Fernando Mendoza is off the board, as are 31 other players after Round 1 of the NFL Draft. Who are the best players still available?
Here, according to the combined big boards of Yahoo Sports NFL Draft experts Nate Tice and Charles McDonald, are the top players still on the board after the first two rounds of the 2026 draft:
(Ranking from Yahoo Sports’ big board)
Round 1 grades | Rounds 2-3 | NFL Draft Guide
Nussmeier had an inconsistent final season as he survived the death throes of the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge. He has a below-average build and isn’t an overwhelming athlete, but his gunslinger mentality maximizes every concept that’s run for him and he knows how to get the ball in play. Nussmeier will push the ball and does so with clean timing and ball placement. He has plenty of arm and maximizes it with his timing. He can get himself in trouble with his aggression, but he really makes constant good decisions with the football and plays to win the game rather than just find the safest answer. I see a potential solid starter in the right situation with a good understanding of properly playing quarterback. — NT
Lance, yes he’s Trey’s brother, is a springy athlete who is a valid three-level weapon because of his size, ball skills, speed and overall athleticism. Despite being all of 6-foot-3, Lance is consistently smooth getting in and out of his breaks, with real burst to maximize the separation he creates. He easily overwhelmed the FCS competition, but that matches his high-end testing at the combine. Lance benefits from routes that allow him to use his speed, and his route running could still use further polish, but he snatches the football consistently away from his body, shows loose movement on vertical route stems, and has explosive play ability that never goes out of style. — NT
Connor Lew was a tough player for Auburn and he has a chance to be a high-floor interior starter on teams that need offensive line help. Lew tore his ACL in October, but he put up enough solid tape beforehand to possibly end up as a Day 2 pick. — CM
Feisty is the best way I can describe Abney. He has quick feet and consistently closes with a burst on the football. Even though he doesn’t have great size (5-10, 187), Abney plays physically and is willing to tackle. Abney can get a bit too upright in his backpedal, and it can lead to penalties when combined with his lack of size and tendency to get handsy in coverage, which is why I like him best primarily in the slot. I could see a defense that majors in Cover 2 or Cover 6 (like the Seahawks, for example) as being a good fit if they want to try Abney on the outside because of his awareness, tenacity and nose for the football. — NT