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The 2026 Draft Thread - 1st Round - 7th overall
- Thread starter Canadian Hog
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BayouBrave86
The 1st Round Pick
Well we took Terry in the third round, not the 7th overall pick. If Tate were available in the 2nd or 3rd, sure. And that offense spread the ball around a lot more. And there was no WR on McLaurin’s team close to the level of Smith. Also Michigan has been trash the last 2 seasons. I’m not saying Tate is a bad player, I’m just saying he’s done ZERO to warrant the 7th overall pick in such a weak skill player draft.
method man
The Starter
I would consider Tate at #7 but I will say I can’t remember when a WR without a 1K season was taken top 10. Guessing it’s been a while
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Carnell Tate is so hard to get a read on. I really want to see how he tests and how clean he can quick cut underneath.
He made a living beating up on lesser talent, but he had some catches that were unreal. The catch in the end zone against Wisconsin between two DBs was one of the best plays I’ve seen.
He is a downfield merchant, though. And a lot of it was wide open.
But he had enough traffic catches that make you see it’s not a fluke.
He is not a typical top ten receiver. He is elevated from a weak upper level class. I absolutely see the argument for best in class.
I’m not sure he’s a pick 7 guy normally. In other classes a top 7 receiver is high end. Tate is missing some production and the well rounded route tree production.
I honestly don’t know with him at this point. I know that I’m not all that high on Tyson.
Lemon definitely creates more offense in the open field vs. running over the top. I’m not sure he’s a top 10 guy in the better classes either, but I think he might be the best overall in this class. Both are good receivers.
But top 10? I’m not sure. Not sure they aren’t yet, either. But pick 7 is iffy for them.
I really don’t see much offensively I’d like at 7 aside from Love.
He made a living beating up on lesser talent, but he had some catches that were unreal. The catch in the end zone against Wisconsin between two DBs was one of the best plays I’ve seen.
He is a downfield merchant, though. And a lot of it was wide open.
But he had enough traffic catches that make you see it’s not a fluke.
He is not a typical top ten receiver. He is elevated from a weak upper level class. I absolutely see the argument for best in class.
I’m not sure he’s a pick 7 guy normally. In other classes a top 7 receiver is high end. Tate is missing some production and the well rounded route tree production.
I honestly don’t know with him at this point. I know that I’m not all that high on Tyson.
Lemon definitely creates more offense in the open field vs. running over the top. I’m not sure he’s a top 10 guy in the better classes either, but I think he might be the best overall in this class. Both are good receivers.
But top 10? I’m not sure. Not sure they aren’t yet, either. But pick 7 is iffy for them.
I really don’t see much offensively I’d like at 7 aside from Love.
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RE: Tyson : I think he has the highest ceiling in the class. He is explosive and makes ridiculous plays. I get a little concerned with his hands and injuries. If he were a little cleaner in drops and health he’d be a top 10 guy all day long. May be based on potential, too.
Odd receiver group.
Odd receiver group.
method man
The Starter
You’re right. Neither guy feels like he holds a candle to Odunze who was #9 a couple years ago as prospects.
Was Thomas a better prospect than Tate now? Was Egbuka a better prospect than Lemon? Both those guys went in the 20s
This draft just lacks true top 10 caliber prospects across the board except for the 3 EDGEs and the non premium position guys.
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I think Mauignoa and Fano are borderline top 10s in some classes. Bain, Reese, Bailey (despite reservations he is a top 10 guy based on traits and potential). Mendoza. Delane.
And then as you said the non premiums: Styles, Downs, Love.
philibusters
The 1st Round Pick
I watched Brennan Thompson against Ole Miss. His acceleration and top speed are elite. He is very dynamic vertically and can generate separation even when given a cushion. Once he gets even with defensive backs, he does a good job stacking them and showed strong ball-tracking ability on multiple deep balls.
As a route runner, he’s meh. He will use head fakes and a rocker step to sell routes, which is encouraging, but his hip sink is average at best. To be fair, he doesn’t run a route tree that demands a ton of sharp 90-degree breaks. It’s mostly gos, comebacks, curls, posts, slants, and the occasional deep out. Those routes don’t require elite hip sink the way true in-breakers and outbreakers do. But on the few sharper cuts he did attempt — like a deeper out-breaker — he didn’t sink well. His routes can be rounded and lack crispnesss. His change-of-direction speed is good on routes like posts where he doesn’t have to really drop his hips. However, his deceleration is nowhere near as good as his acceleration. He’s a little tight in the hips, and on curls and comebacks the deceleration isn’t crisp. He’ll sometimes take an extra step coming down, and his base can widen. The route tree is fairly limited: gos, comebacks, curls, posts, slants, and an occasional deeper breaker. That limits what you can fully evaluate in terms of nuanced route running.
At the catch point, he’s not great. He went 0-for-2 on deep contested catches, with contact breaking up both passes. One was a deep slot fade where the safety made a good play. Thompson had stacked him and maintained leverage while tracking the ball, but he flashed his hands early and the safety played through them (the ball was also slightly underthrown). He also dropped a deep post where his own teammate collided with him. After the catch, his speed makes him dangerous. Early in the game he caught one, made a defender miss, and nearly made a second miss. In the middle of the field after a catch, he tends to take rounded angles to try to run around defenders rather than getting vertical immediately. That can work at his speed, but it didn’t really in this game. He may be better served getting upfield quickly and attacking leverage rather than trying to outrun everyone laterally.
He had one snap as a blocker early where he nailed someone, but at his size I doubt that will be a consistent strength.
Overall, the athleticism is very real — elite acceleration and vertical speed. But the route tree is limited, the deceleration isn’t clean, and the contested-catch ability isn’t strong. He’s a vertical stress player first and foremost. I think he would be solid value at pick 71, but understand he is not a long term replacement for Terry McLaurin. He is a potential Marvin Mims/Rashid Shaheed vertical guy who rounds out a room and has the potential to be one of the best receivers in the NFL on the vertical plane but likely never a number 1 receiver.
He is the first half or so of the video I watched--it only takes a few snaps to see this guy's speed...
As a route runner, he’s meh. He will use head fakes and a rocker step to sell routes, which is encouraging, but his hip sink is average at best. To be fair, he doesn’t run a route tree that demands a ton of sharp 90-degree breaks. It’s mostly gos, comebacks, curls, posts, slants, and the occasional deep out. Those routes don’t require elite hip sink the way true in-breakers and outbreakers do. But on the few sharper cuts he did attempt — like a deeper out-breaker — he didn’t sink well. His routes can be rounded and lack crispnesss. His change-of-direction speed is good on routes like posts where he doesn’t have to really drop his hips. However, his deceleration is nowhere near as good as his acceleration. He’s a little tight in the hips, and on curls and comebacks the deceleration isn’t crisp. He’ll sometimes take an extra step coming down, and his base can widen. The route tree is fairly limited: gos, comebacks, curls, posts, slants, and an occasional deeper breaker. That limits what you can fully evaluate in terms of nuanced route running.
At the catch point, he’s not great. He went 0-for-2 on deep contested catches, with contact breaking up both passes. One was a deep slot fade where the safety made a good play. Thompson had stacked him and maintained leverage while tracking the ball, but he flashed his hands early and the safety played through them (the ball was also slightly underthrown). He also dropped a deep post where his own teammate collided with him. After the catch, his speed makes him dangerous. Early in the game he caught one, made a defender miss, and nearly made a second miss. In the middle of the field after a catch, he tends to take rounded angles to try to run around defenders rather than getting vertical immediately. That can work at his speed, but it didn’t really in this game. He may be better served getting upfield quickly and attacking leverage rather than trying to outrun everyone laterally.
He had one snap as a blocker early where he nailed someone, but at his size I doubt that will be a consistent strength.
Overall, the athleticism is very real — elite acceleration and vertical speed. But the route tree is limited, the deceleration isn’t clean, and the contested-catch ability isn’t strong. He’s a vertical stress player first and foremost. I think he would be solid value at pick 71, but understand he is not a long term replacement for Terry McLaurin. He is a potential Marvin Mims/Rashid Shaheed vertical guy who rounds out a room and has the potential to be one of the best receivers in the NFL on the vertical plane but likely never a number 1 receiver.
He is the first half or so of the video I watched--it only takes a few snaps to see this guy's speed...
Just watching receivers over the years, ease of seperating deep, tracking a long ball and soft hands standout because its rare. I actually recalling debating you about Alex Pierce back in the day a little. He's not as fast as Pierce but has softer hands and just as good a seperator.
To me he's in that mode of Devote Smith-Devonte Adams, a little more Smith than Adams IMO. That is, he catches ball so cleanly and so effortlessly that it takes some oomph away from the look of the catch. Ditto how well he stems his route and seperates down the field. It's so effortless that you wonder how hard is it?
Devonte Smith sadly now with the Eagles, I know when Hurts flings it up in his direction down the field he will come down with the ball -- not because of his physicality but his ball tracking ability and soft hands.
I've watched so many fast receivers deemed as potential deep threats in the NFL ultimately fail. Why? They didn't have the ball tracking skills and hands. Kirk Cousins talked about this recently on a Sheehan podcast what made Desean Jackson so special wasn't so much his speed but he long back tracking ability was amazing. It's a skill that so many receivers don't have. Tate has it.
Lets take KC Concepcion. So fast and dynamic. I am watching some on these third level throws, and he's so erratic with them. That's not uncommon from my watchings of wide receivers. Tracking the deep ball is an art, and more don't have it than have it from my watchings. And to have that AND soft hands? That's why to me Tate while not elite is in that Olave-Drake London-Devonte Smith category IMHO.
Them you add the run blocking which is good, character and work ethic that is off the charts. His ability to high point the ball. His floor IMO is high.
But like you I do want to see what he runs. Ditto Tyson. Ditto Boston. Ditto Lemon.
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1st level-2nd level fiend. Quick seperator in the flat. Doesn't make plays deep that often, he is not much with the ball in his hands. If that dude could YAC he'd be my favorite but tough for me to fall head over heals for a player who is a good seperator on the first level yet does very little with the ball once he has it.
Nabers can catch it short like Tyson but then that's where the fun begins, he can take a short hitch into a 20 yard play, Tyson rarely does that.
But he is another player IMO with a high floor. The quick seperation coupled with some acrobatic catches makes him intriguing. A little behind Tate for me but not by a mile.
Listening to Keim feels like Tate is more up their alley as for what they are looking for than Tyson. But who knows.
I feel more comfortable landing on Tate versus Tyson partly because Tate reminds me more of traits I've seen of receivers before than translate to the NFL. Not that Tyson's skills don't translate. But the soft hands, ball tracking, deep down the field seperation skills, catch radius comb has rarely failed me.
But it wouldn't surprise me if Tate,Tyson, Boston, Lemon -- any one of them ends up the better WR, they all have traits IMO to be successful. I just trust from my own past evaluations what I see from Tate more. And it feels like I am far from alone on that reading what the draft media has to say about these guys.
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RE: Draft medi:
I haven’t had a year where I was so far off on the consensus on so many guys as I am this year - which I’m not sure is good or bad. But I disagree on a lot of these guys prognosis on these players.
Bain, Bailey (to a point, I see the positives they push despite their hyperbole, and I see the negatives they push RE: Bain).
Tate - not sure I disagree but I think he’s being propped up more because of a weak class. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be a good NFL receiver. He has legit talent.
This might just be one of those polarizing classes.
I heard McShay and Muensch talking about the Raiders potentially trading away pick 1 for Mendoza and I couldn’t have eye rolled harder.
DJ saying Bailey dominated the top OL talent.
Im convinced they are going full hyperbole for clicks.
Riggo44
The Team Captain
Not to get off topic, but you're seeing this more and more--legitimate journalists and reporters are being pushed aside for the screaming jackasses. I used to like Dan Orlovsky, but he's has become more and more ESPN-ized, where he just saying outlandish shit for attention and engagement. I haven't paid attention to McShay or Kiper in years--every time I see them, they're just screaming at each other. I much prefer lower-key reporter types like Jordan (NOT Jason!) Reid, Dane Brugler, those types. I still like WalterFootball closer to the draft for the who-goes-where predictions--they're usually pretty accurate, albeit I don't pay much attention to their scouting reports.
One other thing on Tate. I saw some with the comps to George Pickens. It's not a bad comp. When you watch Pickens in college, it was soft hands, effortless looking catches down the field. Great catch radius, and it looked so easy. But Pickens is not a do everything kill you at all three levels WR. Pickens is a homerun hitter who makes big plays.
That's the same game for Tate.
Is he like a Nabers, Julio Jones or name that freak WR who goes top 5 or deserves to go top 5? Nope but in that 7-12 range he perfectly IMO fits the Drake London, Olave, Devonte Smith category.
That's the same game for Tate.
Is he like a Nabers, Julio Jones or name that freak WR who goes top 5 or deserves to go top 5? Nope but in that 7-12 range he perfectly IMO fits the Drake London, Olave, Devonte Smith category.
McShay to me is the most entertaining draft media guy, he's a fun listen, and i like how he sprinkles in some gossip along wtih his takes.
As to Tate, I don't think he's that complicated. It's similar to LT in this draft. You don't have that elite guy in this draft for WR or LT. Many drafts albiet not all do have those guys, this one does not.
But Washington isn't picking top 5. Seems like Tate is hot in mocks to the Giants at 5. Is that a reach? Maybe a little. But when you get into that 7-12 range, that's a good range for a dude like Tate.
And don't get me wrong, I am not sure he is who I want at 7. It's just I disagree with those who say no way Tate. He's on the table for me.
I want to see the combine for all these guys, also that's when health and character stories start to leak.
BayouBrave86
The 1st Round Pick
Tate isn’t anywhere near Jefferson’s level. Jefferson and Chase both destroyed secondaries that year. Jefferson had twice as many yards and TDs as Tate with over 1500 and 18 tds. Not to mention he single handedly destroyed Oklahoma in the college football playoffs. Him and Chase both went for over 1500 yards that season and then you throw in Terrace Marshall who was an absolute stud in his own right. Putting him in the same conversation as Jefferson is reeeaching. Tate is closer to Malcolm Kelly and Cliff Russell than he is to Jefferson.
I don't think the dude who made that tweet was saying Tate = Jefferson. Jefferson aside from last season is arguably the best Wr in the NFL. The point is trashing a WR, especially one who plays with a stacked college corp, for being the #2 is irrelevant.
If it makes you feel better, lets say Terry. Terry was the #3 guy at Ohio State. People at ES literally said he sucked at the time before the draft.
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BayouBrave86
The 1st Round Pick
Oh I agree on Terry, folks wrote him off before he even played a down. Also don’t mean to come off like a prick for my disdain for taking Tate at 7 either. That’s just my personal opinion which means nothing. I’m nothing but a message board poster at the end of the day and appreciate all the insight on this board from everyone.
I saw that. I like Ledyard generally as to his takes (albiet his podcast and podcast partner IMO is awful, a hard listen) though he took some arrows from Washington fans back in the day when he was trashing the Ryan Anderson pick.
Yep. I remember that being the draft where I really drilled down into how important measurables really are at EDGE (as opposed to a position like WR where the correlation is much, much looser past certain thresholds) because that pick was being destroyed by some. Rightly so.
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