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2026 NFL Draft sleepers: Day 2 standouts and Day 3 targets to know

The 2026 NFL Draft marks the seventh year we've used the Next Gen Stats Draft Model to identify Day 2 standouts and Day 3 hidden gems. By training position-specific models on draft classes dating back to 2003, we can use production, athletic testing and other prospect indicators to highlight players whose profiles suggest they could outperform their draft slot. As in previous years, this list is organized around Daniel Jeremiah's rankings of the top 150 prospects, with players ranked between Nos. 33 and 100 treated as potential Day 2 standouts (given that pick No. 33 begins Round 2 and pick No. 100 ends Round 3) and players ranked No. 101 or lower viewed as Day 3 sleeper candidates.

The track record of this annual exercise is a reminder of why it is worth doing. Last year's list included eventual Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger, along with Day 2 targets Luther Burden III, Tate Ratledge, Harold Fannin Jr. and Jared Wilson, plus Day 3 names like Cam Skattebo and Bhayshul Tuten. Going back further, this annual analytical stamp of approval has surfaced players such as Jonathan Taylor, Trey McBride, Nico Collins, Christian Barmore, Jaquan Brisker and Logan Wilson, to name a few. That is the point of this list every year: identifying prospects who can deliver high ROI relative to where they are drafted.

NOTE: The full list of 2026 Next Gen Stats Draft Scores is available on NFL IQ at . Powered by Amazon Quick, NFL IQ goes beyond the numbers, giving fans an interactive dashboard experience created to answer the same roster-building and draft questions front offices wrestle with at this time of year.

DAY 2 STANDOUTS

Rank
1
Anthony Hill Jr.
Texas · LB · Junior
  • Age: 21
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: No. 37
  • Production Score: 72
  • Athleticism Score: 86
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 81


Hill stands out near the top of Day 2 because few linebackers in this class can match his movement profile. At 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, he ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash while recording a 37-inch vertical and a 10-foot-5 broad jump at the NFL Scouting Combine, proof he has the kind of size-speed blend that could allow him to be, as my colleague Lance Zierlein put it, "an instant-impact rookie."


The production backs it up. Hill finished his three-year Texas career with 249 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, eight forced fumbles and three interceptions, while also wearing the green dot as both a sophomore and junior, according to Dane Brugler in The Beast, put out by The Athletic. That combination of range, disruption and experience makes him one of the stronger upside bets on Day 2.

Rank
2
D'Angelo Ponds
Indiana · CB · Junior
  • Age: 21 (per The Athletic's , The Beast)
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: No. 50
  • Production Score: 83
  • Athleticism Score: 81
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 81


Ponds possesses one of the cleaner value profiles in this class, driven by elite ball production and movement skills. His 83 NGS production score leads all cornerback prospects in 2026, which lines up with a résumé that includes 32 pass breakups and seven interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) in 41 career games. He also notched a pair of blocked-punt TDs.


His athletic testing only strengthens his case. Ponds recorded the fastest max acceleration of any defensive back in the W drill at this year's combine (6.53 yards per second squared, according to NGS tracking data), and his 43 1/2-inch vertical leap also led all DBs who worked out in Indianapolis. Even with questions about his size (5-8 5/8, 182 pounds), that kind of burst -- paired with youth (Ponds is just 21 years old) and experience (he logged a little more than 1,900 collegiate snaps, per Pro Football Focus) -- gives him a strong chance to return value early.

Rank
3
Jake Golday
Cincinnati · LB · Senior
  • Age: 22
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: No. 54
  • Production Score: 82
  • Athleticism Score: 79
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 83


Golday feels like the type of Day 2 linebacker this model is built to surface: productive, experienced and a better athlete than his pre-draft name recognition might suggest. After transferring from Central Arkansas, he broke out over the last two years at Cincinnati. This past season, Golday piled up 105 tackles and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, pushing himself firmly into the late-Round 2 range.


At 6-4 1/2 and 239 pounds, Golday tested like a player with pro-ready traits, posting a 39-inch vertical, a 10-foot-5 broad jump and a 4.34-second short shuttle at the combine. NGS tracking data sharpened that picture, with Golday reaching 19.63 miles per hour in the shuffle-sprint drill and 15.03 miles per hour in the four-bag shuffle drill, both the second-fastest marks among linebackers in Indianapolis. That is the kind of size-speed profile that makes a ton of sense for Day 2 value-hunters.

Rank
4
A.J. Haulcy
LSU · S · Senior
  • Age: 22
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: No. 64
  • Production Score: 81
  • Athleticism Score: 75
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 84


Haulcy looks like one of the steadier Day 2 values at safety because the production and versatility both translate cleanly. Across four seasons and 48 collegiate games at New Mexico, Houston and LSU, he started 44 contests, recorded at least 74 tackles per season and earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2025, his lone year with the Tigers.


The athletic profile gives that résumé even more weight. Haulcy ran a 4.52 40 at 215 pounds and finished his college career with 347 tackles and 10 interceptions while playing multiple spots on the field, with Dane Brugler playing deep, rotating to the boundary in two-high looks or dropping down as a big nickel. For a player sitting outside Daniel Jeremiah's top 60, that kind of reliability and versatility makes him an easy bet near the top of the third round.

Rank
5
Eli Stowers
Vanderbilt · TE · Senior
  • Age: 23 (per The Athletic's , The Beast)
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: No. 66
  • Production Score: 82
  • Athleticism Score: 86
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 85


The winner of the 2025 John Mackey Award (top college TE) and William V. Campbell Trophy ("Academic Heisman") totaled 111 receptions for 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns over his final two seasons at Vanderbilt, giving him one of the more proven pass-catching profiles in the class. He is also one of just two tight ends in this year's group with both an 80-plus production score and an 80-plus athleticism score, joining projected first-rounder Kenyon Sadiq.


The explosiveness is what stands out. A former Texas 6A state high school champion in the high jump, Stowers posted the top vertical leap in modern combine history at 45 1/2 inches, while also recording the farthest broad jump among this year's tight ends (11-3). While he profiles more like a move tight end than a true in-line Y, that is part of the appeal: with the ability to align in multiple spots, including from the slot and on the line, Stowers offers the kind of receiving upside that can create real matchup stress in an NFL passing game.

MORE NAMES TO KNOW IN THE DAY 2 RANGE: Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon; Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina; Keylan Rutledge, OG, Georgia Tech; Bud Clark, S, TCU; Chris Bell, WR, Louisville.

DAY 3 SLEEPERS

Rank
1
Bryce Lance
North Dakota State · WR · Senior
  • Age: 23 (per The Athletic's , The Beast)
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: No. 99
  • Production Score: 79
  • Athleticism Score: 98
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 86


Lance might not last until Day 3, but if he does, he would stand out as one of the better values on the board. Daniel Jeremiah slots him at No. 99 overall, putting the wide receiver right on the border between Days 2 and 3 (with pick No. 100 ending Round 3 and No. 101 kicking off Round 4), and Lance's analytical profile is even stronger than that ranking suggests. His 86 overall draft score is tied with projected first-rounder Jordyn Tyson as the top mark among receivers in this class, which is exactly the kind of signal worth paying attention to in this range.


The appeal starts with the traits. The younger brother of Chargers quarterback Trey Lance brings a 6-3 3/8 frame with 32-plus-inch arms and a wingspan north of 79 inches, and he is one of just two receivers in the 2026 class with an NGS athleticism score of 98 or better. NGS Combine Tracking Data added even more context: Lance hit 21.75 miles per hour on a go route in Indianapolis, the third-fastest mark on that route among all wide receivers, while also posting one of the better short-area movement profiles in the group. For teams shopping in the late-third or fourth round, Lance is the kind of size-speed investment who offers real developmental upside as an outside receiver.

Rank
2
Dani Dennis-Sutton
Penn State · Edge · Senior
  • Age: 22 (per The Athletic's , The Beast)
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: No. 107
  • Production Score: 75
  • Athleticism Score: 91
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 79


Dennis-Sutton feels more like an "If he gets there, run the card in" type of Day 3 sleeper than a player who should actually last that long. His 91 athleticism score is the kind of number that can push an edge prospect up the board, especially when said prospect is a 22-year-old former five-star recruit with real size and developmental runway.


At 6-5 and 256 pounds, he offers the frame and movement tools teams want to bet on off the edge, with enough production to warrant a Day 3 swing. If Dennis-Sutton were to slide, he would be the kind of traits-based value selection teams are happy to make.

Rank
3
Jake Slaughter
Florida · C · Senior
  • Age: 23
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: No. 127
  • Production Score: 92
  • Athleticism Score: 80
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 83


Slaughter is the kind of interior offensive lineman the model tends to identify well: productive, dependable and easier to project than the broader draft conversation suggests. His 92 production score is one of the strongest marks you will find at the position, and his 83 overall draft score points to a player whose profile is sturdier than his No. 127 ranking on Jeremiah's board.


The appeal here is less about flash and more about translatability. Slaughter started 25 straight games over the past two seasons, earned All-America recognition in each campaign and was a 2025 Rimington Trophy finalist. With Slaughter checking in at 6-5 and 303 pounds, his size is not, as Zierlein noted, necessarily an asset. But those rock-solid credentials should look plenty attractive on Day 3.

Rank
4
Kamari Ramsey
USC · S · Junior (RS)
  • Age: 21 (per The Athletic's , The Beast)
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: No. 131
  • Production Score: 76
  • Athleticism Score: 77
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 79


Ramsey's appeal is less about one dominant trait and more about the kind of positional flexibility NFL defenses keep prioritizing. He played multiple roles over the course of his college career, working more as a safety earlier before shifting into a primary nickel role in 2025, and that kind of usage matters for a defensive back whose quickest path to early snaps could come in sub packages. He is also one of four safeties in this class with both an NGS production score and athleticism score above 75, alongside Caleb Downs, Dillon Thieneman and A.J. Haulcy.


Ramsey started 31 games across UCLA and USC, ran a 4.47 40 at 202 pounds and finished his career with 133 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups and two picks. Per Brugler, he at USC, which is a meaningful detail for a player whose value does, based on both Brugler and Zierlein's evaluation, appear to be tied as much to intelligence and versatility as movement skills.

Rank
5
Jeff Caldwell
Cincinnati · WR · Senior
  • Age: 23 (per The Athletic's , The Beast)
  • DJ's Big Board Ranking: Unranked
  • Production Score: 68
  • Athleticism Score: 99
  • OVERALL DRAFT SCORE: 78


Caldwell is the pure Day 3 traits swing in this group, and the measurables are hard to ignore. He is one of only three prospects in the 2026 class (joining Taylen Green and Kenyon Sadiq) to earn a max 99 athleticism score, pairing rare size (6-5 and 216 pounds) with a 78-inch wingspan and one of the best combine workouts of any receiver in Indianapolis: a 4.31-second 40, a 42-inch vertical and an 11-2 broad jump.


The production profile is more projection-based than polished, but that is what makes him an appealing late-round bet. Caldwell spent three seasons at Lindenwood before making the jump to Cincinnati, and he still looks more like a developmental outside receiver than a finished product. But with legitimate vertical-threat traits and a rare size-speed profile, he's worth the upside play.

MORE NAMES TO KNOW IN THE DAY 3 RANGE: Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State; Skyler Bell, WR, Connecticut; Trey Zuhn III, C, Texas A&M; Billy Schrauth, OG, Notre Dame; Ahmaad Moses, S, SMU.