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

[KDawg]

I would have him on the list, but lower:

1. Love
2. Delane
3. Styles
4. Tate or Downs
5. Edge or OT

Why so low? The main reasons are that Tate was a WR2 in college and has good but not great measurables. You’ll see my top 3 are plus athletes by comparison.

Another reason is I have higher hopes for Dyami, LMC, Burks, and Lane. And I would like to bring Deebo back or pick up Aiyuk. So I like our wider receiver situation more than most.

But mainly I would rather take a blue chip player than reach for a need.

WR2 in college means absolutely nothing. Jeremiah Smith was the 1. He would be the 1 on every college team in America.

I don’t know how anyone can believe in what we currently have. I’m not saying they can’t or won’t work - I just don’t see how people can think that it’s enough for our young QB. They combined for 57 receptions next year. And that is four people.

They let Deebo walk - so not sure that’s an option but maybe. But a bird in the hand and he and Aiyuk are both definitely not in the hand.

Understood on blue chip player. Though I think Tate is closer to that than people think.

But at what point do we think it might be a good idea to, I don’t know, support the quarterback we drafted to save the franchise?

All we’ve done is cut the starting center, weaken the top of the receiver corps (though the depth is better), and hire a guy to be the OC who really has no business being an OC yet with a staff who has no experience.

We got Chig who’s 2025 was statistically the same as Ertz in three more games (though I do like his upside) and we did improve at running back.

The offense is a mess. They are putting the entire show on Jayden’s shoulders and Peters stated goal this offseason was to support Jayden. So far, F grade fore there.

 

[burgold]

Over on the jets fourm there a major belief we will be trading dowb for there 16 and 2nd round pick. May be true may not but had be mentioned a few places.

I don't care what the value chart says. For me, that wouldn't be enough. You'd eliminate the possibility of getting an elite prospect and give them an elite prospect. I love the idea of getting a high 2 that's almost a 1, but I don't want us to settle. Trading down to the middle of this draft feels like settling and how many middle of the first round wide receiver busts have we drafted over the years? That trade just stinks of failure.

 

[actorguy1]

If first round pick is defense, then a combination of 3rd round receiver and Aiyuk is probably not enough for everyone?

 

[washington football]

I don't care what the value chart says. For me, that wouldn't be enough. You'd eliminate the possibility of getting an elite prospect and give them an elite prospect. I love the idea of getting a high 2 that's almost a 1, but I don't want us to settle. Trading down to the middle of this draft feels like settling and how many middle of the first round wide receiver busts have we drafted over the years? That trade just stinks of failure.

I hope they just pick at 7. There 8 or 9 top player in this draft.

 

[KDawg]

If first round pick is defense, then a combination of 3rd round receiver and Aiyuk is probably not enough for everyone?

Aiyuk depends on when we are able to get him, what he costs, and if we had to give up anything for him.

Another one year deal doesn’t help us at all, though.

3rd round receiver can help - but who? I have a feeling the guys we’ve been really liking won’t be there. What do we do if Williams, Sarratt, Stribling, Bell, etc are gone?

 

[Faithful Fan]

I don’t know how you think the offense improved.

Starting center is gone and we are currently looking at Allegretti. I think that is a downgrade.

Receiver we downgraded - no Deebo. He was our best receiver.

Tight end, I agree Chig will be an upgrade, but statistically he was almost the exact same as Ertz and Ertz played 3 less games. The only stat that Chig was clearly better is YAC but they would up with similar stat lines.

We did improve at running back. Thank God. Marginally.

Blough is a new OC who had previously only been an assistant QB coach and a QB coach for a month. That is a tremendously underrated point.

Why? They made a zillion upgrades at defense in FA. If you look at who they lost -- Deebo and Ertz and who they gained Chig -- its at best a wash from the previous pathetic supporting cast.

I agree the offense probably got worse with the loss of Ertz, Deebo, and Biadasz. KK being replaced with an unknown is also a concern.

I would add Dyami Brown as a significant addition though. I know he looks like a bust, but I recall him and Jayden having some rapport in 2024 and really clicking in the postseason, when he had 14 catches for 229 yards. I was shocked when they chose to keep Noah over him last year. As much as I’m rooting for LMC and Burks, Dyami is the real breakout candidate in the room.

Not that I disagree with your main premise, just wanted to add the point about Dyami.

 

[washington football]

If first round pick is defense, then a combination of 3rd round receiver and Aiyuk is probably not eugh for everyone?

I think you get the CB. We can get a playable Wr in FA after june 1. We cant fix every problem this draft. CB is harder to fill then WR. Hill, Diggs, Jennings, and Allen are out there for this season.

 

[KDawg]

I think you get the CB. We can get a playable Wr in FA after june 1. We cant fix every problem this draft. CB is harder to fill then WR. Hill, Diggs, Jennings, and Allen are out there for this season.

Ah, the ol hope and pray method for a serviceable receiver that we’ve tried for three years with our franchise QB.

 

[Bulldog]

When you have a franchise quarterback your thought process in part has to hone in on putting players around him that can help him succeed.

It appears that the Patriots learned that lesson from the playoffs and Super Bowl and are looking into trades to bring an AJ Brown or other WR to New England to help Drake Maye take that next step as a quarterback against better defenses.

I get the desire to help the defense and we have. But as you indicated we can't fix everything at once, so in my mind you can't spend almost all of our free agency dollars on defense and then use the draft also to help Jones.

Blough needs some additional weapons, including a capability to help Daniels make plays down the field.

If a Jordan Tyson is a 65-70 catch, 1,000 yard player and gives us that extra help for Daniels going forward then you can make the argument he is worth more for where he plays with Jayden then taking another corner.

We already spent a #2 pick on Sainristil and another #2 pick on Trey Amos.

I would be more of a mind to do the opposite of what you suggest and draft the WR and then look to the post-draft and June 1 period to pick up a veteran corner that can be a bridge to 2027.

 

[burgold]

I agree the offense probably got worse with the loss of Ertz, Deebo, and Biadasz. KK being replaced with an unknown is also a concern.

I would add Dyami Brown as a significant addition though. I know he looks like a bust, but I recall him and Jayden having some rapport in 2024 and really clicking in the postseason, when he had 14 catches for 229 yards. I was shocked when they chose to keep Noah over him last year. As much as I’m rooting for LMC and Burks, Dyami is the real breakout candidate in the room.

Not that I disagree with your main premise, just wanted to add the point about Dyami.

I don't see Dyami as a significant addition. He wasn't good enough for us to want to keep after 2024 and he wasn't good enough for his team last year to want to keep. There's a reason we got him on the cheap. There is an advantage in that we know him and know what he's better at, but at this point I just don't see him emerging as a true starting or even 3rd wide receiver.

 

[washington football]

Ah, the ol hope and pray method for a serviceable receiver that we’ve tried for three years with our

We will be short at either Cb or Wr no way around it. Terry should have a much better season this year. We have to replace Lattermore who was terrible but played alot.
You either getting an FA Wr or a T Diggs CB. There really no way around it.

 

[Bulldog]

Agreed. But I saw what Daniels did with less in 2024 on defense. That's why I get him the WR first.

 

[KDawg]

We will be short at either Cb or Wr no way around it. Terry should have a much better season this year. We have to replace Lattermore who was terrible but played alot.
You either getting an FA Wr or a T Diggs CB. There really no way around it.

I’d rather be short at corner. Especially because Minnesota didn’t have great corners and we are running a variation of their defense. I’d rather get a corner at 71.

I’d rather that then continue to not support the franchise quarterback.

I feel like I’m living in La La land

 

[burgold]

We will be short at either Cb or Wr no way around it. Terry should have a much better season this year. We have to replace Lattermore who was terrible but played alot.
You either getting an FA Wr or a T Diggs CB. There really no way around it.

A lot of businesses don't think this way, but I think if all things are equal you need to funnel more talent to the new guy. Many want to give the more experienced guy the tools and let the new guy sink or swim. The way I see it, Blough is going to have growing pains. This is his first time calling an offense ever and he doesn't even have the sea legs of a long time assistant. So, if you want him to have a shot he better have the tools that can make up for his shortcomings. Conversely, a guy like Jones should have more tricks in his tool bag. He should have more workarounds to figure out how to compensate if a player goes down with injury, a unit is weak, or his plan A just isn't working.

So, all things considered, Blough is the guy who needs more support and if you have to choose between receiver and corner then help out the rookie franchise QB and the rookie (we hope) savant OC.

:2cents:

 

[Dlts20]

We will be short at either Cb or Wr no way around it. Terry should have a much better season this year. We have to replace Lattermore who was terrible but played alot.
You either getting an FA Wr or a T Diggs CB. There really no way around it.

I do think that Robertson and Witherspoon were solid pickups

 

[washington football]

A lot of businesses don't think this way, but I think if all things are equal you need to funnel more talent to the new guy. Many want to give the more experienced guy the tools and let the new guy sink or swim. The way I see it, Blough is going to have growing pains. This is his first time calling an offense ever and he doesn't even have the sea legs of a long time assistant. So, if you want him to have a shot he better have the tools that can make up for his shortcomings. Conversely, a guy like Jones should have more tricks in his tool bag. He should have more workarounds to figure out how to compensate if a player goes down with injury, a unit is weak, or his plan A just isn't working.

So, all things considered, Blough is the guy who needs more support and if you have to choose between receiver and corner then help out the rookie franchise QB and the rookie (we hope) savant OC.

:2cents:

You can go either way there no wrong way. The pass defense was terrible last year. Lattermore was just awful. That trade for Lattermore needed to be a hit it was not and has set the team rebuild back.

I think top CB are harder to fill then WR. I think Daniels can paper over alot of the problems with his abilities. You can go either way but there will be a problem at one of the spots. It be nice to have a top flight CB.

 

[Bulldog]

A lot of businesses don't think this way, but I think if all things are equal you need to funnel more talent to the new guy. Many want to give the more experienced guy the tools and let the new guy sink or swim. The way I see it, Blough is going to have growing pains. This is his first time calling an offense ever and he doesn't even have the sea legs of a long time assistant. So, if you want him to have a shot he better have the tools that can make up for his shortcomings. Conversely, a guy like Jones should have more tricks in his tool bag. He should have more workarounds to figure out how to compensate if a player goes down with injury, a unit is weak, or his plan A just isn't working.

So, all things considered, Blough is the guy who needs more support and if you have to choose between receiver and corner then help out the rookie franchise QB and the rookie (we hope) savant OC.

:2cents:

True, the offseason has been necessarily tilted towards the defense and I think we have improved there and can still take a corner in Round 3 and pick up a veteran as well.

When you are looking at your most valuable asset, Daniels, and the new coach that is looking to pick up the pieces from Kingsbury the priority now is to add a playmaker to the offense.

You may find aging wide receivers after the draft that can come in and be possession guys but you aren't going to find many deep threats.

Meanwhile at corner we see veterans released from one club go to another and fit in and have very good seasons on more than an infrequent basis.

A defensive coordinator can shade a defensive alignment to suit the talent to a degree but you can't fake deep speed and athletic ability at WR.

Either you have it or you don't.

 

[washington football]

I do think that Robertson and Witherspoon were solid pickups

They were not bad. You really cant sign top flight WR or CR in FA. Who every we pick at 7 you would think will be a top flight player. I be ok with really any top flight player here. Styles, Downs, and Love.

Guys like Robertson and Witherspoon are solid but we need some top flight guys on this team.

 

[KDawg]

You can go either way there no wrong way. The pass defense was terrible last year. Lattermore was just awful. That trade for Lattermore needed to be a hit it was not and has set the team rebuild back.

I think top CB are harder to fill then WR. I think Daniels can paper over alot of the problems with his abilities. You can go either way but there will be a problem at one of the spots. It be nice to have a top flight CB.

But our franchise QB doesn’t play defense.

 

[washington football]

But our franchise QB doesn’t play defense.

Nope, he does not but he has proven he can put this team on his back. This team needs to keep teams under 30 points a game.

You cant go wrong either way but Lattermore was are top CB last year. He could not have played any worse.

I get it we need a WR. The Lattermore trade killed us we dont have any picks to trade up with. If the LSU CB is a top flight player we are probably better off filling this spot now in the long term. You are between a rock and hard place here.