• The Dallas Cowboys upgraded their defense in a big way: Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku(44th overall) and Eastern Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel in the third round (76th overall) were fantastic values when they were selected.

• New Orleans Saints made a questionable decision at quarterback: The Saints made Tyler Shough the third quarterback off the board, but he was the 133rd-ranked player on the PFF’s big board.

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One of the biggest takeaways from Round 1 was that only two quarterbacks were selected, just a year after a record six of the first 12 picks were signal-callers. Three more quarterbacks were taken in Rounds 2 and 3, but Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders was surprisingly not one of them.

As usual, some teams were fortunate to have top prospects fall to them late after others made questionable decisions with reaches. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at three teams trending up and three teams trending down after Day 2.

Trending Up

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys upgraded their defense in a big way on Friday night, landing Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round (44th overall) and Eastern Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel in the third round (76th overall).

Ezeiruaku – the 17th-ranked player on PFF’s big board – was one of the most productive pass-rushers in the nation last year. Ezeiruaku earned an elite 90.5 pass-rushing grade for the season, generating 60 pressures and a 25.8% win rate. He will fit in nicely with All-Pro Micah Parsons in Dallas.

Revel (the 44th player on the PFF big board) was another defender who fell in the draft. He brings ideal height and length to the position at 6-foot-3 and is an explosive athlete in the secondary. His 2024 season was cut short due to a torn ACL, but he was excellent in coverage in 2023, allowing just 19 receptions while breaking up nine passes that season.

Chicago Bears

The Bears were aggressive in Round 2, trading up to select wide receiver Luther Burden III at 39th overall before acquiring an additional second-round pick in a trade with the Buffalo Bills just minutes later. In Burden, Chicago lands a top 15 player on PFF’s big board, earning an “elite” grade for the selection.

Burden couldn’t match his 2023 production (1,212 yards and nine touchdowns), but he’s still one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the class, ranking third among Power-Four wide receivers in yards after the catch over the last two seasons. The Bears have done a tremendous job setting Caleb Williams up for success, building a top 10 offensive line while giving him two playmakers (Colston Loveland and Burden) early in the draft.

Chicago selected Boston College OT Ozzy Trapilo with the 56th overall pick in the second round. Trapilo started at left tackle in 2022 before moving to right tackle in 2023 and 2024 and allowed just two sacks over the last two years. He has the size (6-foot-8, 309 pounds) and NFL bloodline (father Steve) to succeed in the NFL.

The Bears bolstered their interior defensive line later in the second round with Shemar Turner at 62^nd overall. Turner has position versatility, as he played at just about every spot on Texas A&M’s defensive line. His best season came in 2023, when he earned a PFF grade of 76.6 and generated 36 pressures and 19 defensive stops.

Carolina Panthers

After getting Bryce Young a legitimate weapon on the outside in Tetairoa McMillan in Round 1, the Panthers turned their attention to the defensive side of the ball in Rounds 2 and 3, drafting two edge defenders at good value in their respective slots.

Carolina drafted Nic Scourton out of Texas A&M at 51st overall. Scourton, the 29th-ranked player on PFF’s big board, brings an alluring combination of size and pass-rush moves to the edge spot, which gives him ideal versatility along the defensive line. Over the past two seasons, his 91.7 pass-rush grade against true pass sets charted in the 94th percentile.

Princely Umanmielen was taken 77^th overall and was another nice value hit as our 50th-ranked player. Umanmielen does not possess the versatility that Scourton brings, but he projects to be a specialized finesse pass-rushing edge in the NFL. He has been an extremely productive player over the last two years at Florida and Ole Miss, generating 100 pressures and 55 defensive stops.

Trending Down

New Orleans Saints

After passing on quarterbacks in the first round, the Saints made Tyler Shough the third quarterback off the board. Shough was the 133rd-ranked player on the PFF’s big board, which makes the selection at 40th overall a reach, even for a premium position of need.

Shough is an older prospect who will turn 26 years old in September and fought through multiple injuries in his collegiate career. He was impressive last season (87.4 PFF grade) but has limited mobility and escapability by NFL standards, and combined with his age and extensive injury history, he seems like a risky bet to be the franchise quarterback of the future in New Orleans.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns had four selections in Rounds 2 and 3 – more than any team in the NFL. The team added some quality talent in UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger (the highest-graded LB blitzer in the draft class with a 90.0 pass-rush grade in 2024) and Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who finished the year with a 95.9 PFF grade, the best mark among all tight ends in this class.

At 36th overall, Cleveland opted to draft running back Quinshon Judkins (65th on the PFF’s big board) despite being linked to his teammate TreVeyon Henderson (58th ranked), who went two picks later to New England. Judkins can hit the big play (21 carries of 15-plus yards in 2024), but he projects more as a committee-type back with some questions about his ceiling.

The Browns finally took a quarterback at 94th overall in Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, who is an experienced college quarterback. He earned an 80.0-plus PFF passing grade in five of his six seasons. With that said, he was the 164th-ranked player on PFF’s big board, so the pick was a bit of a reach. The Browns quarterback room now includes Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, so it’s anyone’s guess who winds up being the starter at this point.

With the amount of draft ammo Cleveland had coming into the night, it’s fair to ask if they could have done more to fill out their roster in Rounds 2 and 3.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers started their night by landing Texas interior defender Alfred Collins, a pick we graded as “above average.” While his pass-rush profile leaves room for improvement, he has a high floor as a run defender (85.0 run-defense grade) and will be a difference-maker from Day 1 in Robert Saleh’s defense.

In Round 3, San Francisco selected Oklahoma State linebacker Nickolas Martin at 75th overall. Martin was a significant reach according to our big board, where he was the 307th-ranked player. His athleticism should translate to the NFL level as a pass-rusher, but he struggles defending the run (63.2 run-defense grade) and tackling (15.5% missed tackle rate).

Defensive back Upton Stout was another reach in Round 3. He was the 197th-ranked player on the PFF’s big board but selected 100th overall. His size (5-foot-9, 182 pounds) will limit him to slot cornerback duties in the NFL and is the biggest factor holding him back looking ahead. Stout was a productive player in college, allowing just one touchdown in coverage over the last two years, and his short-area quickness and competitive edge could earn him a bigger role down the line in the 49ers’ secondary.