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

[skinsinparadise]

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.

I am definitely hyped too as far as taking Love. Though its interesting to see how polarizing that take is with local-national media-ex-PFF types. It's either brilliant or moronic depending on who is giving the take. Only player in this range, albiet I doubt he drops to 7 that I'd take over Love is Bailey.

I mentioned in another post that I love listening to Logan Paulsen but my one issue with him is he's sees prospects so positively. You read what some of the scouts say to McGinn in his famous draft series that he does every year -- some of them are so cynical.

Because of this top ten being arguably more flawed that than the typical one, its a bit more interesting for me to see the cynicism side from the scouts, and lol who emerges a bit more. And I've been slightly surprised so far.

They haven't done their takes yet on the safeties and corners. But they have hit all the other spots. Per usual they ripped every player some. But I'd say Tate came off relatively fine. I post their positive comments below about him.

Bailey i'd say digesting all the comments came off the best. Bain was ripped more than I expected but heck he was still graded the 2nd best edge. They were a bit lukewarm about Reese at LB yet still ranked first in that group. I would say their take on Styles was my biggest surprise -- they sort of see him the way some here see Tate -- good player but seem to think there is a ceiling on greatness.

With Tate it was somewhat a summary of how people see him here -- some see great, some see good.

For me personally, I think Tate among this group has a higher floor than most. His ceiling IMO isn't Love's or Styles or Reese or Bailey. But I think its in the ballpark of the next group.

Part of my desire for Love is I am in a win now mode. And I think Love fits that. Tate fits that, too IMO, I think he instantly becomes WR #2 here, and hits the ground running, he's a younger prospect, yet he's one of the more polished ones in this group IMO.

Part 1, WR: Who's the next star wideout?

Bob McGinn's 42nd draft series begins. One scout doesn't give a damn what Carnell Tate ran. One scout sees JSN in Makai Lemon. But in 2026? Mining for A-level talent is complicated.

www.golongtd.com

1. CARNELL TATE, Ohio State (6-2, 192, 4.44, 1): Third-year junior. “He’s really, really good,” one scout said. “It’s just unbelievable how these (Ohio State) guys come out. If you watch the way he runs routes then you know that he’s ready. You can tell, with (Brian) Hartline working with them, they’re getting quality work. I saw him run by this guy, I saw him run by that guy. He runs by whoever he needs to get past.”

Functioned as the No. 3 wideout as a true freshman before starting 26 of 29 games in 2024-’25, missing three because of injury. “He’s got the reach and length (31 ¾-inch arms) and strength to compete well for the contested ball,” a second scout said. “He snaps off his breaks, finishes routes, finishes catches. He ran a lot of intermediate routes. He’s like a 4.55 guy but I don’t care what he runs. He’s so good that it doesn’t matter. He had Jeremiah Smith, two pretty good tight ends and a good quarterback but he was good last year and the year before.” Finished with 121 receptions for 1,872 yards (15.5-yard average) and 14 touchdowns. “He’s a No. 1 receiver,” a third scout said. “Hands are excellent. He’ll be a high-volume receiver in the NFL.

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.

Depressing season, woke up early to see that beating from City, PSG is going to kill them.

 

[Kalu44]

Assuming Bailey is there

1. Love
2. Styles
3. Delane

@KDaeg - I may have missed it, by why are you so down on Bailey?

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

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

I'm not sure I buy that. After he left the Ravens he was chased out of his next team because his teammates hated him. That doesn't really sound like leadership material.

I think the Ed Reed and Caleb Downs comparisons are really far apart.

 

[KDawg]

@KDaeg - I may have missed it, by why are you so down on Bailey?

I think he is severely overrated.

I love his burst off the line and think he has an elite spin move. He has good traits.

But he didn’t dominate against tackles who are considered lesser prospects (Fano, Lomu, Iheanachor) and he doesn’t use his hands well at all. Almost at all. He wins with his burst, and doesn’t compete well enough with his hands. In that way he reminds me of Chase Young, but I think Young was twice the prospect.

I think he benefitted from Height and Rodriguez more than anyone is letting on.

I think David Bailey is a good prospect with a high ceiling and low floor and should be more of a mid to late first rounder but is propped up due to a edge class that lacks high end talent and it’s best prospects other than Bailey being a linebacker and a guy with short arms.

I don’t think he is a guy we want at 7.

If we did draft him I’d be disappointed, but I do see his upside and if our coaching staff is worth a shit they will get him to be a quality contributor

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

and if our coaching staff is worth a shit they will get him to be a quality contributor

The last time our defensive coaching staff was worth a shit was 2007.

if someone wants to argue Jack’s staff in 2020, I think that person is a damn fool.

So while I agree with you, I also don’t think it should be a given the defensive staff is worth anything until we see it play out.

 

[Anselmheifer]

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.

I would also prefer to stick and pick. And yes. He is a slot guy. I’d prefer an outside guy so we have a succession plan for Terry.

I do think Terry, Okonkwo, Lemon, Aiyk, White, is a plethora of passing game weapons woth very different strengths. That group would be very hard to defend this year. But we’d still be looking for a Z/X next year.

I’d honestly rather move up than down. Which I know is unpopular. But I would target my guy and try to get him.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I would also prefer to stick and pick. And yes. He is a slot guy. I’d prefer an outside guy so we have a succession plan for Terry.

I do think Terry, Okonkwo, Lemon, Aiyk, White, is a plethora of passing game weapons woth very different strengths. That group would be very hard to defend this year. But we’d still be looking for a Z/X next year.

I’d honestly rather move up than down. Which I know is unpopular. But I would target my guy and try to get him.

In this draft, I’d just let it come to me. No reason to trade up.

There will be great prospects at 7.

Stick and pick.

 

[KDawg]

The last time our defensive coaching staff was worth a shit was 2007.

if someone wants to argue Jack’s staff in 2020, I think that person is a damn fool.

So while I agree with you, I also don’t think it should be a given the defensive staff is worth anything until we see it play out.

I worded it that way for a very specific reason - a good portion of it being what you’ve said here.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

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.

I'm a Fields guy, because I think the usage we saw for him was not optimal. I broke this down somewhere else, but the Senior Bowl showed him running routes he almost never ran at Notre Dame. He did those well. So it caused everyone to go back and look at him.

What gives me pause is his age. He's on the older side so the whole "untapped potential" might be harder to realize.

Supposedly he interviewed well so people think he can be coached up.

I don't think he's a Z. I think he's best alternating between X and Big Slot. I think him and McLaurin on the same side of the field would be potent in how you can line them up, bunch, stack, etc.

I'm also not sure how Fields has a PFF run blocking grade so low. Put on the tape and Fields is moving 20 yards to hit a safety. Effort is there.

The Noah Brown comparison you've used works for me. But I think he can be a better version of that.

 

[KDawg]

I don’t consider a trade back unless Love, Styles, Delane and Tate are off the board. And then I’d need a deal that is clearly to our advantage.

There are players in the mid first I’d target outside of the usual grouping: Saadiq, Ioane, Lemon, Thienemann.

But if someone is willing to come up for a guy, chances are we should be willing to take that guy

 

[KDawg]

I'm a Fields guy, because I think the usage we saw for him was not optimal. I broke this down somewhere else, but the Senior Bowl showed him running routes he almost never ran at Notre Dame. He did those well. So it caused everyone to go back and look at him.

What gives me pause is his age. He's on the older side so the whole "untapped potential" might be harder to realize.

Supposedly he interviewed well so people think he can be coached up.

I don't think he's a Z. I think he's best alternating between X and Big Slot. I think him and McLaurin on the same side of the field would be potent in how you can line them up, bunch, stack, etc.

I'm also not sure how Fields has a PFF run blocking grade so low. Put on the tape and Fields is moving 20 yards to hit a safety. Effort is there.

The Noah Brown comparison you've used works for me. But I think he can be a better version of that.

I’m higher on Fields than SIP. I really like him. But…

I think a guy like Sarratt is a better value fit for us if he’s there in the third, among other prospects.

I think I’d consider Concepcion over Fields due to his explosive play ability and return game despite the drops.

But I do like Fields. I think he was used poorly and I think CJ Carr, quite frankly, stunk.

 

[Dlts20]

I'm not sure I buy that. After he left the Ravens he was chased out of his next team because his teammates hated him. That doesn't really sound like leadership material.

I think the Ed Reed and Caleb Downs comparisons are really far apart.

A, lot of people hate leaders because all of them aren't positive and uplifting. Reed is very critical. People hate the basketball player Chris Paul also because he's a little general. When you are great it is tolerated. When you are wahrd then no one wants to hear that from a jag which is also why Paul was forced into an unceremonial retirement.

I didn't even like Reeds personally when he went into HBCU coaching and was fired from his first HC job before he even coached a game due to how critical he was of the program. I didn't mean to infer that Downs was the same type of leader as Rred. I was just meaning that the Safety position can lead also when most just think of the MLB in that role. People actually like Downs

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

Part of my desire for Love is I am in a win now mode. And I think Love fits that. Tate fits that, too IMO, I think he instantly becomes WR #2 here, and hits the ground running, he's a younger prospect, yet he's one of the more polished ones in this group IMO.

We should 100% be in a win now mode. We only have a few years left to maximize the QB rookie contract window. It's all the chips in now time.

An RB like Love fits that so well. Tate fits too.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I'm a Fields guy, because I think the usage we saw for him was not optimal. I broke this down somewhere else, but the Senior Bowl showed him running routes he almost never ran at Notre Dame. He did those well. So it caused everyone to go back and look at him.

What gives me pause is his age. He's on the older side so the whole "untapped potential" might be harder to realize.

Supposedly he interviewed well so people think he can be coached up.

I don't think he's a Z. I think he's best alternating between X and Big Slot. I think him and McLaurin on the same side of the field would be potent in how you can line them up, bunch, stack, etc.

I'm also not sure how Fields has a PFF run blocking grade so low. Put on the tape and Fields is moving 20 yards to hit a safety. Effort is there.

The Noah Brown comparison you've used works for me. But I think he can be a better version of that.

Sticking with a win mode theme, if they don't take a WR in the first, it almost begs for them to take one in the third. So I've been thinking about dudes who consistently fall there in mocks and Fields is one of them, so I really wanted to fall for him. His profile is uber sexy -- physical player with strong hands. Exciting as heck profile. And heck if you can get someone who lives up to that profile in the third -- that's awesome. But IMHO Fields will. He's sort in that tier below from me after Bernard, A. Williams, Saratt -- higher floor WRs. But I am getting the vibe Bernard will unlikely fall to the third. But I'll give him he has a high floor IMO than the next group of Wrs.

I watched every game twice. Every game. The only other ones i've done that for are Tate, Lemon, Boston, Tyson. So like the year where I dug Maye-Daniels after watching every game twice, I was impossible to budge after that, too much info in my head. I am much easier to budge on the players I haven't watched a ton.

But yeah Fields is interesting for me because he hits a category in my mind that I usually don't characterize for WR -- that is a WR who I don't think is good, but I don't think he sucks. He's different from Dyami. But I'd be surprised if he's a complete bust. But like Dyami, he can make some plays here and there. I'd be shocked if he ends up a star. I'd be surprised if he ends up a legit #2. Likewise I'd be surprised if he's a bust.

I don't know if they miss used him, Faison and whomever else played X was probably the better seperator. I think Fields can work at X, I got the point but at Z I think he is fine. If they draft him here, he'd likely be playing Z. I am not sure that playing big slot is his bag -- he's a long strider, so not sure he has that short area quickness.

Yeah if you are OK with the Noah Brown comp, we aren't that different. He can make some downfield catches, and some plays here and there. I can see him being like a 3 catch a game guy, etc.

My main issue with him is he's inconsistent at what you'd think his strength should be -- contested catches, red zone targets. He's better than would you'd think at tracking the deep ball. He's worst than what you'd think at using his physicality -- he's no Denzel Boston IMO on that front. I am not talking highlights, I am talking watching every play.

I’m higher on Fields than SIP. I really like him. But…

I think a guy like Sarratt is a better value fit for us if he’s there in the third, among other prospects.

I think I’d consider Concepcion over Fields due to his explosive play ability and return game despite the drops.

But I do like Fields. I think he was used poorly and I think CJ Carr, quite frankly, stunk.

I watched some more Sarratt, he's IMO a distinctly better player than Fields. A red zone-end zone machine. Has better double moves and more twitch than given credit for. Consistent. He's not exciting. But I can totally see him becoming a legit #2. With Fields, I'd be really surprised if he became a legit #2. Wouldn't be too surprised if Fields became a #3.

 

[burgold]

The wide receiver currently intriguing me is Ted Hurst (sp). Only because I heard the only knock on him is competition. That if he had the same measurables and stats at a better school he'd be a first rounder. Well, sometimes that difference matters and sometimes this is how you unearth the gems.

Mind you, I haven't watched him at all. I've only heard people talk about him.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

We should 100% be in a win now mode. We only have a few years left to maximize the QB rookie contract window. It's all the chips in now time.

An RB like Love fits that so well. Tate fits too.

We have one year left.

Daniels is eligible and will get an extension next offseason.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

We have one year left.

Daniels is eligible and will get an extension next offseason.

Cap Hit won't be astronomical for a few years though.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Cap Hit won't be astronomical for a few years though.

That’s true depending on how they structure the bonuses. Depending on how much cap room they have they could pay for it earlier and lessen the hit in the future.

The cap hit will almost certainly go up because they will pay him a signing bonus prorated over the term of the extension. However the ridiculous annual salary won’t kick in until probably his 5th year. Because they would not be picking up his 5th year option.

But your point is well taken.

 

[ES1974]

Well this pegging thing got distracting….

Not long now, each has their favourites, seems like a wide open draft to me.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Well this pegging thing got distracting….

I’m not sure if we have a “taken out of context” thread but oh, man, this would win awards…..