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

Riggo44 said:
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but Howell and Bain play different positions. I've seen Howell more as a rush-backer, who also drops into coverage, where Bain is strictly DL, probably DE at 6'2, 263#. I think Howell can get away with shorter arms? I don't think it's as historically detrimental to a LB as it is a DE?

I just realized I outweigh Bain by 20 lbs. That just makes me feel fat...
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Howell is intriguing in a trade down, think he is scheme versatile
 
Riggo44 said:
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but Howell and Bain play different positions. I've seen Howell more as a rush-backer, who also drops into coverage, where Bain is strictly DL, probably DE at 6'2, 263#. I think Howell can get away with shorter arms? I don't think it's as historically detrimental to a LB as it is a DE?

I just realized I outweigh Bain by 20 lbs. That just makes me feel fat...
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They are considering Howell as an edge for the most part. He’s probably more of a rush OLB in a 3-4 type defense, but he has to live on the edge still.
 
KDawg said:
Downs is a bit smaller than anyone wants but an absolute baller. At some point, the football players has to matter.
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Sure...but for a Top 10 pick you want more boxes checked at safety, linebacker, etc for non-premium positions. You want less risk especially in a draft that's strong for Downs position.

He's good at football, he helps make others good at football, but while he is a good football player he kind of doesn't make huge football plays.

Just going back a bunch of 1st round safeties that had hype, and matched it.

  • Kyle Hamilton vs Downs
    • 5 inches taller
    • 15 pounds heavier
    • 6 inch longer wingspans
    • 3 inch longer arms
  • Derwin James vs Downs
    • 2 inches taller
    • 10 pounds heavier
    • 3 inch longer arms
    • 5 inch longer wingspan
  • Sean Taylor
    • 4 inches taller
    • 25 pounds heavier
    • 2 inch longer arms
    • No wingspan measurement
  • Troy Polamalu
    • 1 inch shorter
    • 0.5 inch longer arms
    • Same weight
    • No wingspan measurement
Troy Polamalu was one of the most athletic safeties ever tested. Everyone else is much bigger. Ed Reed is roughly the same height/weight as Downs, but there are no arm length, wing span, or combine data for him.

We all would love to have Caleb Downs on our team, but the #7 pick for a safety that's not a hyper athlete, is a little small, and doesn't make many football plays? I just keep going back to Caleb Downs being a good safety for a decade...and then that's it. I'm worried his ceiling is just low and he's already kind of maxed out as a player.

I know how much you like Jeremy Chinn, and wish we had not let him walk in free agency. So here's that comparison.
  • 3.5 inches taller
  • 15 pounds heavier
  • 2 inch longer arms
Chinn's athletic testing was also really good.
 
They met with the top 3 and Denzel Boston, Kevin Coleman. They are definitely diving into WR.

 
Always Commander Never Captain said:
Sure...but for a Top 10 pick you want more boxes checked at safety, linebacker, etc for non-premium positions. You want less risk especially in a draft that's strong for Downs position.

He's good at football, he helps make others good at football, but while he is a good football player he kind of doesn't make huge football plays.

Just going back a bunch of 1st round safeties that had hype, and matched it.

  • Kyle Hamilton vs Downs
    • 5 inches taller
    • 15 pounds heavier
    • 6 inch longer wingspans
    • 3 inch longer arms
  • Derwin James vs Downs
    • 2 inches taller
    • 10 pounds heavier
    • 3 inch longer arms
    • 5 inch longer wingspan
  • Sean Taylor
    • 4 inches taller
    • 25 pounds heavier
    • 2 inch longer arms
    • No wingspan measurement
  • Troy Polamalu
    • 1 inch shorter
    • 0.5 inch longer arms
    • Same weight
    • No wingspan measurement
Troy Polamalu was one of the most athletic safeties ever tested. Everyone else is much bigger. Ed Reed is roughly the same height/weight as Downs, but there are no arm length, wing span, or combine data for him.

We all would love to have Caleb Downs on our team, but the #7 pick for a safety that's not a hyper athlete, is a little small, and doesn't make many football plays? I just keep going back to Caleb Downs being a good safety for a decade...and then that's it. I'm worried his ceiling is just low and he's already kind of maxed out as a player.

I know how much you like Jeremy Chinn, and wish we had not let him walk in free agency. So here's that comparison.
  • 3.5 inches taller
  • 15 pounds heavier
  • 2 inch longer arms
Chinn's athletic testing was also really good.
Click to expand...
You don’t need to sell me. I like Downs but he is the guy I want least of the guys I think were in on, so I am somewhat in agreement - but more so based on his play than his measurement. Smart, heady, solid tackler, student of the game. But as you said, not a huge playmaker. He’s Kam Curl but high end, near elite and higher football IQ.
 
skinsinparadise said:
While I am not as high on Tyson as some, I still like him if he's a trade down pick.



Lemon ditto, with a Jayden shoutout

Click to expand...

The Tyson quote may be my most favorite post in this whole thread. Not just because I like him but because it shows me that the organization is being ran in top tier form and people are taking notice.

Then you have Jayden who has some kind of special glow about him to where everyone wants to play with him or work with him. Even Jones said that Daniels being here was a major factor in his decision.

Man the organization and Jayden need to get back to year one. We have to much motion and promise going to squander it. Jayden is the IT player that the younger guys were looking up to which carried over to the vibe of the team.

Everyone wanted to watch us. This is one of the biggest off-seasons in Franchise history. We can't blow these decisions. We are still relevant but it will sway heavily one way during this season.
 
Always Commander Never Captain said:
Sure...but for a Top 10 pick you want more boxes checked at safety, linebacker, etc for non-premium positions. You want less risk especially in a draft that's strong for Downs position.

He's good at football, he helps make others good at football, but while he is a good football player he kind of doesn't make huge football plays.

Just going back a bunch of 1st round safeties that had hype, and matched it.

  • Kyle Hamilton vs Downs
    • 5 inches taller
    • 15 pounds heavier
    • 6 inch longer wingspans
    • 3 inch longer arms
  • Derwin James vs Downs
    • 2 inches taller
    • 10 pounds heavier
    • 3 inch longer arms
    • 5 inch longer wingspan
  • Sean Taylor
    • 4 inches taller
    • 25 pounds heavier
    • 2 inch longer arms
    • No wingspan measurement
  • Troy Polamalu
    • 1 inch shorter
    • 0.5 inch longer arms
    • Same weight
    • No wingspan measurement
Troy Polamalu was one of the most athletic safeties ever tested. Everyone else is much bigger. Ed Reed is roughly the same height/weight as Downs, but there are no arm length, wing span, or combine data for him.

We all would love to have Caleb Downs on our team, but the #7 pick for a safety that's not a hyper athlete, is a little small, and doesn't make many football plays? I just keep going back to Caleb Downs being a good safety for a decade...and then that's it. I'm worried his ceiling is just low and he's already kind of maxed out as a player.

I know how much you like Jeremy Chinn, and wish we had not let him walk in free agency. So here's that comparison.
  • 3.5 inches taller
  • 15 pounds heavier
  • 2 inch longer arms
Chinn's athletic testing was also really good.
Click to expand...

Coming from a dude who touted Derwin James and Hamilton to death and Jeremy Chinn was one of my guys before that draft.

Down's is simply a different type of safety. Elite as to being a read and react player, always around the ball. He's a QB on the field.

Sean Taylor for example was a freakish talent. But he was arguably at his best when he had Ryan Clark directing him. Caleb is the dude doing the directing who not only understands his defense but has dissected the opponent's offense in a big way.
 
Last edited:
Something to think about for how weird the 2026 draft class is...there might be 3 safeties drafted in the 1st round. This is after the league as a whole has really shied away from drafting safeties in the 1st round.

Safeties drafted in the 1st round:
  • 2020 - 0
  • 2021 - 0
  • 2022 - 2 Kyle Hamilton (super sized prospect) and Lewis Cine (tall, lanky, elite athlete)
  • 2023 - 0
  • 2024 - 0
  • 2025 - 1 Malaki Starks (roughly average sized with average athletic testing)
 
Downs is still my top pick, he's the best player in the draft and the measurements are no surprise, so nothing new IMO.

The edge players all have flaws and it is a deep position, so no need to reach and potentially bypass a better player in Downs.
 
skinsinparadise said:
Coming from a dude who touted Derwin James and Hamilton to death and Jeremy Chinn was one of my guys before that draft.

Down's is simply a different type of safety. Elite as to being a read and react player, always around the ball. He's a QB on the field.

Sean Taylor for example was a freakish talent. But he was arguably when he had Ryan Clark directing him. Caleb is the dude doing the directing who not only understands his defense but has dissected the opponent's offense in a big way.
Click to expand...

That's my worry. What if that different type of safety doesn't translate as well to the NFL. What if he can't quite bring that College level of around the ball to the NFL. Size and Athletic testing are just two ways that can help us figure out if guys can make the jump to the NFL. He reads and reacts well, so that's a big plus. But he's going to go up against bigger, longer, faster guys that also have more experience and savvy. It's just going to be more difficult.

Here's another comparison. Harrison Smith (Daronte Jones has lots of experience with him)
  • 2.5 inches taller
  • 10 pounds heavier
  • 2.5 inch longer arms
Harrison Smith's athletic testing was roughly average, except for a monster 3 cone time of 6.63s

I just feel like everyone should hesitate a little on Downs in the Top 10, especially with a loaded safety draft.
 
IMG_8547.jpeg
 
Always Commander Never Captain said:
That's my worry. What if that different type of safety doesn't translate as well to the NFL. What if he can't quite bring that College level of around the ball to the NFL. Size and Athletic testing are just two ways that can help us figure out if guys can make the jump to the NFL. He reads and reacts well, so that's a big plus. But he's going to go up against bigger, longer, faster guys that also have more experience and savvy. It's just going to be more difficult.

Here's another comparison. Harrison Smith (Daronte Jones has lots of experience with him)
  • 2.5 inches taller
  • 10 pounds heavier
  • 2.5 inch longer arms
Harrison Smith's athletic testing was roughly average, except for a monster 3 cone time of 6.63s

I just feel like everyone should hesitate a little on Downs in the Top 10, especially with a loaded safety draft.
Click to expand...

I've been burned at safety or LB more by betting on the big time athletes in cases where I was uncertain about their instincts -- versus the top end instinctive read and react players.

So when I started watching Downs, I was wowed immediately by how he seemed to always be around the action. That trait isn't that easy to find.

The read and react types who study and lead like an Ed Reed type -- I'd take over the physical freak everything being equal.

Especially for this team, for how many years, do we have these narratives about the secondary being "confused". I am sick of it.
 
skinsinparadise said:
I've been burned at safety or LB more by betting on the big time athletes in cases where I was uncertain about their instincts -- versus the top end instinctive read and react players.

So when I started watching Downs, I was wowed immediately by how he seemed to always be around the action. That trait isn't that easy to find.

The read and react type who study and lead like an Ed Reed type -- I'd take over the physical freak everything being equal.

Especially for this team, for how many years, do we have these narratives about the secondary being "confused". I am sick of it.
Click to expand...
Yup, intuitive, high football IQ, big studier and most of all very instinctual!
 
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