February isn’t the greatest time to have your NFL draft board set in stone.

As the 2026 NFL Combine approaches, players will be rising and falling off boards. We’ll see some talent who were favorites to be first-rounders start to be breezed over and considered high-end second-round picks.

Which 2026 draftees have the chance to fall out of Day 1 and be second-round steals?

5. DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech

The Texas Tech defensive line was piled full of talent. David Bailey and Romello Heights are both expected to go within the first three rounds of the draft. With so much talent stacking the Rad Raiders defensive line, that may cause Lee Hunter‘s stock to fall.

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Firstly, NFL scouts’ defensive tackle rankings are all over the place. While some teams value one interior defensive lineman highly, others may think of him as a mid-round pick. There’s real hype about Hunter, but multiple defensive linemen can jump ahead of him, causing him to fall out of the first round.

There aren’t many 320-pound tackles that can move like Hunter, but he is too reliant on his size rather than technique. While he’s displayed the ability to shed blocks in the trenches and force his way out of double teams, the NFL is next level. NFL-level offensive linemen will destroy a poor technique pass rusher, and eliminate Hunter as a whole if he can’t develop better technique.

4. S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has been climbing up draft boards and is beginning to hear his name in first-round talks. The 6-foot-2 safety is a strong tackler and excels in the robber role.

Despite his rise, there are plenty of reasons why McNeil-Warren can drop out of the first round. The first and most glaring is positional value. Safeties fall out of the first-round more often than not, with a prime example being Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori. The Seahawks safety was a projected first-round pick, but fell to the early second-round.

But specifically for McNeil-Warren, there are concerns over his fit in defenses. Many see him as a one-trick pony that can only fit in zone-heavy defenses. ES Draft Expert Tony Pauline has also mentioned McNeil-Warren’s absence from the Senior Bowl may have been to hide his lack of speed. McNeil-Warren will probably make for a good player, but there aren’t a lot of teams he is a great fit for.

3. WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion has been a bit of a faller over the past few weeks. He has ranged from mid-to-late first-round talks to being left out of the first round entirely.

Concepcion is quicker than he is fast and has the ability to take advantage of failed press attempts. While he can run every deep route in the book, it’s what he does after the catch that is more impressive. There’s a reason the 5-foot-11 wideout was able to score 25 touchdowns over three seasons in college. His acceleration is unfair, and he outruns everyone on the field.

Concepcion mostly falls under his lack of ability to run block. While some may look over his flaws because of his big-play ability, missing out on an effective run blocker could hurt an offense. Pair that with a deep wide receiver class, and Concepcion may be a steal for a team on Day 2.

2. CB Colton Hood, Tennessee

Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood is a sticky-man corner. Despite being 5-foot-11, 188 lbs, Hood is a bully in coverage and in press situations. He also doubles as a solid run defender and isn’t afraid of contact with bigger running backs.

After the Senior Bowl, Hood started to see an impressive rise in interest, but a recent fall has occurred, with him even being left off ESPN Draft Expert Mel Kiper‘s newest mock draft. Some teams fear Hood is too prone to penalties and will struggle against higher-tier NFL wide receivers.

While there is an increasing chance that Hood falls out of the first round, he still possesses desirable traits for an NFL cornerback and could be a Day 2 steal.

1. DT Peter Woods, Clemson

As mentioned before with Hunter, the projections for defensive tackles are all over the place. But Clemson’s Peter Woods was an early favorite to be a first-rounder before the 2025 season began.

A disappointing 2 sacks and 3.5 TFLs later, and Woods’ chances of going in the first round have fallen tremendously. Despite the big numbers not being there, Woods’ presence on the defensive line shows up on tape. He’s not always the first guy to get to the quarterback, but he’s quick to clean up.

Woods is ultra-athletic and a powerful pass rusher. He’ll likely test well at the combine, but a down season in 2025 may see the three-year starter wait until Day 2 to hear his name.