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You clearly haven’t heard Ray Lewis talk ball.
Reed and Lewis matched each other’s energy in every way.
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The 2026 Draft Thread - 1st Round - 7th overall
- Thread starter Canadian Hog
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Reed and Lewis matched each other’s energy in every way.
I don’t see anything compelling enough to convince me that Downs is immediately a top-5 safety in the NFL. I think he can be a great player, yes. Do I think he’s such a special super genius, mentally, that his lack of single high ability and his complete lack of physical freakishness and his lack of ball production can all be totally offset by his brain and ability close to the LOS? No, not necessarily. And no reason to think it could happen immediately as a rookie.
I think because of our franchise history with the safety position and the way we really want another elite one, people are getting a bit ahead of themselves. He feels like a mid-late 1st round player. Much better safety prospects than him have fallen to that area of the draft in stronger classes.
Kalu44
The Rookie
Assuming Bailey is gone:
1. Love
2. Styles
3. Trade back a few spots if possible, if not, then Tate.
1. Love
2. Styles
3. Trade back a few spots if possible, if not, then Tate.
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I dont know. Tate may be the best receiver, but does he have that 'upside' you mention to be in the conversation with Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase, Ceedee Lamb, Smith Njigba... etc? The guys how are unequivocally the top WR on the depth chart?
I have been a fan of Tate, but realistically I dont know that he's got a 'top 15 in the NFL' club in his bag. Could he slot in as a starting WR, yeah, but can he elevate up to that true WR1 status? I dont know.
That's true that's the draft. Some of our takes over the years are brilliant and some are moronic but lol they do feel good in real time before they play out. You just don't know. I think especially for us, we have a handicap and that is we don't know these guys personalities and drive to be the best. And not everyone is built the same way on that front. Also we are rarely watching every game or even most games because the footage isn't available to us.
But on the rare times you get the full footage what a difference it makes.
For example, I just watched my 2nd run of Malachai Fields -- every game. And my overall impression is he's a 3-4 type receiver. Somewhat like a taller Noah Brown. Don't love him, don't hate him. But I'd be borderline shocked if he ends up a stud. I am listening the other day to JP Finlay talk about what a steal it would be if Washington got him in the third round. So for me that feels wild. When you watch the full games of Fields, IMO you don't need a trained eye to see why so many expect him in the third or 4th round.
But if what you do instead is recall some Senior Bowl hype about a couple of nice reps. Then you see a tweet or two about how he's this physical baller, stud. So that adds more hype.
And if you just watch his highlights he's a stud -- big physical WR who makes some acrobatic catches and contested catches. the hype is awesome. We got this 6'4 stud who wrestles the ball away in contested catches and makes deep catches and brings atttiude. Sign me up.
But then you look at the stats and wonder, its not that hot, he doesn't have a good seperation score, his speed his meh, his PFF contested catch score is actually below average, his stats are sort of pedestrain, for a big dude he wasn't much of a red zone guy. But heck don't let that get in the way of the hype. And I actually didn't. But I sat through two rounds via a site called Just the Tape and watched every rep of his. And yeah he looked to me much more the guy with those pedestrian stats than he did his highlight reel and twitter hype.
He wasn't hot at seperating. He reminded me of Tyson as far as contested catches -- that is, some cool highlights but on the aggregate he was average at best. When you throw the ball for example to Tate with bodies on top of him, he ends up with the ball quite a bit -- Fields not so much. Decent blocker but nothing earth shattering -- he's a bit like Tate on that front he gets ahead of his assignment but doesn't push anybody around typically.
He reminds me a lot of Noah Brown in that neither are burners but are decent, not special, but above average at tracking the deep ball. He is ok with comebacks, slants, hitches. Nothing great. But competent. But yeah to me watching him he's a medium floor-low ceiling WR where I can see him having a Noah Brown arc. But what he looked to my eyes is nothing like the twitter hype or even the highlights -- sometimes the highlights tell the story, but often when you watch the full gamut of games it doesn't -- especially if the player is inconsistent.
As some coaches have said almost any pro is going to have some great moments in games in their careers but the good ones do it consistently.
Now having said all of that, its possible my take is wrong. Also its possible that lets say Fields is so driven by excellence that he will continue to work and improve on his game. But my point is for me at least it makes all the difference to be able to see every game, which I can't do for most players, but when I can it makes a big difference. If someone asked me for example, to evaluate Ted Hurst. It's so much more a big projection because just watching general and senior bowl highlights, combine metrics -- it's not enough IMO, its much more of a guessing game.
And scouts have access to all of this stuff and still get it wrong. so the whole ride is fun but still a crap shoot.
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Anselmheifer
The Starter
This is exactly where I am right now. Not that I feel the same about Bailey as you, but Love, Styles, Delane. And Love by a lot.
I’m going to be pissed if Love, Styles, Reese, Bailey, and Tate are gone, and we pass over Delane for Downs. Delane I feel like could really help make this a defense that can still survive when the pressure doesn’t get home.
On a different topic, do any of you guys know what the hit rate is in the 3rd round for WR and IOL?
ES1974
The 1st Round Pick
I’d say that’s where I am at, hopefully the desperation for a WR doesn’t over influence #7
If Bailey is there and the lol after reading of some of the scouts take on these edge rushers, I'd be very surprised if he is. Then for me:
1. Bailey -- by half a peg over
2. Love -- by a full peg over
3. Styles by a quarter peg over
4. Tate -- by half a peg over
5. Downs by a quarter peg over
6. Delane
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I don’t know what the peg thing means, however, with these same guys on the board…
1. Love by a rat tail over
2. Styles by a mouse whisker over
3. Delane by a frog hair over
4. Tate by Dikembe Mutombo’s arm length over
5. Downs by Niagara Falls over
6. Bailey
Dah-Dee
The 1st Round Pick
Aha, you can't trick me, frogs don't have hair, so you're really saying you'd take Tate over Delane, I see what you did!
I look at it in context of this draft. All these guys have flaws. I watched a bit more of all these players this week so my takes continue to evolve some. As for Tate, I am comparing him to the other top 10 players in this draft, not the elite guys at their spots. I think if we held the other players to that elite standard, they wouldn't fare so good either save for Love -- and maybe Bailey albiet some here disagree with that.
A. Reese -- bit a projection, tweener, the pass rush is more about potential than production.
why would I bet on him? Freakish movement skills and if he fails at edge, he's a good LB IMO so he has a floor I like
B. Styles -- not the most physical tackler, doesn't have that sort of stonewall London Fletcher style that stops players in their tracks, ok in coverage but you'd expect more from a former safety
why would I bet on him? You figure this dude is weird for greatness, known for his drive, smarts and is a physical freak. So its more of a bet on potential.
C. Love -- bit of an upright runner, not a lot of zig and zag -- not much east-west to his game, just OK power
why would I bet on him? His hands are special, acceleration-speed special
D. Delane -- short arms, was inconsistent at Virginia Tech though still good. Arguably CB is the most up and down ride in the pros from one season to the next and we aleady have that ride with Delane in college
why would I bet on him? In this group, aside from Love he might have the highest floor.
E. Downs -- average at best ahtlete for the spot, below average size, decent but nothing special as to ball production and he played deep plenty enough to compile some good stats on that front yet he didn't
why would I bet on him? Instincts, read and react skills, work ethic, leadership
F. Bailey -- so so to below average against the run, so not the guy to set the edge, bend is just ok
Why would I bet on him? big time production, very good athlete, good first step, spin move, decent counters
G. Tate -- meh as to YAC, average speed, not the most physical WR
Why would I bet on him? Good route runner, great ball tracking skills, great hands
After digesting some of the scouts takes on these players, right or wrong, their takes tend to be more accurate as far as what unfolds in the draft.
Your fear of Bailey feels safe from the perspective I don't think it will be tested at 7 -- looks like he will be gone somewhere between 2-4
But my fear of Bain, i think will be tested, looks like good shot he's there at 7.
Also reading some of the scout stuff, feels like there is a better shot Styles is there at 7 than Love.
oh I get it, that's why i said in an earlier post that being a legit top of the depth chart player should be the first pre-requisite, and in a draft where the number of players that have that 'tag' on them is not exactly beaming, to pass on one in favor of someone like Tate, who i have concerns that he'll ever be able to be a WR1, would be a missed opportunity. None of the argument I've seen for taking Tate, includes any inclination that he can be a long term WR1. Taking him at 7, passing on someone like Love, (who you can look at and say you're pretty confident can lock down your RB1 position for at least 2 contracts), would mean you still have a question at one position, and have failed to lock down another. It may end up that Tate is the best choice, but I don't want Tate to be it, and leave someone who has that top of the depth chart lock on the board.
UK Skins
The Rookie
SIP you are on fire this year!! I love all our draft analysts (bear in mind over here we have to stay up to the early hours to watch who we pick), and really appreciate the background dives you all do. Hope you recover against PSG otherwise that could be rough.
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I agree. However Styles feels like the quintessential John Harbaugh pick also.
If Styles, Downs and Tate are all there, the one I think is least likely is Downs. Peters tends to look for the more athletic, physical freak types and that is not Downs.
Then the decision would be between position value at WR and probably a better player overall in Styles.
My guess is Styles would be the pick.
If it was Styles vs. Love? That’s REALLY interesting because neither play a premium position and you could argue they are the two best athletes in the class, and 2 best players in the daft. And both could be team captains.
That, I think for Peters is both the dream and nightmare scenario.
I’d take Love because they are so needy for weapons.
And if there is a tie, bees can break the tie.
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They were both leaders and both HOF players.
Ed Reed got this compliment from Tom Brady though: (it says find 20 on every play)
I actually think Reed was a better safety than Lewis was a LB. EDIT to add both are probably top 10 at their position in NFL history. So it’s kindof splitting hairs. But there are more GOAT LBs than GOAT safeties. You could make an argument Reed was the best safety in NFL history history. There would be a lot of competition for Lewis as best LB in NFL history.
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That’s a lot of pegs!!!!
EDIT: I think it’s actually only 2.5 pegs. So maybe not as many pegs as I thought…
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Anselmheifer
The Starter
I’m not in favor of a trade back, but if we did, I’d be pretty ok with Lemon, Jacas, Hurst.
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Isn’t Lemon mostly a slot guy? Wouldn’t we end up essentially in the same spot as last year with Deebo being the a lot guy and Terry outside, and no threat on the opposite outside?
I get it, you’re not just drafting for this year.
And if he’s the best then that’s fine.
I’d still prefer to stick and pick.
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