL Draft class? Just look at how few future picks were made over the last two nights. Historically, general managers have considered the current selection one round more valuable than a future selection. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is clearly a generational talent, a Julio Jones-caliber offensive prospect. Next year’s class is also more deep at running back, quarterback and wide receiver. There is some discussion among analysts that the 2027 class could be one of the strongest and deepest in recent years. This opinion seems to be shared based on how teams have dealt with their future draft capital.

The Cleveland Browns believe in Shedure Sanders

It’s become very clear that Todd Monken was telling the truth about his confidence in quarterback Shadure Sanders. While the front office believes there will be a starting quarterback battle, Sanders is the favorite, and Cleveland has invested premium draft capital in his support. Just look at how much better the supporting cast is now. Spencer Fano is a plug-and-play starter who should at least be serviceable at left tackle as a rookie, and his ceiling exceeds that. The Browns then doubled up at wide receiver, giving Sanders a YAC threat in Casey Concepcion who can get open quickly and complementing it with 6-foot-3 wideout Denzel Boston, who has some shades of Courtland Sutton, with glue-like hands and a huge catch radius. Boston and Concepcion help the quarterback in different ways and that’s what Sanders needed.

Philadelphia Eagles find their Jaylen Phillips replacement

The Philadelphia Eagles definitely wanted to bring back Jaylen Phillips, but the Carolina Panthers pushed the bidding war to a price that couldn’t be compared. Fast forward to the 2026 NFL Draft: Philadelphia flipped the 98th overall pick and a 2027 third-round selection to the Minnesota Vikings for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. He only had 3 sacks last season, but was a double-digit sack player in the last two campaigns. He’s an above-average rusher, and the Eagles clearly believe he can return to his 2023-24 form, as evidenced by his $100 million contract extension.

NFL teams love TE class, hate 2026 QB and RB prospects

NFL free agency is usually a good indicator of how teams view certain positions in the upcoming draft class. A few months ago, Travis Etienne and Kenneth Walker got paid, while Keaton Mitchell, Rico Dowdle, Kenneth Gainwell, Rachad White, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Zeke Dobbins were off the board early. Similarly, many quarterbacks found new homes and backups made good money. All this shows that NFL teams didn’t like quarterback and running back prospects other than blue-chip talent this year. That proved to be the case for only one of those taken in the first 75 picks (quarterback Carson Beck).

Meanwhile, Kenyon Saadiq was taken with the 16th overall pick on Thursday night, and we saw a run at tight ends in the middle of Day 2. From the 54th to the 73rd overall pick, six tight ends came off the board. There was a long stretch in the NFL where tight ends looked pretty thin. That’s no longer the case, and it’s clear that teams are placing more emphasis on 2TE sets.

Minnesota Vikings All In Brian Flores Front Seven

Based on the Minnesota Vikings draft selections this year you would think Brian Flores is the head coach, not Kevin O’Connell. Minnesota took a big gamble in Round 1 on defensive tackle Caleb Banks, betting on his elite size and athleticism to have success in Flores’ system and ignoring long-term injury concerns with his foot. On the second day, the Vikings landed linebacker Jake Golde. It’s another bet on explosiveness and size, with Golde (6-foot-4 and 1.60 10-yard dash) really showcasing that ability as a blitzer. In Round 3, Minnesota added some significant beef to the interior by landing Dominique Orange. Standing at 6-foot-2 and over 320 pounds, he is a classic nose tackle who makes his presence felt in the run. Minnesota will once again boast one of the league’s best defenses in 2026.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is well on the way, with AJ Styles, Stephanie McMahon, Dennis Rodman and Demolition announced for induction next month. This is one of the strongest classes for the Hall in recent memory, but what if they could add even more star power? What if WWE makes another change?

Today, we’ll take a look at five names deserving of going into the WWE Hall of Fame and being honored by their peers and fans alike on WrestleMania 42 weekend.

Victoria

Victoria doesn’t get enough credit for making women’s wrestling what it is today. She may not have been the most charismatic or had the greatest promo, but when she stepped inside that squared circle, she could go with anyone. More importantly, she can make anyone shine if she wants to.

She helped elevate the women’s division at a time when WWE did not want to do so, and helped create stars like Lita and Trish Stratus. Victoria was also extremely important to the TNA Knockouts division, helping to make it what we know today.

ken shamrock

Ken Shamrock was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame a few years ago and now it’s time for him to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He helped change wrestling, as tapping out into submission was not a thing until his arrival. He helped fans see how big the Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart match at WrestleMania 1997 was, as he was an actual element of it with a submission match in which he was the referee.

Shamrock also helped make The Rock a legitimate performer during their feud in 1998. Shamrock brought legitimacy to the game and did so impressively, while not staying around longer than most people would have liked.

mickey james

When we talk about influential wrestlers in pro wrestling and women’s wrestling, Mickie James has to be right up there with those we look up to. She was part of the late Women’s and Divas era. She helped change the way fans viewed women’s wrestling and made it what it is today. James found success in WWE and TNA. Not only did he do it at a high level, but he did so for more than a decade.

bray wyat

Bray Wyatt will go down as one of the greatest examples of What If? His debut in WWE featured many chapters in a book that most people could only dream about, from winning the WWE Title to feuds with Randy Orton, John Cena and The Undertaker to his legendary feud with The Wyatt Family defeating The Shield.

He was special and unique. Wyatt was just getting started when the world lost him before he could show many different versions of himself.

hardy boys

What better way to kick off the class than featuring one of the greatest tag teams of all time in the form of the Hardy Boyz? Matt and Jeff Hardy literally changed tag team wrestling with the likes of Edge, Christian, and the Dudley Boyz. They have been so influential in the business that they have changed the way fans view tag team wrestling.

The Hardy Boyz have also been a part of historic moments that have helped shape how history is written in a variety of matches and promotions. He has had success in almost every major promotion he has been a part of. Now, it’s time to honor them.

Carlos Miguel has opened up about his brief stint in the Premier League with Nottingham ForestAdmitting that the lack of minutes prompted him to return to Brazil.

The 27-year-old spoke espn brazil During the awards ceremony of the 2026 São Paulo State Championship, after helping Palmeiras win the title. Carlos Miguel joins Brazilian club After a short stint at Nottingham Forest in the second half of last year.

Forest signed him from Corinthians until 2024, but he made only three appearances in England. With limited opportunities available, the goalkeeper ultimately opted to return to Brazil in search of regular football.

Speaking about that period, Carlos Miguel explained that he never doubted his ability to compete at a high level.

“I know I can perform at the highest level. I saw the Brazilian as a player who could reach the national team.” He said.

“The manager decided not to play me, which is his decision. Then the other goalkeeper became one of the best in the Premier League. I needed minutes, and that’s why I came back here.”

Premier League competition explained

Although Carlos Miguel did not directly name him, his comments appear to refer to Matz Sales. During that period the Belgian established himself as Nottingham Forest’s clear first-choice goalkeeper and put in a number of strong performances in the Premier League.

As a result, opportunities for Brazil soon became scarce. As Forest competed intensely in the league and prioritized consistency in goal, Carlos Miguel found himself largely on the bench.

That scenario ultimately led him to make a move where he could play regularly.

quick settlement in palmeras

Now back in Brazil, the goalkeeper says the transition to Palmeiras was smoother than expected. he had a lot of trouble in the beginningBut according to the goalkeeper himself, the reception he received helped him quickly settle in at the club.

“When I got my first opportunity, I wasn’t worried. Everyone embraced me and supported me.” He said. “I was very fond of this move even before I arrived. When I got here, everything happened in the best possible way.”

“The fans and everyone at the club welcomed me. Everything went very well so we could win this title, which will be the first of many titles.”He continued.

Carlos Miguel has made 26 appearances for Palmeiras so far and was one of the standout performers in their title-winning campaign.

Why did this move make sense?

The goalkeeper also addressed the criticism he received during a difficult spell at Nottingham Forest, suggesting that opinions often change once he gets the chance to play.

“People talk when I don’t play. When I play the tone changes.” He added. “There are journalists who are against you and say things. It’s part of football.”

“Now it’s my moment and their moment to congratulate me for the title and my great match. If they want to criticize, they can. I will show people that I am not what they say.”

So of course Sels was performing well and the club had no reason to change their starting goalkeeper. But the lack of minutes created a difficult situation for Carlos Miguel.

Without consistent playing time goalkeepers rarely develop, especially when their aim is to move towards international recognition. He recently talked about Too.

So a return to Brazil offered a logical reset. If he continues to perform regularly at Palmeiras, the move could help him rebuild his momentum after a challenging spell in England.