NFL Draft: The Best Player Taken at All 32 2nd-Round Picks Since 2000

The first round of the NFL Draft is when the best of the best come off the board, but Round 2 offers plenty of talent as well. In fact, there have been enough talented players who’ve been drafted in Round 2 that we can debate which players were the best selected at each draft spot.

As the 2026 NFL Draft moves into Day 2, we worked to identify the best players selected at pick Nos. 33-64 since 2000. Just like with the exercise we did with the best players taken at each first-round pick since 2000, there were pick numbers that have had a strong recent history (37), while others might be weaker than you expect (33). 

In doing this exercise, you’ll also find that at least a few teams know how to draft well in Round 2. While Devin Hester is the only player on this list to be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there are a few others who will almost assuredly end up getting a gold jacket in Canton in the coming years.

So, which players have been the best selected at each pick number in the second round since 2000? Let’s dive in. 

33. Rodger Saffold, OL, Indiana (selected by St. Louis Rams in 2010)

As the first pick of the second round, that spot the entire league has overnight to realize who was passed over in the first round, 33 really should be a more loaded number. It isn’t really, so Saffold, who’s gotten his first career Pro Bowl honors in the last two years, gets the nod with 173 starts and steady play over 16 seasons. Could receiver Tee Higgins catch him someday? Perhaps. We contemplated two linebackers here in DeMeco Ryans (2006) and Karlos Dansby (2004).

34. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise State (selected by Dallas Cowboys in 2014)

Lawrence turns 34 later in April but is still playing at such a high level, with three forced fumbles and two sacks in the playoffs to help Seattle to a Super Bowl championship. He just got his fifth Pro Bowl, he has 67.5 sacks, and the idea that he’s still going pushes him ahead of guard Chris Snee (2004) and linebacker D’Qwell Jackson (2006).

35. Charles Tillman, CB, Louisiana, 2003 (selected by Chicago Bears in 2003)

It’s tough to leave off guard Joel Bitonio and his seven Pro Bowls here, but Tillman was the gold standard for defensive takeaways — 44 forced fumbles! The Peanut Punch is named after him, and don’t overlook 38 interceptions as well. That he only has two career Pro Bowl nods is blasphemy — eight pick-sixes in his career as well, making this an easy call for us.

36. Budda Baker, S, Washington (selected by Arizona Cardinals in 2017)

This spot is loaded like a first-round position might be. You have receiver Chad Johnson and corner Darius Slay with six Pro Bowls each. You have quarterback Derek Carr passing for 40,000-plus yards and 257 touchdowns, and none of them can beat out Baker, who has made the Pro Bowl eight times in nine NFL seasons. He does a little of everything — eight career picks, seven forced fumbles, 10 sacks — and is consistently regarded as one of the league’s best all-around safeties. Let this guy win a playoff game soon, OK?

37. Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State (selected by Kansas City Chiefs in 2016)

This is a tough break for safety Eric Weddle, who would be the pick at like 10 spots around 37, but his six Pro Bowls and 29 career picks aren’t enough to beat out Jones, who’s won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs and has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last seven seasons. To have 87.5 career sacks as an interior pass rusher is incredible, and he’s been a core piece on defense for all the Chiefs’ postseason success.

38. Xavier Howard, CB, Baylor (selected by Miami Dolphins in 2016)

Injuries have derailed Howard in the last two years, but his NFL start was incredible — he led the NFL twice in his first three seasons, with seven picks as a rookie and 10 in 2018. Four Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro nod in his first five seasons — that alone is enough to push him past defensive end Preston Smith (2015) for our pick at 38. Too early to know, but the last two 38s could be special, in defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat (2024) and running back TreVeyon Henderson (2025).

39. Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida (selected by St. Louis Rams in 2012)

You fight the urge to put a lot of quarterbacks on here, so Geno Smith (39th in 2013) is tempting, but we’ll go with Jenkins, who made only one Pro Bowl but was a steady ballhawk throughout his career — 27 interceptions and eight returned for touchdowns. He bounced around to five NFL teams, but that touchdown total and 138 career starts make for a commendable NFL career.

40. Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU (selected by Detroit Lions in 2014)

Another active player honored here, and it’s hard to find one who did less for the team that drafted him — Van Noy has 57 career sacks, but just one in 2.5 seasons in Detroit, which traded him to the Patriots in 2016 for the right to move up 22 spots at the end of the 2017 draft. He won two Super Bowls with New England and made his first Pro Bowl at age 33 with the Ravens in 2024 after getting a career-best 12.5 sacks.

41. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin (selected by Indianapolis Colts in 2020)

So many of these choices were drafted 15-plus years ago and had full careers to appreciate, so it’s cool to have someone as young as Taylor, still 27, but the clear choice at 41 after six dominant seasons. He led the NFL in rushing yards (1,811) and touchdowns (18) in 2021 for the first of three Pro Bowls — when healthy, he is one of the most reliable backs in the league. He’s one of 17 backs to rush for 7,500 yards in his first six years, and of those, only Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders averaged more yards per carry.

42. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona (selected by New England Patriots in 2010)

This was an easy call. Gronk is a four-time Super Bowl champ and was Tom Brady’s go-to target in the second half of his career. His 2011 season (90 catches, 1,327 yards, 17 TDs) is tough to beat for any tight end, and we can point to his 92 career regular-season touchdowns, but his postseason numbers are ridiculous: 15 touchdowns in 22 playoff games.

43. Roman Harper, S, Alabama (selected by New Orleans Saints in 2006)

Still a few spots without a wow selection in 25 years, but Harper had a solid run. When the Saints won the Super Bowl in 2009, he made the Pro Bowl with 100+ tackles. Not many DBs can boast 7.5 sacks in a season as Harper had in 2011. We choose him over tight end Kyle Rudolph, who had 50 touchdown catches and two Pro Bowls in a 12-year career, mostly with Minnesota.

44. Kris Jenkins, DT, Maryland (selected by Carolina Panthers in 2001)

At 6-foot-4, 360 pounds, Jenkins might be the largest player on this list, and he came into the league and dominated, with two first-team All-Pro nods in his first three seasons. He finished with four Pro Bowl selections, and half of his 24 career sacks came in those two All-Pro seasons. We could have gone with running back Matt Forte here at 44, with five 1,000-yard seasons and 500-plus career catches, but we’ll stick with Jenkins.

45. Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama (selected by Tennessee Titans in 2016)

Henry, a massive runner at 6-2 and 252 pounds, is already in the NFL career top 10 in rushing yards and touchdowns. His 13,018 rushing yards rank 10th, and he could easily move up to sixth with another solid season. His 122 rushing touchdowns rank fourth all-time and he’s two away from third. He has five Pro Bowls in 10 seasons and remains the model for a bellcow high-volume running back. His 2020 season — leading the NFL with 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns — is one of the best RB seasons ever.

46. Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina (selected by New York Giants in 2010)

We’ll be honest: Not a lot of great options at 46. Joseph gets the nod here for a 15-year career with 170 starts and two Pro Bowl nods. He won a Super Bowl with the Giants in 2011, so that helps give him the call here over … Aaron Schobel, who never made the playoffs with the Bills but had 78 sacks and was the only other multi-Pro Bowl player chosen at 46.

47. Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State (selected by Seattle Seahawks in 2012)

Another legend, still going at 35, Wagner has racked up 10 Pro Bowls and six first-team All-Pro nods in piling up exactly 2,000 career tackles. A surefire Hall of Famer when he’s done, Wagner has 39.5 sacks and 15 interceptions, winning a Super Bowl with Seattle in 2013 as a young force on the “Legion of Boom” defense. You can take the 25-year window away and Wagner is still easily the best No. 47 pick in the Super Bowl era — over 60 years, he has as many Pro Bowls as the other 59 players picked at 47 combined.

48. Matt Light, OT, Purdue (selected by New England Patriots in 2001)

You could go with running back Le’Veon Bell here at 48, but we’ll try to give the offensive line love where we can. Light started 153 games for the Patriots and won Super Bowls in three of his first four seasons. A key protector in the first half of Tom Brady’s career, he also earned three Pro Bowl nods and was a first-team All-Pro selection in the Patriots’ 16-0 season in 2007.

49. DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal (selected by Philadelphia Eagles in 2008)

Is Jackson the best deep-ball receiver in NFL history? He had 24 touchdowns of 60 yards or longer, edging Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history. He led the league in yards per catch four times, including 22.5 in 2010, the best in any 1,000-yard season in at least 30 years. He also had four touchdowns on punt returns in his first three seasons. If you need one play to appreciate Jackson, look up his 2010 punt return to beat the Giants on the final play and cap a comeback from 21 points down in the final eight minutes.

50. Calais Campbell, DE, Miami (Fla.) (selected by Arizona Cardinals in 2008)

Campbell is ageless, turning 40 before the 2026 season begins and still seeking a team for his 19th NFL season. A model of longevity and durability, he has 117 sacks, with more in his second nine years than in his first nine. If he can start 14 games this season, he’ll pass the Vikings’ Jim Marshall for most ever by a defensive player — he’s at 259 now. He went to the Super Bowl as a rookie and lost and hasn’t made it back since, so it’s easy to pull for him to land the only thing missing from a Hall of Fame resume.

51. Clinton Portis, RB, Miami (Fla.) (selected by Denver Broncos in 2002)

Vastly underappreciated back who rushed for 1,508 yards and 15 touchdowns as a rookie and topped 1,000 yards in six of his first seven NFL seasons. Coveted enough to be traded for cornerback Champ Bailey, Portis had four seasons with at least 325 carries — only six backs in NFL history have more and none of them came into the league since Portis did. In time, receiver A.J. Brown may get the call at 51, as he too has topped 1,000 yards in six of his seven NFL seasons.

52. Greg Jennings, WR, Western Michigan (selected by Green Bay Packers in 2006)

In a few years, receiver George Pickens may have done enough to get the nod at 52, but for now, we go with Jennings, who had two 12-touchdown seasons and two more with nine in his first six years in Green Bay. Jennings’ 64 career touchdown catches and two Pro Bowls put him in here against another receiver, 2001’s Chris Chambers, who had 58 and one in his 10-year NFL career.

53. Davante Adams, WR, Fresno State (selected by Green Bay Packers in 2014)

Tough call here at 53, as both Adams and LeSean “Shady” McCoy have six Pro Bowls in their career. Adams is still going, so we’ll give him the nod. He led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches last year, giving him 117 for his career, and another 14 would put him fourth all-time. He had six straight Pro Bowls from 2017-22 — he has five different seasons with at least 12 touchdown catches, and the only players with more are Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss.

54. Anquan Boldin, WR, Florida State (selected by Arizona State in 2003)

You don’t expect him to be 10th all-time in career receptions, but he is. He had over 100 catches as a rookie and finished with 1,076 career receptions, along with 82 career touchdowns. He made all three of his Pro Bowls with the Cardinals, but you have to praise him for his 2012 postseason with the Ravens — 22 catches for 380 yards and four touchdowns on the way to a Super Bowl championship.

55. Andrew Whitworth, OT, LSU (selected by St. Louis Rams in 2006)

Whitworth had a legendary run, with 235 career starts between 11 years with the Bengals and his final five with the Rams. He made four Pro Bowls in a six-year span from 2012-17, with two first-team All-Pro nods in there as well, and was able to go out a champ as a key piece on the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl team.

56. Osi Umenyiora, DE, Troy (selected by New York Giants in 2003)

Umenyiora was an underappreciated part of two Super Bowl championship teams for the Giants — he had 3.5 sacks in the 2011 playoffs, and finished his NFL career with 85 total. Want an amazing number? He had 10 forced fumbles in 2010, matching the NFL single-season record. He also had four fumble-return touchdowns in his career.

57. Devin Hester, WR/PR/KR, Miami (Fla.) (selected by Chicago Bears in 2006)

Simply the best return man in NFL history, he scored a league-record 14 touchdowns on punt returns and another five on kickoff returns. He had 11 of those touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons, helping Chicago to the Super Bowl as a rookie and returning the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown in that game. He’s a four-time Pro Bowl selection and the only Hall of Famer in this group of players drafted 57th, with a single Pro Bowl from all the rest of them.

58. Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska (selected by Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012)

David is a runaway winner here. He retired after the 2025 season with 215 career starts, more than 1,700 tackles and the ability to do a little bit of everything, with 42.5 sacks, 33 forced fumbles and 14 interceptions. Only one career Pro Bowl; he was stuck in the same conference as Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner for much of his career. His 177 career tackles for loss are an incredible number for an off-ball linebacker.

59. Ryan Kalil, C, USC (selected by Carolina Panthers in 2007)

Kalil had five Pro Bowls in a 13-year NFL career, all but one season in Carolina — the rest of the No. 59 picks over 26 seasons have combined for just one. Kalil was also twice named first-team All-Pro, the latter in 2015 when Carolina went 15-1 and Cam Newton was the league MVP. His career was consistently limited by injuries, with five seasons in which he played eight games or fewer.

60. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, UCLA (selected by Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006)

Jones-Drew rushed for 49 touchdowns in his first tour seasons, good enough to rank in the top 10 all-time for that, and a run of three straight Pro Bowls ended when he led the NFL with 1,606 rushing yards in 2011, still a Jaguars team record. Only 5-foot-7 but a sturdy 210 pounds, he also caught 201 passes in his first four seasons. His longtime Jaguars teammate, center Brad Meester, was also drafted 60th overall and finished with 209 career starts in Jacksonville.

61. Vincent Jackson, WR, Northern Colorado (selected by San Diego Chargers in 2005)

Jackson had great runs with two franchises, with three 1,000-yard seasons each with the Chargers and Bucs. Always a deep threat, Jackson averaged 16.8 yards per catch for his career — of 184 players with at least 500 career catches, his average yards per catch ranks 11th-best all-time. If we didn’t choose Jackson, we could go with defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who matched Jackson’s three Pro Bowls in 13 years with the Lions.

62. Brian O’Neill, OT, Pitt (selected by Minnesota Vikings in 2018)

O’Neill has 120 starts in eight seasons in Minnesota, playing at least 14 games every year as a reliable presence on the offensive line. He has two Pro Bowls (2021, 2024) and is entering the final season of a five-year, $92 million contract. He was Pro Football Focus’ No. 12 tackle in 2025, the second-highest ranking of his career. Not a ton of great players taken at 62, but you could also look at corners like James Bradberry (2016) and Casey Hayward (2012).

63. Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati (selected by Kansas City Chiefs in 2013)

It should be noted that Kelce was actually a third-round pick, but he was pick No. 63 in the 2013 draft. So, he get’s the nod here. With 11 straight Pro Bowls and counting, Kelce is the easy choice at No. 63. He ranks eighth in NFL history with 1,080 career receptions and can move up to fifth this fall with just 23 more catches. A three-time Super Bowl champ with the Chiefs, he has 20 career postseason touchdowns — two more and he’ll match Jerry Rice for the most all-time. He’s a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer and has earned $111 million over his NFL career, even if he’s not the real breadwinner in his relationship.

64. DK Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss (selected by Seattle Seahawks in 2019)

Metcalf, always a physical presence at 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds, has had at least five touchdowns in all seven of his NFL seasons — 54 total — with three 1,000-yard seasons and two Pro Bowl nods. Can he find the same success in Pittsburgh as he did in Seattle his first six years? That remains to be seen. As final picks of the second round go, he gets the nod here over defensive lineman Darnell Dockett (2004) and safety Kevin Byard (2016).