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

[burgold]

To make KDawg happy. The seventh pick and Daron Payne to Arizona for Jeremiah Love.

Don't know if Arizona would take it, but it'd sure shake up the draft.

 

[KDawg]

To make KDawg happy. The seventh pick and Daron Payne to Arizona for Jeremiah Love.

Don't know if Arizona would take it, but it'd sure shake up the draft.

Zero shot of this happening and you are now upsetting me by giving me hope.

Dont do that. Dont give me hope.

 

[ES1974]

I woke up this morning and said (to myself)

“self… today is the day we draft Carnell Tate. The defensive mandate is a lie to throw everyone off our scent. It’s going to be a good day”

And that is my stance. We are drafting Tate. And/or trading Payne for BTJ. That one I haven’t convinced myself of yet. But Tate? Yup. It’s happening.

Well if we sit at #7 and go defensive pick, there simply has to be a tangible plan at WR, and I’m not sure a 3rd round wideout and Aiyuk is a good enough plan..

 

[ES1974]

Zero shot of this happening and you are now upsetting me by giving me hope.

Dont do that. Dont give me hope.

Payne to the Jags would be great IMO, If it helped us get Thomas, ideal, if it just gets us a couple of picks, great too.

 

[KDawg]

Well if we sit at #7 and go defensive pick, there simply has to be a tangible plan at WR, and I’m not sure a 3rd round wideout and Aiyuk is a good enough plan..

I just told you, I told myself we’re going Tate. So that’s what we’re doing.

Yeesh!

 

[skinsinparadise]

my guys list. I try to avoid the obvious ones. I had to include though Tate. Pushing Tate has becoming hot here in recent weeks. But lol, I think I have taken on some heat for him for months -- debating his biggest hater endlessly and taking on the Tyson versus Tate debate endlessly.

Rodriguez I was early on but he's become so cool with the draft community that he's now a little uncool to me. Reminds me of my early man crush on Laporta which as the draft approached looked obvious, but early on not as much so.

I've talked about most of them, some I haven't because they were recent watches. Bigger list than usual for me because its more later round guys. I watched less prospects than the typical year -- watched very little D line. So its heavilty stacked to WR, that's the spot I watched a ton. Didn't watch as much TE as I usually do because I don't think they take one, but still watched my share.

 

[ES1974]

I just told you, I told myself we’re going Tate. So that’s what we’re doing.

Yeesh!

Ok I’ll play.

I think we are trading back and picking up a 2nd rounder plus change.

We then take whichever player ranks highest from the WR/DB groups, taking the other position on day 2.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Both are massive holes

 

[KDawg]

Ok I’ll play.

I think we are trading back and picking up a 2nd rounder plus change.

We then take whichever player ranks highest from the WR/DB groups, taking the other position on day 2.

No. You can’t play. I’ve decided what’s happening. No playing. Zero. Nada. We’re drafting Tate because I woke up believing we would.

Why would you do this to me? I woke up on a great mood.

Shame.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I almost put Downs on my guys like because I posted a ton on him early on, felt too obvious. I like Delane and the pick would make a lot of sense. But I still prefer Downs over him. Tate, too.

Tony Pauline’s Final 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Chiefs Trade Up to No. 6 for Rueben Bain Jr., Steelers Move Up for Kadyn Proctor

Tony Pauline’s 2026 NFL mock draft features bold trades as Chiefs jump to No. 6 for Rueben Bain Jr. and Steelers move up to land Kadyn Proctor.

www.essentiallysports.com

7- Washington Commanders: Caleb Downs/S/Ohio State

I’m contradicting myself, as just last week I reported the Commanders would not take Downs. But I also said they love Love, and others reported head coach Dan Quinn was in favor of Styles. I could very well see this pick being Downs’ teammate Carnell Tate or cornerback Mansoor Delane, but Downs is too good a value to pass up; he’s no ordinary safety, particularly because his coverage instincts, slot flexibility, and deep-field range allow him to function as a true defensive multiplier in Quinn’s coverage-rotation system rather than a traditional single-alignment safety.

 

[ES1974]

No. You can’t play. I’ve decided what’s happening. No playing. Zero. Nada. We’re drafting Tate because I woke up believing we would.

Why would you do this to me? I woke up on a great mood.

Shame.

And we trade back to #10 with the Giants just to please SiP as well.

 

[KDawg]

And we trade back to #10 with the Giants just to please SiP as well.

Have you no moral compass?!

 

[Canuck]

I'm good with pretty much anyone mocked to us thus far other that Tyson. Want no part of him, hope NYG or DAL pull the trigger on him.

 

[ES1974]

Have you no moral compass?!

Apols. I’ll get back on track now.

Interesting mock today showing the Eagle trading into #6 for OL.

There’s going to be a couple of wild moves before it gets to #7 I reckon.

 

[Anselmheifer]

I still think we should move up for Love.

Knowing that’s not going to happen, Delane or Tate for me.

Also, the offseason isn’t over. I know there has been a lot about not providing Jayden weapons, justifiably after last year. But, the team clearly perceives the need given how hard they went after WR in FA.

Jennings and Deebo are both still out there. Diggs. I could see us trading for a WR.

If we really are counting on Aiyuk though, they should trade a 7th for him and get him in for the whole offseason.

I also could see

 

[KDawg]

I still think we should move up for Love.

Knowing that’s not going to happen, Delane or Tate for me.

Also, the offseason isn’t over. I know there has been a lot about not providing Jayden weapons, justifiably after last year. But, the team clearly perceives the need given how hard they went after WR in FA.

Jennings and Deebo are both still out there. Diggs. I could see us trading for a WR.

If we really are counting on Aiyuk though, they should trade a 7th for him and get him in for the whole offseason.

I also could see

I agree. There’s time. However, there has been time for three years, we let Deebo walk already, and those receivers all have free will to choose their destination.

 

[KDawg]

I'm good with pretty much anyone mocked to us thus far other that Tyson. Want no part of him, hope NYG or DAL pull the trigger on him.

I mostly wouldn’t mind any of the players themselves in a vacuum.

But, this isn’t a vacuum. Also, I don’t know if you’ve seen but as I mentioned above I’ve already decided we are going to draft Tate. It’s a done deal because I have spoken.

So, we may as well shift the whole conversation to day 2’s thread now.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I still think we should move up for Love.

Knowing that’s not going to happen, Delane or Tate for me.

Also, the offseason isn’t over. I know there has been a lot about not providing Jayden weapons, justifiably after last year. But, the team clearly perceives the need given how hard they went after WR in FA.

Jennings and Deebo are both still out there. Diggs. I could see us trading for a WR.

If we really are counting on Aiyuk though, they should trade a 7th for him and get him in for the whole offseason.

I also could see

They can act still at WR and probably do. But I don't see that as a given for some reasons.

A. Quinn's unsolicited explanation for how their WR by committee can work with the current room

B. Playing off of point A, they signed Dyami and Van Jefferson after chasing Doubs and Pierce

C. As a beat reporter pointed out last summer, Terry out of camp, Noah was hurt, their WRs were shut down by UDFAs and their response to all of that -- they did nothing.

I do think they do something. But doing nothing or very little sadly seems to be in the equation if past is prologue.

I think its ironic that so many in the national media are going it just has to be Tate or a receiver for that team, they got nothing but a 31 year old dude coming off an injury plagued season. But i am unsure its in their blood to feel that same desperation, But will see.

 

[ES1974]

I know I’m kinda critical of AP at the minute, but I just want to see him nail the draft and leave me thinking, yep that’s a Hell of a draft by our GM.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Brugler has Washington taking Tate with Styles on the board.

Final 2026 NFL mock draft by Dane Brugler: Jeremiyah Love in top 5, Caleb Downs to Giants

Fernando Mendoza will be the No. 1 pick Thursday night, but how will the rest of Round 1 unfold behind him?

www.nytimes.com

7. Washington Commanders: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State​

The Commanders could use reinforcements on defense (it’d be hard to pass on Downs or Sonny Styles), but helping your young quarterback with an outside weapon who can win at all three levels? Jayden Daniels would approve of this pick.