Teams Atop Second-Round Order Receiving Calls; 49ers Open To Trading Down
4:15pm: The 49ers’ 33rd pick is a popular target for teams looking to trade up, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who mentions Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis among the group of potential selections.
If San Francisco does not bite on an offer, they may pursue Missouri defensive end Zion Young, Breer adds. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams tore their ACLs last year, so Young would give the 49ers a reliable starter as the two former first-rounders make their way back to the field.
12:47pm: Many of the picks toward the back end of the first-round order changed hands last night. That resulted in several alterations to the draft list for Day 2.
As things stand, the 49ers, Cardinals and Bills own the first three picks in tonight’s second round. Several more trades can of course be expected moving forward, and NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports all three of those teams have received calls. It would come as little surprise if San Francisco in particular elected to move out of the No. 33 spot.
Per Schultz, the 49ers are considered to be “very open” to trading down. GM John Lynch authorized a move from No. 27 to 30 in a deal with the Dolphins. That was followed in short order by a trade which saw the Jets acquire No. 30. San Francisco has yet to make a selection in 2026 as a result, but Schultz notes the team is confident one of its targets will still be available even if another trade down the board takes place.
The Cardinals were long seen as a candidate to move into the back half of the first round to select quarterback Ty Simpson. With the Rams having selected him 13th overall, though, Arizona was not among the teams moving around late last night. The Cardinals added running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, and several options will be available when they are next on the clock regardless of if a trade is worked out.
The Bills were originally scheduled to select 26th overall. Things changed on multiple occasions as the first round drew to a close, however, with Buffalo opting to trade down three times. That has given general manager Brandon Beane extra capital to work with, although continuing to move down will carry risk in terms of limiting the remaining high-end prospects available when he makes his first pick. It will be interesting to see how Buffalo operates moving forward.
Earlier today, the Giants were floated as a team which could trade up from the No. 37 slot. A pairing between New York and one of the top three teams in the current second-round order could be something to watch for as the countdown to Day 2 continues.
Patriots Showing Interest In Guards
After spending the fourth overall pick on left tackle Will Campbell and a third-rounder on center Jared Wilson in the 2025 draft, the Patriots are expected to further address the offensive line this year. With the start of the draft 10 days away, the Patriots are eyeing guards. They will host Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon on a “30” visit, according to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports. The Patriots also wanted to fly in Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis for a visit, but “time constraints” prevented it from happening, per Pauline.
With the signing of former Jet Alijah Vera-Tucker to a three-year, $42MM contract, the Patriots made a significant investment at guard in free agency. Vera-Tucker will play left guard if healthy. The problem is that injuries have been a frequent issue for Vera-Tucker, who has missed 42 of 85 games since going in the first round of the 2021 draft. He sat out all of 2025 as a result of a torn triceps.
Even if Vera-Tucker has better luck with health in New England, the team has a long-term question at right guard. Michael Onwenu, who also carries significant experience at tackle, has been a full-time RG starter for the past year and a half. During a second straight 17-game season in 2025, Onwenu led Patriots offensive linemen in snap share (98.9%) and finished as Pro Football Focus’ eighth-ranked guard. The six-year veteran remains locked in at his position going into 2026, but it is the last season of his contract.
Considering the high cost of quality guards in free agency, Onwenu could price himself out of New England in a year. It would make sense to have a promising replacement like Pregnon or Bisontis waiting in the wings. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranks Bisontis 34th and Pregnon 57th among this year’s prospects. Bisontis is a potential first-rounder who has drawn plenty of interest leading up to the draft.
Including No. 31 in Round 1 and the 63rd overall selection in the second round, the Patriots will enter the draft with 11 picks. The reigning AFC champions may not use all of those choices, though. Rather, the team could attempt to use its haul of Day 3 picks to move up, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports. The Patriots have two fourth-rounders and four sixth-rounders, which should give them the ammo to move up if they covet a certain player.
Dolphins High On Spencer Fano, Host Chase Bisontis
New Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said shortly after he was hired (via David Furones of the Sun Sentinel) that he would rebuild Miami’s roster “from the inside out.”
However, the Dolphins let starting right guard Cole Strange leave in free agency and only added depth pieces like Jamaree Salyer and Charlie Heck. Not only do they need to replace Strange, they could also upgrade over 2025 second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea at the other guard spot after his rough rookie year. Right tackle Austin Jackson has struggled with injuries and is entering the final year of his contract. Only center Aaron Brewer and left tackle Patrick Paul profile as clear long-term starters in Miami.
Luckily for the Dolphins, the 2026 draft class is deep at offensive line, particularly at guard where the Dolphins need immediate help the most. There are also a number of offensive tackles who could contribute on the inside as a rookie with the ability to succeed Jackson in the long-term.
Spencer Fano, a likely first-round pick out of Utah, could be the best of both worlds. The Dolphins are “big fans” of the versatile blocker, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid, making him an option for the 11th overall pick. He excelled at right tackle for the Utes in 2024 and 2025, but has been projected to move inside in the NFL due to his sub-33-inch arms. That may not be the case in Miami.
Sullivan’s last team, the Packers, frequently targets tackles with shorter arms with a higher priority on their athleticism and evaluation on tape. He will likely bring that philosophy to the Dolphins, who will run an offshoot of the Shanahan-McVay offensive scheme under new coordinator Bobby Slowik that also emphasizes athletic blockers up front. Fano, who impressed with his movement skills at the Combine, would fit that system perfectly.
Should the Dolphins not land Fano or another offensive linemen with one of their two first-round picks, they will likely prioritize the position on Day 2. Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis, who visited Miami this week, is a potential target at No. 43 overall, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. He is also an exciting athlete with potential multi-position versatility having spent time at left guard and right tackle during his time at College Station, though his sub-32-inch arms may be too short for any team to play him outside.
G Chase Bisontis Drawing Vast Interest
As one of the premier guard prospects in the 2026 draft class, Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis has the potential to come off the board in the first two rounds. There is widespread interest in Bisontis, who has scheduled over a dozen visits, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The Chargers, Panthers and Falcons are among the clubs that will host Bisontis.
As a freshman in 2023, Bisontis began his three-year run in College Station as the Aggies’ starting right tackle. He worked at left guard during his last two seasons, in which he allowed a total of two sacks. The 6-foot-5, 315-pounder earned third-team All-SEC honors in 2025.
In ranking Bisontis as the 49th-best prospect available, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com notes “short arms” could negatively affect the 21-year-old’s stock. But Bisontis assuaged some concerns when his arms measured 32 inches at Texas A&M’s pro day on Wednesday, per Garafolo. The average guard checks in around 33 inches.
Whether it’s Bisontis or another high-end prospect (Penn State’s Vega Ioane, for example), it would not be a surprise to see the Chargers grab a guard at either No. 22 or 55. While free agent addition Cole Strange is expected to start on the right side, the Chargers do not have a clear replacement for departed left guard Zion Johnson. Trevor Penning and newcomer Kayode Awosika are in-house options to succeed Johnson, but neither comes with a strong history as a starter.
The Chargers have an obvious need at guard, but that is not the case for either the Panthers or Falcons. Carolina has two expensive starters in Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt. A 16-game starter for the fourth straight season in 2025, the 29-year-old Lewis finished as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-ranked guard. Playing the second season of a five-year, $100MM pact, Hunt missed 15 games with a torn biceps, but he returned for a wild-card round loss to the Rams. With Lewis and Hunt sticking around next year, the Panthers may be more inclined to upgrade elsewhere with picks 19 and 51.
As a result of ex-general manager Terry Fontenot‘s James Pearce Jr. gamble last April, the Falcons do not have a first-rounder this year. Atlanta’s first selection is scheduled for No. 48, where president of football Matt Ryan and GM Ian Cunningham could consider Bisontis if he is still available. The Falcons already have two quality starting guards in Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron, however, leaving the long-struggling franchise with more pressing areas to address.
Lindstrom, who inked a five-year, $105MM extension in 2023, is coming off his second 17-start season in a row. PFF ranked Lindstrom a superb second among guards, while Bergergon finished 20th. Bergeron missed two games, but they were the first absences of the three-year veteran’s career. Although Bergeron is eligible for an extension, spending a second-rounder on a guard may indicate Atlanta does not plan to dole out another big payday at the position.