There were some really good prospects left on the board entering Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2021 NFL draft. My top prospects were wide receiver Elijah Moore (No. 16 overall in my rankings), defensive tackle Christian Barmore (22), linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (23), safety Trevon Moehrig (24), offensive tackle Teven Jenkins (25) and running back Javonte Williams (31).
A couple of them dropped further than I thought they would, but each could be a Day 2 steal. This is the day in which teams can find value in the draft. There are going to be a lot of second- and third-round rookie starters in 2021, and this is where the good general managers and scouting staffs find gems. It's also where the smart teams make trades to get even more value, and we saw a flurry of them Friday.
Just as we did out of the first round, below are the picks I liked and didn't like from Day 2. I'm basing these on my rankings and how I have prospects graded, along with whether teams got value with their selections. Come back Saturday night for my post-draft grades for all 32 teams. And we'll be back for Rounds 4-7 on Saturday (noon ET on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App).
More NFL draft coverage:
Kiper's top 300 rankings
Kiper: Round 1 recap
McShay: Round 1 questions
Best available | Rounds
Winners and my favorite picks from Rounds 2 and 3
New York Giants
The picks: Azeez Ojulari, OLB, Georgia (No. 50); Aaron Robinson, CB, UCF (No. 71)
Dave Gettleman did it again. That's back-to-back trades down in the first two days, and now the Giants have extra first-, third- and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft. And to get Ojulari, my third-ranked outside linebacker, at No. 50 is stellar value. Ojulari is a perfect fit for New York's 3-4 defense, and he'll be a speedy rusher off the edge. He had 8.5 sacks for the Bulldogs last season. He also has some coverage ability, so he'll be able to disguise in Patrick Graham's defense.
Gettleman & Co. also got a versatile and physical corner in Robinson, who could compete for early playing time. It was a good Day 2 for the Giants.
Miami Dolphins
The pick: Hunter Long, TE, Boston College (No. 81)
Long was one of the most productive tight ends in the country last season, and he's probably already a better blocker than Dolphins starter Mike Gesicki. He's a complete tight end. I love this pick for Miami, which is trying to help Tua Tagovailoa in Year 2.
I also like the Dolphins' selections of safety Jevon Holland (No. 36) and offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg (No. 42) in the second round, though they both went a little higher than I thought they would. I'm also knocking Miami just a little bit because it had to trade a 2022 third-rounder to take Eichenberg. Getting a steal with Long, though, is good enough to have the Dolphins here.
Las Vegas Raiders
The picks: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU (No. 43); Malcolm Koonce, OLB, Buffalo (No. 79)
I was tough on the Raiders after they reached for offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood in Round 1, but if you swapped their first-round pick with their second-rounder, there wouldn't be any complaining. Now, there's something to be said about value, but there's no doubt that they could have one of the steals of the draft in Moehrig, my top-ranked safety who will immediately upgrade this defense. He always finds the ball; he had 19 pass breakups over the past two seasons, most among all college safeties. (Las Vegas did have to trade up five spots to get him, however, sending the 49ers Nos. 48 and 121 while adding a seventh-rounder.)
I'm also a big fan of Koonce, an underrated edge rusher who plays hard. He's a natural pass-rusher, though I thought he was a better fit for a team that runs a 3-4 defense. He can be a situational pass-rusher as a rookie. The Raiders' second third-round pick -- safety Divine Deablo -- was lower on my board, and they reached for him at No. 80. Still, it was a good day for my old pals Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock.
New York Jets
The pick: Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss (No. 34)
What did I say after Round 1? If the Jets are going to start over with another quarterback, they have to get more help around Zach Wilson. That's what general manager Joe Douglas did with his next two picks, and I love this one. Moore was my best available prospect headed into Day 2 -- 16th on my Big Board -- and he knows how to get open. He's the best slot receiver in this class. Wilson will be able to hit him on easy throws, and Moore will pick up yards after the catch.
If you read what I wrote Thursday, you know I didn't love the Sam Darnold trade. Take the quarterback situation out of the equation, though, and let's use my rankings as a guide. The Jets got Nos. 9 (Wilson), 10 (guard Alijah Vera-Tucker) and 16 (Moore) on my Big Board. That's good value. This was their only pick of Day 2 after they traded up for Vera-Tucker.
Cleveland Browns
The picks: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, OLB, Notre Dame (No. 52); Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn (No. 91)
General manager Andrew Berry is off to a great start again in this draft. Why in the world did Owusu-Koramoah drop? I can't figure this one out. He's my top-ranked outside linebacker and is 23rd overall on my Big Board. He's not a pass-rusher, but he's a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who can cover tight ends. In fact, Notre Dame used him as a slot cornerback at times. And when he hits running backs, they feel it. This is a fantastic pick for Cleveland, which let B.J. Goodson walk and needed to get younger in the front seven. (I should also note that the Browns traded up for this: They gave up the Nos. 59 and 89 picks to move up to No. 52.)
Schwartz, meanwhile, has elite speed and was used strangely at Auburn; he essentially got touches only around the line of scrimmage. I think he can be used on more go routes, though the Browns still need to get him the ball on bubble screens. He could be an early-impact slot wideout for Cleveland.
Atlanta Falcons
The picks: Richie Grant, S, UCF (No. 40); Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan (No. 68)
Grant is one of my favorite prospects in this class, and he's so versatile that he could play as a deep safety or as a box safety. The Falcons gave up a franchise record in passing yards (4,697) and passing touchdowns (34) in 2020, and taking Grant is a step toward improvement.
Mayfield, meanwhile, is my sixth-ranked tackle, and Atlanta got him about 20 spots lower than I thought he'd go. He's only 20 years old -- he's going to need some time before he's a quality NFL starter -- but he does have some traits that intrigued scouts. Could he move inside to guard as a rookie while learning both positions? I like Mayfield's potential.
More picks I liked in Rounds 2 and 3
• Wide receiver Dyami Brown (No. 82) was getting some top-40 buzz over the past few weeks, but he lasted all the way until the middle of the third round. Washington got a fast deep threat to run go routes for Ryan Fitzpatrick next season.
• I loved Tennessee going with another cornerback late in Round 3. Elijah Molden (No. 100) has the potential to be a starter.
• I questioned the Cardinals' passing up a slot receiver in Round 1, but they got a fun player on Day 2. Rondale Moore (No. 49) is only 5-foot-7, but he is absolute dynamite with the ball in his hands. Purdue built its entire offense around him, feeding him the ball on all sorts of routes, and he's going to be exciting catching passes from Kyler Murray.
• The Packers finally got a receiver, trading up for Amari Rodgers (No. 85) in the third round. He's one of the best slot receivers in this class, and he consistently gets open. Now, will Aaron Rodgers be throwing him passes in 2021? We'll wait and see.
• Kansas City has done a great job rebuilding its offensive line over the past two months, and I wouldn't be shocked if Creed Humphrey (No. 63) ended up as the Chiefs' starting center in 2021. Terrific value at the end of Round 2.
• Houston used its first pick of the draft on quarterback Davis Mills (No. 82), and it makes sense given the organization's questions around Deshaun Watson. This is a new regime in the front office, and they have a long rebuild in front of them. There were people in the league who thought Mills would be a surefire first-round pick next year.
• Denver got a punishing runner in Javonte Williams (No. 35) at the top of Round 2, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up as the best tailback in this class. He's that good. He had 723 yards after first contact last season, the second-most among FBS rushers. Williams can help in the passing game, too. He needs to play early and often for the Broncos.
• New England got the draft's best defensive tackle in Round 2 in Christian Barmore (No. 38). He has some major upside as an interior pass-rusher -- he dominated in the College Football Playoff last season -- and Bill Belichick & Co. will let him get after the quarterback. It's a great fit. The only downside is that the Patriots had to trade up to get him, sending the Bengals picks Nos. 46, 122 and 139. That's a steep price. The Patriots also got edge rusher Ronnie Perkins (No. 96), and he fits the versatility they want on defense.
• The Vikings had four picks in the third round, and while quarterback Kellen Mond (No. 66) will get the publicity, the one I liked most is former quarterback Chazz Surratt, who is a really productive converted linebacker. He should play early.
• Spencer Brown (No. 93) is a 6-foot-8, raw offensive tackle who will need time to adjust to the speed of the NFL, but he has a really high ceiling. The Bills don't have many needs, so they can afford to wait for Brown's potential.
• The Broncos also got my second-ranked guard late on Day 3. Quinn Meinerz (No. 98) played at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater, but he showed at the Senior Bowl that he belongs with the big boys in the NFL. Let's see if he can create some running lanes for Williams.
• The Seahawks' first pick of the draft was speedy slot receiver D'Wayne Eskridge (No. 56), who went a little later than I thought. He's a great returner, and he lit up the Senior Bowl in January. Russell Wilson should love this pick.
• Likewise, the Rams followed the Seahawks with their first pick in the draft, and they took another slot wideout with lightning speed in Tutu Atwell (No. 57). He ranked second in the FBS from 2019 to 2020 with 1,742 receiving yards out of the slot. The knock against him is that he has a really slender frame -- he weighs 155 pounds and is 5-foot-9. Can he take hits against 245-pound linebackers? My comp for Atwell has been the Ravens' Marquise Brown.
• Teven Jenkins (No. 39) should start immediately at right tackle for the Bears. He's a plug-and-play tackle. In fact, I thought Chicago could take Jenkins at No. 20 overall, before the team traded up to take quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears did have to trade picks Nos. 52, 83 and 204 to move up (and added No. 151), but it's a selection that makes a ton of sense. And it's a way to support the new quarterback.
Questionable picks from Rounds 2 and 3
Detroit Lions
The picks: Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington (No. 41); Alim McNeill, DT, NC State (No. 72)
Onwuzurike is a good athlete, but Detroit took him more than 50 spots above where I had him ranked. He is No. 99 on my board. Can he improve as a pass-rusher? He showed flashes in 2019 -- he opted out of the 2020 season -- but he needs to be much more consistent. Based on the Lions' next pick, it's clear they think Onwuzurike can play as their 3-technique, while McNeill will be the nose tackle.
I can respect the rebuilding Lions starting first with improving their line on both sides of the ball, but both of these picks were a little high.
San Francisco 49ers
The picks: Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame (No. 48); Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State (No. 88); Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan
Banks is a big, 6-foot-5 lineman who has played guard and center, but Quinn Meinerz is higher in my rankings. Banks went a round too early. I don't think he's a surefire rookie starter, which is what teams need to get if they're taking a guard in the second round.
The running back class this year has been slow to develop, and I have Sermon ranked behind Michael Carter, a diminutive dynamo with more explosiveness than Sermon. The Niners likely could have gotten Sermon in Round 4. We know the Shanahans get production out of late-round and even undrafted tailbacks, so I was surprised they took him this early.
As for Thomas, I had a sixth-round grade on him, and there were better corners available.
Dallas Cowboys
The picks: Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA (No. 75); Chauncey Golston, DE, Iowa (No. 94); Nahshon Wright, CB, Oregon State (No. 99)
The Cowboys went a round too soon for their first two third-round picks, defensive linemen Odighizuwa and Golston. They are solid players -- and this organization is going all-in to try to improve its defense -- but I had Day 3 grades on both. Elsewhere, Wright is my 44th-ranked corner. Let me say that again -- the Cowboys took my 44th-ranked corner in the third round. I'm really surprised Wright went here, because I didn't see a starter when I watched his tape.
More reaches based on my Big Board and position rankings
• I loved the Chargers' second-round pick (corner Asante Samuel Jr.), but they later took wide receiver Josh Palmer (No. 77) over some really good players. Inconsistent quarterback play hurt Palmer's numbers at Tennessee, so maybe he'll be more productive at the next level, but I would have taken a few others before I got to him.
• I thought there were better corners on the board when Jacksonville took Tyson Campbell (No. 33) at the top of Round 2, and this pick is one that I'll be watching for the next few years. Urban Meyer had a chance to get Asante Samuel Jr. there, but he opted for Campbell, who is frustrating on tape. Campbell tested like a first-rounder based on his physical traits, but he needs some bad habits coached out of him.
• Jackson Carman (No. 46) is my 13th-ranked offensive tackle, and the Bengals took him over Dillon Radunz, Jalen Mayfield and Spencer Brown. He was just OK as Trevor Lawrence's blindside protector the past two seasons. Carman also had a back issue that I thought might see him drop to Round 3. Could he play guard? I'm not sure he can get on the field early for Cincinnati, which has Jonah Williams and Riley Reiff as its tackle starters.
• Green Bay took center Josh Myers (No. 62) in the second round, and I see him as more of a developmental prospect, not a clear NFL starter. I'm surprised that the Packers passed on Creed Humphrey, my second-ranked center. Myers ranked No. 117 overall on my Big Board.
• I actually like defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (No. 54), and he had a tremendous 2020 season, but he tore his Achilles in January while training for the Senior Bowl. I thought he was likely going to drop to Day 3. Instead, the Colts took him in the middle of Round 2. Is he going to play this season? That's a tough injury for any NFL player. The Colts need edge-rush help now. Ronnie Perkins was among the defensive ends they could have taken instead.