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

[SkinDeep]

He's not my first choice either, but Downs is a really, really effing good football player at a position group that we desperately need to play better than it did last year. I would still be excited to have him. I've been going back and watching OSU games and he's just a stud. It's true he doesn't get tested much as a deep center fielder. Ohio State played mostly zone so you don't get to see him match up in man. But you see glimpses, the guy knows where to play and there's nobody more physical. I feel like his failure to test has really hurt him in terms of draft fan perspective. Don't let that cloud the fact that the guy can play.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

And then in a year or two we will be talking about an extension. 😎

Well. If history is any indicator, in year 2 the player would no longer be on the team. And we’d be looking for a new GM.

But maybe history is changing…

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Everyone was ecstatic when we drafted Chase Young. Lesson is ‘no one knows’ who the right pick is up front.

Well, there was that one guy…I don’t remember who it was but some poster was just totally opposed to it. It was like Young was his mortal enemy and probably kicked his dog or something.

But you’re right. You don’t know if you’ve hit on a pick for real for several seasons.

Sometimes the answer is earlier, but not often.

 

[RedWolf]

Warming up to Sonny Styles

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Warming up to Sonny Styles

I’d be fine with Styles except we need offensive weapons. We need to upgrade significantly somehow.


If we get Aiyuk and Jenkins and a mid round pick, fine.

If not, then #7 just has to be an offensive skill position player.

 

[Faithful Fan]

I feel like it will be either Styles, Downs, or Love at #7, because those guys are viewed as game-changers at their positions - positions that we still have significant needs in.

Agree with this but could also see Tate. Why not him or whoever the top receiver on your board is? I don’t like it because it feels like drafting for need instead of picking the best player, but it must be a possibility.

I would be happy with any of these outcomes, really, but I would rank them:

1. Love because he reminds me of Marshall Faulk. I’m trying not to get my hopes up though because I think he’ll be gone.
2. Styles because he’s a stud and Wagner’s departure leaves a hole in the middle of the defense.
3. Tate or whoever the best wideout is because we need a wideout.
4. Downs because we haven’t had a great safety in forever. I would have him higher over the wideouts except I think not working out at the combine is a red flag.

At least one or two of those guys should be there at #7, but some of them will be gone.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Agree with this but could also see Tate. Why not him or whoever the top receiver on your board is? I don’t like it because it feels like drafting for need instead of picking the best player, but it must be a possibility.

I would be happy with any of these outcomes, really, but I would rank them:

1. Love because he reminds me of Marshall Faulk. I’m trying not to get my hopes up though because I think he’ll be gone.
2. Styles because he’s a stud and Wagner’s departure leaves a hole in the middle of the defense.
3. Tate or whoever the best wideout is because we need a wideout.
4. Downs because we haven’t had a great safety in forever. I would have him higher over the wideouts except I think not working out at the combine is a red flag.

At least one or two of those guys should be there at #7, but some of them will be gone.

I could see a world wheee 3 of them are there. If QB, OT and 2 of the DE/Edge players are taken.

That would be 5 picks. The 6th is probably one of the players above in any scenario, so 3 could be there.

Now, it could also be Browns take Tate and Giants take Styles and Titans take Love.

It’s impossible to tell what’s going to happen. Even Peters said he has no idea what’s going to happen in the top 6.

 

[Boone]

I lean towards Styles because of one comment I heard AP make. 'This kid could be a team captain for a decade' (or words to that effect). That's exactly the kind of player you make it a priority to draft for a young rebuilding team because he's not just an elite 'talent', that player becomes a 'cornerstone' of your team.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

Gotta say, position premium on a safety that is just OK at Deep Half zones and a little poor at Deep Middle is really low. Like just from position premium we're talking below that of LB and even below RB.

Styles is a clear value increase over Downs.

 

[philibusters]

Gotta say, position premium on a safety that is just OK at Deep Half zones and a little poor at Deep Middle is really low. Like just from position premium we're talking below that of LB and even below RB.

Styles is a clear value increase over Downs.

I do agree with that. Though I love the player so I would still be okay with taking Downs at 7. But low position premium and a deep safety class do make me think that is not the ideal option. Would love to get Downs in a trade down to 11, 12, or 13. To me that would be a win--taking him at 7 isn't terrible but its like a baseball player going 1-4 with a single.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I lean towards Styles because of one comment I heard AP make. 'This kid could be a team captain for a decade' (or words to that effect). That's exactly the kind of player you make it a priority to draft for a young rebuilding team because he's not just an elite 'talent', that player becomes a 'cornerstone' of your team.

I was having this conversation last night with my Uncle, and I made a very similar point.

At a MINIMUM, the starting point of taking a player at 7, the conversation should start with: "Does this player have the ability (physical, mental, injury.. etc) to be a legit, TOP OF THE DEPTH CHART starting player for 2 contracts." That means WR1, LB1, CB1... etc. I understand the conversation about Tate and the need for another WR, but I think the conversation has to come back to whether or not we think he can be a no. 1 WR going forward. If we're drafting him to be a long term no. 2 WR, we're going to find ourselves right back into the conversation of needing a premium WR again over and over. That conversation then needs to be contrasted against the other options we have. Style, can he be LB1 for 2 contracts. Peters seems to think so. Love, can he be RB1 for the next 10 years. Belief is yes. Downs, Reese.. yes. Very quickly we could find with this draft, that conversation changes FAST. There may not be as many guys who you can answer 'yes' to that question, so passing on one could seriously be a missed opportunity.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I was having this conversation last night with my Uncle, and I made a very similar point.

At a MINIMUM, the starting point of taking a player at 7, the conversation should start with: "Does this player have the ability (physical, mental, injury.. etc) to be a legit, TOP OF THE DEPTH CHART starting player for 2 contracts." That means WR1, LB1, CB1... etc. I understand the conversation about Tate and the need for another WR, but I think the conversation has to come back to whether or not we think he can be a no. 1 WR going forward. If we're drafting him to be a long term no. 2 WR, we're going to find ourselves right back into the conversation of needing a premium WR again over and over. That conversation then needs to be contrasted against the other options we have. Style, can he be LB1 for 2 contracts. Peters seems to think so. Love, can he be RB1 for the next 10 years. Belief is yes. Downs, Reese.. yes. Very quickly we could find with this draft, that conversation changes FAST. There may not be as many guys who you can answer 'yes' to that question, so passing on one could seriously be a missed opportunity.

My thoughts as well. Love and Downs IMO will be a top 5 player at their position starting in year 1. I'm not sure I feel the same about the other players we are discussing. Certainly not Tate or Delane.

 

[ES1974]

I understand the conversation about Tate and the need for another WR, but I think the conversation has to come back to whether or not we think he can be a no. 1 WR going forward. If we're drafting him to be a long term no. 2 WR, we're going to find ourselves right back into the conversation of needing a premium WR again over and over.

Agree, he has to be viewed as WR1 material, someone who can fill that place after the 2026 season probably. That would have to be the remit to justify that #7 pick in my opinion.

 

[HTTR]

Tate is the consensus #1 receiver in the draft. Of course he has WR1 upside. Plenty of number ones in the league who were drafted lower and came in with less hype.

In fact all of these top 10 players we are discussing have number one upside at their position, but none of them are on lock.

Exception is Love he is a star for sure!

 

[Dlts20]

I lean towards Styles because of one comment I heard AP make. 'This kid could be a team captain for a decade' (or words to that effect). That's exactly the kind of player you make it a priority to draft for a young rebuilding team because he's not just an elite 'talent', that player becomes a 'cornerstone' of your team.

Except for the fact that Styles was there 2 years before Downs, had a green dot, yet Downs was the team leader and Captain. Styles is a pretty reserved guy. Downs was the leader of the Bama defense as a true Freshman, transferred to OSU and immediately became their team leader and captain over guys who had been there, including Styles.I think that it's clear to me that Downs is far more natural in that position, in the role.

I also think that people are underestimating the fact that Downs has been the man since a kid. He's always been a blue chip prospect while Styles didn't start early on and even after the season, people had him rated like top 25. Then people moved him up to 13 at the highest but it was really his combine that propelled him way up while Downs is dropping due to things like that and I am just hesitant to rate someone higher, a lot based on combine instead of a guy who has been the man since forever and hss always backed it up.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

I do agree with that. Though I love the player so I would still be okay with taking Downs at 7. But low position premium and a deep safety class do make me think that is not the ideal option. Would love to get Downs in a trade down to 11, 12, or 13. To me that would be a win--taking him at 7 isn't terrible but its like a baseball player going 1-4 with a single.

Semantics here but 1-4 with a single is still bad. That's an OPS of .500, and league average would be .700-.750. Downs is more like a 1-4 single hitter who walks once a game. OPS is .650, slightly below average. You hope the fielding and base running is good enough to make up for it.

That's his theoretical likely floor.

The ceiling is higher but due to being more of a box safety in ideal usage, and not one that can be cover diverse as a box guy (like Kyle Hamilton), then it really lowers the ceiling. The potential impact on the defense is less.

I need to reiterate, Kyle Hamilton isn't the best in all coverages, but he's 5 inches taller than Downs with a wingspan 6.5 inches longer. Hamilton can man up on a TE and shut him down. Downs isn't bad in coverage against TEs, but he can't do what Hamilton does.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

Except for the fact that Styles was there 2 years before Downs, had a green dot, yet Downs was the team leader and Captain. Styles is a pretty reserved guy. Downs was the leader of the Bama defense as a Freshman, transferred to OSU and immediately became their team leader and captain over guys who had been there, including Styles.I think that it's clear to me that Downs is far more natural in that position, in the role of a Ed Reed type leader.

I also think that people are underestimating the fact that Downs has been the man since a kid. He's always been a blue chip prospect while Styles didn't start early on and even after the season, people had him rated like top 25. Then people moved him up to 13 at the highest but it was really his combined that propelled him way up while Downs is dropping due to things like that and I am just hesitant to rate someone higher, a lot based on combine instead of a guy who has been the man since forever and hss always backed it up.

Wait, Ed Reed wasn't the leader though right? I mean it was Ray Lewis's team.

 

[Dlts20]

Wait, Ed Reed wasn't the leader though right? I mean it was Ray Lewis's team.

Ed Reed was the leader at a star studded U team. Ray was the guy in More but Reed was right there along with him if you watched at the time. If he had been literally on any other team, he would have been the leader but Ray was the leader of league.

I also feel like Ray was more rah rah and motivational while Reed had more substance to what he was saying. It was more about football stuff while Ray was more about you as a person. Reed was the Xs and Os guy

 

[method man]

Given how much AP had prioritized RAS, I just don’t see Downs being the choice. AP wants a freak if he can get one as the freakish athleticism points to a “one of the greatest to play the position” ceiling

 

[method man]

Gotta say, position premium on a safety that is just OK at Deep Half zones and a little poor at Deep Middle is really low. Like just from position premium we're talking below that of LB and even below RB.

Styles is a clear value increase over Downs.

Great insight. It’s why Coby Bryant got more money in FA than Kam Curl despite being an overall inferior player. Coby can play the deep middle well and Kam can’t

In this draft, I think the pool of guys who can play deep middle if needed evaporates after Day 2