NFL draft 2026: Eagles trade for Greenard as edge rusher lands $100m deal

Once considered a potential top pick, Carson Beck became the first player selected in the third round of the NFL draft as a busy second night featured a flurry of defensive selections and a notable veteran trade.

The Arizona Cardinals took the polarizing Miami quarterback with the 65th overall pick on Friday night. He joins a quarterback room that includes veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew under rookie coach Mike LaFleur.

“I’m super excited, super grateful, super blessed,” Beck said. “I took a visit out there and loved the staff, loved Coach LaFleur.”

Beck was only the third quarterback selected in a draft widely viewed as thin at the position. Fernando Mendoza went No 1 to Las Vegas and Ty Simpson was taken 13th by the Los Angeles Rams. No quarterbacks were picked in the second round.

Drew Allar became the fourth quarterback off the board when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected the Penn State product at No 76, keeping him in-state after an injury-riddled college career. Allar is returning from a broken ankle that ended his final season, and his selection drew a mixed reaction from fans at Acrisure Stadium.

Pittsburgh, which set an NFL draft attendance record with 320,000 fans on Thursday, later drew a roar of approval by selecting Iowa guard Gennings Dunker, a combine standout known for his mullet and mustache.

Defense dominated the second round, with 22 of 32 picks on that side of the ball. The night’s biggest move involving an established player came when the Minnesota Vikings traded edge rusher Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles acquired Greenard and a seventh-round pick (No 244) in exchange for the 98th overall selection this year and a 2027 third-round pick. The 28-year-old, a 2024 Pro Bowler, subsequently agreed to a four-year, $100m extension that includes $50m guaranteed, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Greenard, who had been seeking a new contract, carried a cap hit of more than $22m for 2026. The deal gives Minnesota additional flexibility as they reshape their roster following a 9-8 season and the firing of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

The Eagles, meanwhile, addressed a need on the edge after losing Jaelen Phillips in free agency. Greenard had 12 sacks in 2024 but was limited to 12 games last season by a shoulder injury, finishing with three sacks.