The 2026 Draft Thread - 1st Round - 7th overall

[skinsinparadise]

philibusters props for all the work you are putting in

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

Just saying, Melvin Ingram, like Brandon Graham, took most of it not all of their rookie contract to figure out how to play in the NFL with their short arms.

Bain might eventually be a pro-bowl caliber Edge, but would we be happy taking him at #7 if it took Bain 4 to 5 years to figure it out?

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

NFL.com writeup has our 2025 draft as the 12th best (so above average) in the league. (Link here)

 

[Conn]

 

[method man]

The PFF NFL stock exchange guys did their most recent mock, with trades, and had us trade down to 21 with Pittsburgh, in exchange for their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

I think it would be hard for me to make that trade unless we loaded some really premium free agents. We need impact players. I’d be inclined to stick and pick.

Also, as much as Kdawg has been selling me on Bain, those same PFF guys LOVE him. They think he is a clear both above Bailey, dismiss the concerns about arm length, and see him as a complete edge and an impact player.

Pitt is a good trade partner. They can sub in Highsmith or Herbig for one of those picks. They’d probably prefer to trade Highsmith given Herbig is emerging on the cheap.

 

[DWinzit]

Pitt is a good trade partner. They can sub in Highsmith or Herbig for one of those picks. They’d probably prefer to trade Highsmith given Herbig is emerging on the cheap.

Or TJ Watt who will turn 32 in October...

Edit - I just looked up his contract and cap hits, forget about Watts.

 

[36ST21]

I love Jayden. And I admit part of it is ego arguing with football friends of other teams but i don't think Jayden is considered the better of the 2024 class anymore with the national media or average fans. For this moment in time. And I put that blame on putting so much on Jayden's shoulders. Granted it doesn't matter. But at a minimum the idea that lets just put it on Jayden's shoulders and watch him shine and he doesn't need weapons like other QBs -- is a question.

Now, it is an open debate and it will change over time. But lol it bothers me that Jayden is now considered a question mark within some of the national media and casual fans.

And part of that narrative is IMO there are limits to how many scrubs you can give Jayden at WR. He got by in 2024 with a healthy Terry at the top of his game. Ekeler mostly healthy as a pass catching RB. Ditto Ertz. And Noah at least played in some games, Dyami, Zaccheus. It was a decent combination.

And you combine that with the easiest schedule in the NFL they made magic albiet a lot of close calls against medicore teams.

So now we got an aging and possibly injury prone Terry. No Ertz. No Ekeler. They need to rebuild their weapons.

We can laugh off Caleb getting every toy he wants under the Christmas tree -- give him three #1 type WRs talent wise, two good young TE's, better depth -- and we still got our Jayden so who cares. But there are some now who think Caleb > Jayden. And IMO that's mostly because of how loaded that Bears offense is so Caleb in turn has it much easier.

When Kurt Warner did his expose about how Jayden regressed this season by making the point that he's holding the ball too long and developing bad habits. Sheehan-Keim basically heard back from the team about yeah but......receivers aren't open and or running the wrong routes so he has his reasons for regression.

I am just not interested in going into a deeper dive to see if Jayden can make lemonade out of lemons. Let's give him a chance like the other young QBs have.

An older 31 year old Terry. Without Ertz. Probably without Deebo. Adds up to a weaker supporting class than the pathetic 2025 version. It's almost as code red to address this as is edge.

I get the point that you are trying to make, but I have to add that I won't be losing any sleep over what Ol' Butterface has to say

 

[philibusters]

I watched Arvell Reese against Illinois and he was fantastic. He is incredibly violent. During the game Cory said that Reese and Leo Chenal from the 2022 class are the most violent linebackers he has scouted, and after watching this tape, that doesn’t feel like hyperbole.

Pass Rush: As a pass rusher, Reese is fairly reliant on the long arm — speed to power is clearly his foundation. I saw him use it against Illinois LT JC Davis (who is probably a Day 3 pick), RT Melvin Priestley, and TE Tanner Arkin. He drove Arkin back and pushed the pocket multiple times. He never really walked Davis straight back, but he did put Priestley on roller skates on one rep, which is impressive for a 245-pound linebacker. That said, he needs a runway. There was a rep where he crossed the guard’s face and then tried to convert to power on the center, but because most of his momentum was lateral, he didn’t have enough buildup and got stonewalled. From a wide 7 or 9 technique, the speed-to-power works well. From a tighter 5 technique alignment, there may not be enough runway for him to build speed and convert effectively. That is a bit different than a guy like Jared Verses who is maybe 15 pounds heavier and can convert speed to power from any technique. He also had a rep against RB Feagin (a big 230-pound back) where he got a full head of steam and went through him easily. He recorded a sack that was schemed up — he came free unblocked — so that one was more design than individual win. The other notable aspect of his pass rush is his lateral quickness. He can win inside across the blocker’s face, and that quickness is very real. However, his pass rush plan is still raw. It’s mostly long arm/speed to power and inside counters. Despite reportedly running sub-4.5 (around 4.48), I didn’t see him attempt pure speed rushes to flatten and turn the corner. He prefers contact and seems naturally inclined toward converting through power rather than winning with bend.

Run Defense: This phase looked elite. I saw him play as both a stacked linebacker and as an edge setter on the line of scrimmage. As a stack backer, he was disciplined and instinctive. He scraped cleanly in the box, maneuvered well through traffic, and showed excellent sideline-to-sideline range. He had three sideline tackles — two on run plays and one in the flat in coverage — and the range really pops. When taking on pulling guards, he punches with violence. I counted roughly three reps against pullers. On at least one, he stacked and shed cleanly. On another, he delivered a strong punch and held his ground even though he didn’t disengage — Caleb Downs came downhill and cleaned it up. The key is he was not displaced. As an edge setter, he was outstanding. I saw him set the edge 7–8 times — several against tackles and a couple against TEs — and he never lost it. He can stack, peek, and shed. There was one rep against JC Davis where he set the edge properly but missed the tackle on QB Luke Altmyer on a QB keeper after disengaging. Sonny Styles cleaned it up for no gain. Even when he doesn’t finish, the structural work is correct.

Coverage: He was solid here too. He gave up two receptions. One came on a spot route when he was in hook zone and the receiver wrapped around him. The other was tight coverage on a tight end — no real separation, good leverage by the offense, and the ball was on the money. Reese was punching at the catch point. He had 3–4 good man reps against tight ends and running backs. He looked fluid and fast. He’ll punch receivers if they cross his face — again, he naturally likes contact. In Cover 2 looks, he handled his assignments cleanly. In one Cover 3 rep as a hook defender, he showed good awareness by gaining depth to protect against a potential dig route. Nothing flashy in coverage, but strong, assignment-sound tape.

Overall: This was excellent film from Reese. I’ve heard he had less impressive games later in the season, but this one was high-level. He looked elite against the run and good in both coverage and as a pass rusher, with room to grow in the rush plan. If Washington were to run something in the Brian Flores mold — similar to what the Vikings do — Reese would be outstanding in an Andrew Van Ginkel-type role. You can:

• Play him stacked and let him fit gaps
• Walk him up and let him set edges
• Drop him in man on TEs and RBs
• Use him as a speed-to-power rusher with space

He would need to expand the pass rush bag, but speed to power is a legitimate foundation for him. In my opinion, he would be an excellent pick at 7.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a shorter YouTube cut of this film. Daft on Draft didn’t start making condensed versions for YouTube until November, and this game was from October. That’s the case with several players Washington has been linked to at 7 — Kendrick Faulk and Mekai Lemon included — which means no corresponding video for them.

 

[DWinzit]

One thing about Bain that gives me pause for the Commanders drafting him at 7, it's AP and what he says he likes in a DE/Edge. He likes taller, long armed players and is why the only ones I can recall him making serious attempts or looks at were Hendrickson, Bosa and Garrett. They are around 6' 4"-6'5" and about 265-270 which has been AP's profile. I know, we are possibly going to be in more of 3-4 or other alignments but something to think about

Sticking with AP. The other position that I recall having more in depth conversation about is TE. TE and DE were the two positions he played and has special place in his heart so he tries emphasizing their importance. His favorite all time players are TE's. I see him swinging at a good TE. That said, I am not sure that player is in the draft. There are some intriguing ones that could be there within the 3rd round or later but not a sure thing or does he look to trade down and take Sadiq, seeing him as a potential game changer? I hope that isn't the plan but just thought I'd throw that out. I think he goes after a big name TE in FA.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I get the point that you are trying to make, but I have to add that I won't be losing any sleep over what Ol' Butterface has to say

She is no outlier. The idea that Jayden is the best QB from that 2024 draft is mostly dead. It's more of the outlier take now that he's the best versus the norm post 2024.

Again, not that fan or media perception matters. But like I said from a pure ego standpoint as a bonus, I loved the buzz about how Jayden is the next superstar, it got out of control in a fun way. All the prime time games and buzz was fun.

I used to talk about this on ES, over the years my Disney trips, I don't live that far from it, were telling as to national percpetion about this team. I used to see a ton of Skins jerseys, especially in 2012, then it faded and faded and faded.

You'd see a lot of representation from around the league walking around, but little from Washington. Jayden turned that around some at least in my circle. It was fun.

There is at least a little now of I don't know about Washington or Jayden that didn't exist post 2024, and its not a lot of fun for me.

Look at what the other 2024 rookies QBs have as to supporting casts and or defense and look in comparison to what Jayden has.

Poles in Chicago, took the idea of having Calbe that he'd give him so many weapons that it would almost be impossible to fail. They take a WR top 10. their defense isn't hot so you figure no way they'd do it again with another high first round pick the next year but they do, they take a young TE when they already had Kmet. then they use their early 2nd rounder on Burden. Then they take Washington's Zaccheus and add more depth where even if these dudes get hurt, there is another guy to help.

Peters, some hyperbole on my end to make a point, took the opposite approach. We will prove Jayden is the guy by doing the opposite of the Bears. I'll take guys off the street. I'll use mid round project WRs. I'll take a dude who can never stay healthy and even when he is healthy he's a 30 year old jag and make him our #2 WR -- and playing with nothing including a crap defense, Jayden can overcome it all. He will be better than any these QBs, and playing with nothing brings that home in an even bigger way!!!!

Look now obviously Peters isn't giving Jayden crap top work with to make a point. But its clear as heck the Bears and some of the other teams are making code red to help make their QB successful and Peters has not. And it clearly blew up in his face. The team defending for example Jayden against the Kurt Warner criticism by telling Keim and Sheehan that year maybe Jayden has developed some bad habits but that's purely a product of the bad receivers is a bad look IMO for the team.

I do think Peters gets it now. He's have to be a moron to miss the point. He was celebrated as the greatest GM in 2024 in part because of how well Jayden peformed. But now plenty don't even think he took the best QB let alone helped Jayden the way some other teams have done for their young QBs.

But for me, no way I'd want them to double down on their 2025 approach. Guys like Carnell Tate or name that WR in the draft or Fa absolutely need to be on the table.

Peters did more bad than good for the 2025 WR corp let alone strengthened it. And I'd argue their 2025 Wr corp was the worst in the NFL. And at the moment factoring injuries and Fa -- the pathetic 2025 receiving corp including TE is even weaker. So for me upgrading the worst receiving corp in the NFL to me is as almost as code red as improving the pass rush.

And I got no interest is seeing what mid round WR and or FA off the street Peters can try to turn into gold. It feels like the Zaccheus signing set Peters back in 2025 because he felt like he can turn any dude into a weapon on the cheap for Jayden. He got Zaccheus right, but then got everything wrong in 2025 when he tried to play that same card. Enough IMO is enough. Swing for the fences for Jayden. Treat him at least a little like the Bears treat Caleb.

When you got Jayden's mom, Jayden's BFF on social media liking posts mocking their weapons, I would hazard a guess that at a minimuim Jayden might be wondering if he is the unluckiest of the drafted QBs from 2024 as to where he ended up. That has to change. Caleb seemed to in year 1 wonder if he went to the right team but now am sure he's grinning ear to ear that he's in Chicago and not in Washington.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I watched Arvell Reese against Illinois and he was fantastic. He is incredibly violent. During the game Cory said that Reese and Leo Chenal from the 2022 class are the most violent linebackers he has scouted, and after watching this tape, that doesn’t feel like hyperbole.

Pass Rush: As a pass rusher, Reese is fairly reliant on the long arm — speed to power is clearly his foundation. I saw him use it against Illinois LT JC Davis (who is probably a Day 3 pick), RT Melvin Priestley, and TE Tanner Arkin. He drove Arkin back and pushed the pocket multiple times. He never really walked Davis straight back, but he did put Priestley on roller skates on one rep, which is impressive for a 245-pound linebacker. That said, he needs a runway. There was a rep where he crossed the guard’s face and then tried to convert to power on the center, but because most of his momentum was lateral, he didn’t have enough buildup and got stonewalled. From a wide 7 or 9 technique, the speed-to-power works well. From a tighter 5 technique alignment, there may not be enough runway for him to build speed and convert effectively. That is a bit different than a guy like Jared Verses who is maybe 15 pounds heavier and can convert speed to power from any technique. He also had a rep against RB Feagin (a big 230-pound back) where he got a full head of steam and went through him easily. He recorded a sack that was schemed up — he came free unblocked — so that one was more design than individual win. The other notable aspect of his pass rush is his lateral quickness. He can win inside across the blocker’s face, and that quickness is very real. However, his pass rush plan is still raw. It’s mostly long arm/speed to power and inside counters. Despite reportedly running sub-4.5 (around 4.48), I didn’t see him attempt pure speed rushes to flatten and turn the corner. He prefers contact and seems naturally inclined toward converting through power rather than winning with bend.

Run Defense: This phase looked elite. I saw him play as both a stacked linebacker and as an edge setter on the line of scrimmage. As a stack backer, he was disciplined and instinctive. He scraped cleanly in the box, maneuvered well through traffic, and showed excellent sideline-to-sideline range. He had three sideline tackles — two on run plays and one in the flat in coverage — and the range really pops. When taking on pulling guards, he punches with violence. I counted roughly three reps against pullers. On at least one, he stacked and shed cleanly. On another, he delivered a strong punch and held his ground even though he didn’t disengage — Caleb Downs came downhill and cleaned it up. The key is he was not displaced. As an edge setter, he was outstanding. I saw him set the edge 7–8 times — several against tackles and a couple against TEs — and he never lost it. He can stack, peek, and shed. There was one rep against JC Davis where he set the edge properly but missed the tackle on QB Luke Altmyer after disengaging. Sonny Styles cleaned it up for no gain. Even when he doesn’t finish, the structural work is correct.

Coverage: He was solid here too. He gave up two receptions. One came on a spot route when he was in hook zone and the receiver wrapped around him. The other was tight coverage on a tight end — no real separation, good leverage by the offense, and the ball was on the money. Reese was punching at the catch point. He had 3–4 good man reps against tight ends and running backs. He looked fluid and fast. He’ll punch receivers if they cross his face — again, he naturally likes contact. In Cover 2 looks, he handled his assignments cleanly. In one Cover 3 rep as a hook defender, he showed good awareness by gaining depth to protect against a potential dig route. Nothing flashy in coverage, but strong, assignment-sound tape.

Overall: This was excellent film from Reese. I’ve heard he had less impressive games later in the season, but this one was high-level. He looked elite against the run and good in both coverage and as a pass rusher, with room to grow in the rush plan. If Washington were to run something in the Brian Flores mold — similar to what the Vikings do — Reese would be outstanding in an Andrew Van Ginkel-type role. You can:

• Play him stacked and let him fit gaps
• Walk him up and let him set edges
• Drop him in man on TEs and RBs
• Use him as a speed-to-power rusher with space

He would need to expand the pass rush bag, but speed to power is a legitimate foundation for him. In my opinion, he would be an excellent pick at 7.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a shorter YouTube cut of this film. Daft on Draft didn’t start making condensed versions for YouTube until November, and this game was from October. That’s the case with several players Washington has been linked to at 7 — Kendrick Faulk and Mekai Lemon included — which means no corresponding video for them.

I'll get to Reese in more depth. I watched the Indiana game and he was IMO meh in that one but Styles was unbelievable.

 

[philibusters]

One thing about Bain that gives me pause for the Commanders drafting him at 7, it's AP and what he says he likes in a DE/Edge. He likes taller, long armed players and is why the only ones I can recall him making serious attempts or looks at were Hendrickson, Bosa and Garrett. They are around 6' 4"-6'5" and about 265-270 which has been AP's profile. I know, we are possibly going to be in more of 3-4 or other alignments but something to think about

Sticking with AP. The other position that I recall having more in depth conversation about is TE. TE and DE were the two positions he played and has special place in his heart so he tries emphasizing their importance. His favorite all time players are TE's. I see him swinging at a good TE. That said, I am not sure that player is in the draft. There are some intriguing ones that could be there within the 3rd round or later but not a sure thing or does he look to trade down and take Sadiq, seeing him as a potential game changer? I hope that isn't the plan but just thought I'd throw that out. I think he goes after a big name TE in FA.

Myles Garret has 35 inch arms and Bosa is just under 34 inches. However, Trey Hendrickson is one the guys along with Micah Parson, Hassan Reddick, and Aidan Hutchison who I always cite as being good pass rushers despite having short arms. Hendrickson was at 32 inches even, Parsons at 31.5 inches, Reddick 32.5 inches, and Hutchison 32 and 1/8th.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I wish Bain had 32 inch arms, I can deal with that. But supposedly just over 30. And also supposedly small hands, too.

If Bain was at 32 no one would be saying he'd be the first ever with arms like that to be a stud in the NFL. Parsons at 31.5 is a speed rusher, I could see a speed rusher overcoming it. Plus Parsons has massive hands.

Not saying Bain isn't going to be successful. And its cool that PFf in particular doesn't give a rats behind about it and think he will be the first outlier big success in the NFL with those arms. I just don't know myself. I am not negative or positive on Bain -- am agnostic.

 

[philibusters]

I wish Bain had 32 inch arms, I can deal with that. But supposedly just over 30. And also supposedly small hands, too.

If Bain was at 32 no one would be saying he'd be the first ever with arms like that to be a stud in the NFL. Parsons at 31.5 is a speed rusher, I could see a speed rusher overcoming it. Plus Parsons has massive hands.

Not saying Bain isn't going to be successful. And its cool that PFf in particular doesn't give a rats behind about it and think he will be the first outlier big success in the NFL with those arms. I just don't know myself. I am not negative or positive on Bain -- am agnostic.

The verified measurements from Blesto over the summer was 30.75. So that is based off a real measurement. We'll see what he gets at the combine. You can get a half inch difference between measurements as people don't always measure from the exact same spot. So realistically anything from like 30.25 to 31.25 is realistically in play. Generally the combine measurements tend to be a tad shorter, so maybe 30.5 seems like the most likey option as they are more strict on things like arm posture, however a player could lose weight for the combine in a way that moves back the measure like .25 inches or something like that so it can go the other way.

 

[DWinzit]

Myles Garret has 35 inch arms and Bosa is just under 34 inches. However, Trey Hendrickson is one the guys along with Micah Parson, Hassan Reddick, and Aidan Hutchison who I always cite as being good pass rushers despite having short arms. Hendrickson was at 32 inches even, Parsons at 31.5 inches, Reddick 32.5 inches, and Hutchison 32 and 1/8th.

I did not realize Hendricksons arms were only 32 inches. Bains official arm measurements will be one the most watched numbers prior to the draft.

Great write ups on the players. I did not realize Reese was that violent, loved reading that. He has had a great career and has lots of good games. I do have concern over how it appeared to me he semi disappeared during his final games. At the same time that occurred Styles stole his spotlight and I'm sure a part of the reason he is sliding up boards.

 

[Anselmheifer]

I'll get to Reese in more depth. I watched the Indiana game and he was IMO meh in that one but Styles was unbelievable.

I’ve been wondering in earnest, which player would be better for us. Reese is so explosive, sideline to sideline, and in the box. But Styles looks like an elite, new age LB, with his chops in coverage and his length.

I honestly might prefer Styles for us, and I wonder how both are going to be viewed at the end of the process.

But, regarding Styles, wouldn’t it be nice to finally have a LB that can cover a TE, and snuff out all of the outside zone stuff that has killed us for years?

 

[KDawg]

I wish Bain had 32 inch arms, I can deal with that. But supposedly just over 30. And also supposedly small hands, too.

If Bain was at 32 no one would be saying he'd be the first ever with arms like that to be a stud in the NFL. Parsons at 31.5 is a speed rusher, I could see a speed rusher overcoming it. Plus Parsons has massive hands.

Not saying Bain isn't going to be successful. And its cool that PFf in particular doesn't give a rats behind about it and think he will be the first outlier big success in the NFL with those arms. I just don't know myself. I am not negative or positive on Bain -- am agnostic.

Curious… why do you think Bain is a power rusher? He certainly has that trait, but most of his pass rush efficiency is using his hands to win and the poa and his burst/bend around the edge. He uses a pretty large cupboard of ingredients, but is not reliant on long arm techniques.

He is powerful and can shock OL, but he is extremely explosive off the LoS and gains leverage pretty quickly. From that point he is in close proximity to the OL and wins with short range hand fighting.

I did not realize Hendricksons arms were only 32 inches. Bains official arm measurements will be one the most watched numbers prior to the draft.

Great write ups on the players. I did not realize Reese was that violent, loved reading that. He has had a great career and has lots of good games. I do have concern over how it appeared to me he semi disappeared during his final games. At the same time that occurred Styles stole his spotlight and I'm sure a part of the reason he is sliding up boards.

I’ll be surprised if Bain allows himself to be measured at the combine unless his arms are much longer than 31”. If they are close to that he likely won’t do it.

 

[philibusters]

I agree with SkinsinParadise that Bain is a power rusher, but “power rusher” can mean different things depending on how narrowly you define it. When most people hear power rush, they immediately think bull rush — a straight-line drive through the chest of the tackle. That’s not really Bain’s game, and given his shorter arms, it probably never will be. He’s not built to consistently win by locking out and walking tackles straight back. But at 272 pounds with roughly 90th percentile get-off (compared to around 44th percentile top speed), he’s elite at converting acceleration into power through the O-Lineman's outside shoulder. His explosiveness off the ball is what allows him to generate force early in the rep. His go-to move is a club-rip, which can absolutely be classified as a speed-to-power move because it relies on violent force and displacement rather than pure edge bend. Because he’s 6'2", compact, explosive, and has tremendous core strength, you’ll see him execute forklift-style rushes. He may not always literally lift linemen off the ground, but he raises their center of gravity, gets them off balance, and then works around them. That’s functional power. He wins through leverage, lower-body explosion, and torque. So if you define “power rusher” narrowly as a long-armed bull rusher who drives straight through the chest plate, then no — Bain isn’t that and likely never will be. But if you use a broader definition that includes speed-to-power, leverage-based displacement, and strength-driven rush moves, then he absolutely qualifies as a power rusher.

I do agree with you point that he is is a good hand fighter and can use lateral quickness on inside counters. But I feel that is all set up from a foundation of speed to power. The O-Lineman has to respect the speed to power and other stuff he does takes advantage of the O-Lineman's respect for that speed to power.

 

[KDawg]

I agree with SkinsinParadise that Bain is a power rusher, but “power rusher” can mean different things depending on how narrowly you define it. When most people hear power rush, they immediately think bull rush — a straight-line drive through the chest of the tackle. That’s not really Bain’s game, and given his shorter arms, it probably never will be. He’s not built to consistently win by locking out and walking tackles straight back. But at 272 pounds with roughly 90th percentile get-off (compared to around 44th percentile top speed), he’s elite at converting acceleration into power through the O-Lineman's outside shoulder. His explosiveness off the ball is what allows him to generate force early in the rep. His go-to move is a club-rip, which can absolutely be classified as a speed-to-power move because it relies on violent force and displacement rather than pure edge bend. Because he’s 6'2", compact, explosive, and has tremendous core strength, you’ll see him execute forklift-style rushes. He may not always literally lift linemen off the ground, but he raises their center of gravity, gets them off balance, and then works around them. That’s functional power. He wins through leverage, lower-body explosion, and torque. So if you define “power rusher” narrowly as a long-armed bull rusher who drives straight through the chest plate, then no — Bain isn’t that and likely never will be. But if you use a broader definition that includes speed-to-power, leverage-based displacement, and strength-driven rush moves, then he absolutely qualifies as a power rusher.

I do agree with you point that he is is a good hand fighter and can use lateral quickness on inside counters. But I feel that is all set up from a foundation of speed to power. The O-Lineman has to respect the speed to power and other stuff he does takes advantage of the O-Lineman's respect for that speed to power.

My opinion on this topic is that by definition when using terms "Speed to Power" you are no longer operating on the premise that he is a power rusher, but a speed to power rusher. Which is where I'd classify him.

He uses his speed to get into position to use his power.

He doesn't use his power to get into position.

He doesn't use speed to win.

He uses speed to power.

To me, that is an entirely different classification.

 

[skinsinparadise]

It doesn't really matter to me. My point wasnt about classifying what a speed rusher is versus power rusher. If there is a nuance to the classification and I am off on it, its cool, but its irrelevant to my point.

I don't see Bain as a wide-9 type of speed rusher who is going to win mostly on speed and quickness with his legs.

Bains' superpower IMO are his hands, among other things are his cross chop which is a good move especially against long-armed tackles, can that translate to the NFL with supposedly 9 inch hands and 30 inch or so arms? If that ends up his true measurements. I don't know.

I am not alone on this both McShay and Brugler said talking scouts Bain is polarizing with some real uncertainty about him.

Just purely watching him, I think he's a really good player and have made the case as to why. But I am not sure that I have that much confidence to pick an outlier and say he will be the first. I am not saying he won't be or will be, I just don't know. I am not negative on Bain but I have concerns that I don't think I can figure out.