NFL Draft Day 2: Steelers Take Penn State QB Allar, 49ers Open Round 2 with Ole Miss Receiver

NFL Draft Day 2: Steelers Bet on Penn State QB as 49ers, Bills, and Bengals Make Bold Moves

Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft unfolded in Pittsburgh on April 26, producing a series of trades, positional surprises, and franchise-defining selections. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round, the San Francisco 49ers opened the second round with Ole Miss wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling at No. 33, and the Buffalo Bills added Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker at No. 65 to bolster a defense targeting a Super Bowl run.

Background

Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft set a dramatic stage: the Las Vegas Raiders selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall, a running back went third — the highest such selection in 23 years — and the Los Angeles Rams surprised the league with a quarterback pick in the top 15. With four Ohio State players in the top 11, the Buckeyes dominated the first round. Day 2 shifted the focus to teams that had traded away first-round picks and needed to rebuild their boards, as well as franchises looking to add depth at premium positions.

Pittsburgh served as the host city for the third consecutive year, with the draft held at Acrisure Stadium along the Allegheny River. The event drew an estimated 200,000 fans over the first two days, making it one of the most attended drafts in NFL history.

Key Developments

The San Francisco 49ers, who traded out of the first round, used the first pick of Day 2 — No. 33 overall — to select De'Zhaun Stribling, a 6-foot-3 wide receiver from Ole Miss known for his contested-catch ability and route precision. The selection addresses a critical need after the 49ers lost two receivers to free agency in March. General manager John Lynch called Stribling 'a complete receiver who can win at every level of the field.'

The Pittsburgh Steelers made the most discussed pick of Day 2, drafting Penn State quarterback Drew Allar at No. 76 in the third round. Allar, who threw for 3,140 yards and 26 touchdowns in his final college season, gives Pittsburgh a developmental option behind their current starter. The Steelers have not drafted a quarterback in the top three rounds since 2004, when they selected Ben Roethlisberger 11th overall.

The Cincinnati Bengals used the No. 41 pick on Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell, the Atlanta Falcons took Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell at No. 48, and the Indianapolis Colts selected Georgia linebacker CJ Allen at No. 53. The Jacksonville Jaguars, with three third-round picks, added tight end Nate Boerkircher, defensive lineman Albert Regis, and interior offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon to address multiple roster gaps.

Why Americans Should Care

The NFL Draft is the most-watched annual event in American sports outside the Super Bowl, drawing over 50 million viewers across its three days. For fans in Pittsburgh, the Steelers' selection of Allar carries particular weight: the franchise has not had a homegrown quarterback development project since the Roethlisberger era, and the city's identity is deeply intertwined with its football team. In San Francisco and the Bay Area, the 49ers' aggressive move to open Round 2 signals that the front office remains committed to competing for a Super Bowl despite last season's playoff exit. For college football fans in Pennsylvania, the selection of a Penn State quarterback by the home-state NFL team is a rare convergence of regional pride and professional football. Across the country, the draft's economic impact on host cities is substantial: Pittsburgh's hospitality and retail sectors generated an estimated $150 million in revenue over the three-day event.

Why It Matters

The 2026 draft class reflects broader trends reshaping the NFL. The historic selection of a running back in the top three — the first since Saquon Barkley went second overall in 2018 — signals a potential revaluation of the position after years of teams deprioritizing it in the draft. The Steelers' investment in a developmental quarterback mirrors a strategy that has worked for franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs, who drafted Patrick Mahomes 10th overall in 2017 and sat him for a year behind Alex Smith. Pittsburgh's willingness to invest a third-round pick in a quarterback suggests the organization is planning for a post-current-starter future rather than relying on free agency. The 49ers' approach — trading down from Round 1 to accumulate picks and then targeting a specific player at the top of Round 2 — has become a model for analytically driven front offices, following the blueprint established by the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles over the past decade.

What's Next

Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft takes place on April 27, covering Rounds 4 through 7. Teams with multiple compensatory picks — including the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers — are expected to be active. Undrafted free agency begins immediately after the draft concludes, with hundreds of college players signing with teams as priority free agents. Training camps open in late July, when the draft class will begin competing for roster spots.

Sources: The Athletic; NFL.com Draft Tracker