The second day of the NFL Draft is over, and we’ve seen trends begin to emerge throughout the first two nights.
Tight ends, especially ones who can block well, are going quick, while there wasn’t a running back picked in the second round for the first time in over 20 years.
With round three all finished up, here are the winners and losers from the third round.
More news: Winners and Losers From Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft
More news: Winners and Losers From Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft
Winner: Carolina Panthers
I love what Carolina is doing with their wideout room.
Not many teams can maintain a solid identity, but the Panthers are fully invested in being the tallest pass catchers in football.
They have strong and tall wide receivers, and third-round pick Chris Brazzell II will add to that identity. The Tennessee Volunteer standout is 6-foot-4 and is another tree for Bryce Young to throw to next season.
Loser: Arizona Cardinals (and Carson Beck)
I don’t really know what’s going on in the desert with the Cardinals.
After taking Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in the draft, it appeared as if Arizona was going to wait until next year to take their future heir with Kyler Murray gone.
Well, they took Beck at the top of the third round, and now they’re in a weird position where they’re extremely likely to be back in a position to take a better QB prospect next draft.
It’s a bad landing spot for Beck. It’s an awkward fit for the Cardinals. It’s just a strange coupling.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons
While they haven’t had many picks through the first two days, I’ve been really liking what the Falcons are doing.
Yes, Zachariah Branch is not a shoo-in to be an NFL star, but he has first-round upside and can transition from playing for the Georgia Bulldogs to the Falcons.
Branch is a boom or bust player, and if the Falcons roll correctly, they might have added one of the most explosive pieces in the 2026 draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers told Rodgers they would wait until the NFL Draft for him to make his decision on next season.
Although Pittsburgh could still sign Rodgers, the selection of Penn State signal-caller Drew Allar shows that they aren’t going to let the future Hall of Famer dictate their plans.
If Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar lead the Steelers to a losing record and only their third top-10 draft selection in the 21st century, maybe it’ll be worth it if it results in Arch Manning, Dante Moore, or Julian Sayin.
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