Kalu44
The Rookie
I think you are right. It very well may come down to these two. I’m guessing most in this community will choose Delane over Bain. I would too. However, I have a funny feeling Bain would be drafted in that scenario.
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The 2026 Draft Thread - 1st Round - 7th overall
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Everyone should watch the mock draft that Schaeger had with Ran Carthon, Field Yates and Dane Brugler.
Carthon described analytics that they used for drafting in Tennessee.
They compiled mock drafts and scouting reports from media, their coaches, their scouts, their coaches, and then compiled them. Then further dialed down the list by taking the guys who have been most accurate over the years and weighing their opinions more.
Mock:
Carthon - Raiders - Mendoza
Schrager - Jets - Bailey
Yates - Cardinals - Reese
Brugler - Titans - Initially picked Styles, switched to Love. Then Carthon gave his opinion (and given he was the Titans GM and still has connections likely has a lot of insight) and said he thinks Styles is big time in play there. Brugler switched to Styles.
Yates - Giants - Love
Carthon - Browns - he said in real time he’d consider trading back, but had to pick. Thinks 6 is too high for any of the receivers - Mauigoa
Carthon - Commanders - Carthon worked with Peters in SF. He notes it’s too high for a receiver. Said they need to consider Bain. Chaisson is a one year deal and they need an edge. Thinks receiver is a big hole. Doesn’t think either spot is the best. Wants to go a different way. Wants a culture changer. Wants to take the cleanest prospect - Caleb Downs
Carthon described analytics that they used for drafting in Tennessee.
They compiled mock drafts and scouting reports from media, their coaches, their scouts, their coaches, and then compiled them. Then further dialed down the list by taking the guys who have been most accurate over the years and weighing their opinions more.
Mock:
Carthon - Raiders - Mendoza
Schrager - Jets - Bailey
Yates - Cardinals - Reese
Brugler - Titans - Initially picked Styles, switched to Love. Then Carthon gave his opinion (and given he was the Titans GM and still has connections likely has a lot of insight) and said he thinks Styles is big time in play there. Brugler switched to Styles.
Yates - Giants - Love
Carthon - Browns - he said in real time he’d consider trading back, but had to pick. Thinks 6 is too high for any of the receivers - Mauigoa
Carthon - Commanders - Carthon worked with Peters in SF. He notes it’s too high for a receiver. Said they need to consider Bain. Chaisson is a one year deal and they need an edge. Thinks receiver is a big hole. Doesn’t think either spot is the best. Wants to go a different way. Wants a culture changer. Wants to take the cleanest prospect - Caleb Downs
bird_1972
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Thanks for this, KDawg.
I vaguely remember when Witherspoon came out of college, he was the clear CB1 in that class. I was originally thinking I'd be disappointed if we ended up with him at #7 but maybe given the value of the position and this comp, he might end up being a really good pick for us in the long run.
I am waiting for the Keim podcast on offense between being comfortable with a strong theory.
But a few things he's been clear on.
One of those overlaps Pauline. That is, they would take Styles and Delane over Downs. And he's said in multiple podcasts they dig Styles. And it least one Delane. That's very specific.
As others have pointed out too, Keim has hinted multiple times they dig Love. But I'll wait for the podcast on offense where he likely goes more into detail.
Tate is a tough one, not much out of Keim one way or another. But, they have spent time with him as to meetings. But they also met with a ton of other WRs.
As for you gut about them taking Delane. At least lol playing with the Keim tea leaves it takes you there because lets say its Love, Styles, and Delane. Good chance Delane is the one who is there at 7. Downs is likely there, too but Keim seemed clear on the podcast that he believes they'd go Delane over Downs. Pauline indirectly said the same thing.
Tate is the wildcard here. I don't have a good enough hint on him, yet.
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For me I think I’m pretty settled on where I am with preferences. I’ve tiered them and ranked them, and they don’t necessarily align.
Tier 1: No Brainer
1. Jeremiyah Love
Tier 2: Biggest Immediate Impact
6. Carnell Tate - I have him ranked six here, but I think the impact he makes makes it incredibly difficult to pass at the 7th pick. I’d be okay with guys in tier 3 over him, but premium position, need and a guy that I think has a Terry McLaurin future lets him land here.
Tier 3: Defensive Impact Players
2. Mansoor Delane
3. Sonny Styles
4. Caleb Downs
5. Arvelle Reese
Delane has surpassed Styles - but I wouldn’t be angry or frustrated if Styles is taken. I like him a lot and think he’d be an excellent addition here. I don’t think Reese is there. But I think he’d can be an impact player. Having said that, he had 97 pass rush attempts in 2025 - he is inexperienced and raw and essentially looks like he will be changing his position.
Tier 4: High ceiling, low floor
7. Reuben Bain
8. Makai Lemon
9. Jermod McCoy
10. David Bailey
Tier 5: Great Players, but Too Early/Tough well based on position
11. Francis Mauigoa
12. Ioane
13. Spencer Fano
14. Kenyon Saadiq
15. Thienemann
16. Freeling
Tier 6: High Talent, Availability Concern:
Jordyn Tyson
The list from about 7 on I’m not as set at. But this is where I stand on the top 7 and don’t see any major changes for me.
Tier 1: No Brainer
1. Jeremiyah Love
Tier 2: Biggest Immediate Impact
6. Carnell Tate - I have him ranked six here, but I think the impact he makes makes it incredibly difficult to pass at the 7th pick. I’d be okay with guys in tier 3 over him, but premium position, need and a guy that I think has a Terry McLaurin future lets him land here.
Tier 3: Defensive Impact Players
2. Mansoor Delane
3. Sonny Styles
4. Caleb Downs
5. Arvelle Reese
Delane has surpassed Styles - but I wouldn’t be angry or frustrated if Styles is taken. I like him a lot and think he’d be an excellent addition here. I don’t think Reese is there. But I think he’d can be an impact player. Having said that, he had 97 pass rush attempts in 2025 - he is inexperienced and raw and essentially looks like he will be changing his position.
Tier 4: High ceiling, low floor
7. Reuben Bain
8. Makai Lemon
9. Jermod McCoy
10. David Bailey
Tier 5: Great Players, but Too Early/Tough well based on position
11. Francis Mauigoa
12. Ioane
13. Spencer Fano
14. Kenyon Saadiq
15. Thienemann
16. Freeling
Tier 6: High Talent, Availability Concern:
Jordyn Tyson
The list from about 7 on I’m not as set at. But this is where I stand on the top 7 and don’t see any major changes for me.
RWJ
The Starter
How zeroed in is Pauline? I guess me being old school, if Keim says it, it more than likely happens. LOL
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Dah-Dee
The 1st Round Pick
I feel like a team wouldn't cancel a top-prospect 30-visit for a negative reason unless it was some last-minute bombshell on character, have seen nothing like that about Bailey, so my guess is they've told Bailey he's the pick at 2 and they're not trading the pick.
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Dlts20
The Starter
Kiper's final mock
SOLD!
You make it sound like he is rated like Sauce Gardner and I just haven't seen that.
philibusters
The 1st Round Pick
I watched Caleb Lomu’s 2024 games against Iowa State and Arizona State, and for the most part he looked like a pretty good prospect. He has a couple really high-end traits, mainly his feet and his hand placement, but there’s also a lot of small negative stuff that keeps him from looking like a true top half of the first-round type of player.
In pass protection, the foundation is really strong. His feet are excellent. He can mirror quick pass rushers and, when his base is right, he redirects very well. His hand placement is also a major plus, and he’s very good at replacing his hands during the rep. The grip strength looks solid, though it’s probably helped quite a bit by how consistently he lands inside, so you may be double counting that a bit. His anchor is more mixed. Structurally, it’s not great. He has a thinner lower half and doesn’t have the leg drive to just sit down and stop power. That said, he has good core strength and can recover when he gives ground, and he’s very effective using the snatch trap technique. If a rusher is going to put all their momentum into his chest, he’ll pull them down and use their momentum against them, and he went to that move a number of times in these games. So the anchor isn’t naturally strong, but he has tools to compensate. The bigger concern is the outside shoulder. He gives it up too often. Part of that seems tied to how he sets. He doesn’t vertically kick much and prefers jump sets, then tries to mirror from there. Sometimes it works, sometimes it leaves him exposed. There were a couple reps where his base got compromised, either too narrow or too much weight on one foot, and his ability to redirect disappeared. One of those led to a sack when he bit on an inside jab and couldn’t recover to protect the edge. So overall, the pass protection profile is good with real upside, but not consistently clean.
In the run game, the mobility is there, but the power is not. He’s not a people mover, so if you’re asking him to create displacement, you’re probably going to be disappointed. He’s a solid puller and has the movement skills to operate in space, but his climbing ability was a little uneven in these games. There were a couple reps where the timing felt just a half step off, like he stayed on the double team too long before climbing. That could just be small sample noise, because he clearly has the fluidity to do it, but it showed up enough to note. He probably fits best in an outside zone scheme where his movement skills can be maximized. He had one really nice scoop block against Arizona State, and even on reps where he didn’t fully secure the scoop, he often stayed engaged long enough for it to still be effective. On the flip side, there were a few plays where defensive ends set a firm edge on him and made things easy for the linebackers behind them. Again, if you’re counting on him to move people, that’s not really his game.
Overall, he looks like a mid to late first-round type of player in this class. The pass protection traits give him a real ceiling, but the inconsistencies and lack of play strength keep him out of that top tier. He doesn’t really feel like a target for the Commanders given where they are picking and their needs at tackle, and he’s not in that true top 5 to 10 range either. But as a developmental tackle with strong pass protection upside, there’s definitely something to work with.
In pass protection, the foundation is really strong. His feet are excellent. He can mirror quick pass rushers and, when his base is right, he redirects very well. His hand placement is also a major plus, and he’s very good at replacing his hands during the rep. The grip strength looks solid, though it’s probably helped quite a bit by how consistently he lands inside, so you may be double counting that a bit. His anchor is more mixed. Structurally, it’s not great. He has a thinner lower half and doesn’t have the leg drive to just sit down and stop power. That said, he has good core strength and can recover when he gives ground, and he’s very effective using the snatch trap technique. If a rusher is going to put all their momentum into his chest, he’ll pull them down and use their momentum against them, and he went to that move a number of times in these games. So the anchor isn’t naturally strong, but he has tools to compensate. The bigger concern is the outside shoulder. He gives it up too often. Part of that seems tied to how he sets. He doesn’t vertically kick much and prefers jump sets, then tries to mirror from there. Sometimes it works, sometimes it leaves him exposed. There were a couple reps where his base got compromised, either too narrow or too much weight on one foot, and his ability to redirect disappeared. One of those led to a sack when he bit on an inside jab and couldn’t recover to protect the edge. So overall, the pass protection profile is good with real upside, but not consistently clean.
In the run game, the mobility is there, but the power is not. He’s not a people mover, so if you’re asking him to create displacement, you’re probably going to be disappointed. He’s a solid puller and has the movement skills to operate in space, but his climbing ability was a little uneven in these games. There were a couple reps where the timing felt just a half step off, like he stayed on the double team too long before climbing. That could just be small sample noise, because he clearly has the fluidity to do it, but it showed up enough to note. He probably fits best in an outside zone scheme where his movement skills can be maximized. He had one really nice scoop block against Arizona State, and even on reps where he didn’t fully secure the scoop, he often stayed engaged long enough for it to still be effective. On the flip side, there were a few plays where defensive ends set a firm edge on him and made things easy for the linebackers behind them. Again, if you’re counting on him to move people, that’s not really his game.
Overall, he looks like a mid to late first-round type of player in this class. The pass protection traits give him a real ceiling, but the inconsistencies and lack of play strength keep him out of that top tier. He doesn’t really feel like a target for the Commanders given where they are picking and their needs at tackle, and he’s not in that true top 5 to 10 range either. But as a developmental tackle with strong pass protection upside, there’s definitely something to work with.
My main issues with Delane
A. So hard to evaluate corners without All 22, so am relying more on opinions of others than my own
B. Corner for whatever reason tends to have a high variance arc for the non elite CBs -- good years, bad years, so so. And we've already seen some of that arc with Delane in college, Gave up 7 TDs, which is insanely high and an 84 passer rating the season before.
C. Lack of length
But love his profile. Watched a couple of interviews, seems like a smart-good kid. And CB is IMO the weakest spot on the roster after WR, one injury away from being a disaster. And corner is a high premium position. And its clear as heck this team is high on him and considering how the board might fall, he's the betting favorite to be the pick, so more fun to buy into the hype now.
What am guessing their board is like? I'd guess they've ruled out Bailey and Reese as not falling so they are irrelevant. I was watching DJ this morning and said Bailey's floor is 4.
1. Love
2. Styles
3. Delane
Tate is a mystery. I don't have a feel for that, yet.
Then drop off.
For me personally it would be:
1. Love
2. Styles
Then drop off: Tate, Delane, Downs. These 3 can be debated for one over the other for different reasons. I'd probably go Tate over the other 2 but I do think the other 2 are better players.
As for winning now, which I do think this regime needs to do.
1. Love
2. Delane
3. Tate
And by a mile over everyone else. I do think especially for Delane the win now elevates him. Arguably easier to go CB early and WR in the third than the reverse. Also still options on the street for WR. So if Love isn't there and the objective is to win now, Delane is easily the choice.
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Adding to my above post. Judging by meetings and buzz which is heavy WR and CB. The most overrated and I think likely wrong point that Peters-Quinn like to push in their press conferences and some of the locals have parrotted their point -- that is, since they killed FA they can now do whatever they want in the draft.
IMO that would be true if they weren't in a window season with a rookie QB and it was still a new regime. But in year 3 with this regime and on a rookie contract the window is shrinking and these guys don't have forever to fix this.
And last year had two holes the size of the Grand Canyon -- WR and Edge. This year right now they have two holes the size of the Grand Canyon -- WR and CB. I am not saying they are strong everywhere else, they are clearly not. But they had two ridiculous sized weaknesses last year. And this year again they have two ridiculous sized weakness but there is still time to fix them.
Can you imagine if 31 year old Terry gets banged up again? This by a mile would be the worst starting WR corp in the league, worst than last years pathetic crop. Imagine if Amos who got banged up a lot last year and is coming off a major injury and he struggles again to stay healthy? Worst CB room in the league IMO if so. Both spots are hanging on a thread.
I know its the cool thing to say, and its a way for Peters to pat himself on the back that they covered everything and they can do whatever they want -- and of course they want the NFL to think that way so they don't come off predictable in the draft. But I don't think Peters is stupid. Last year they went into the draft with big needs at edge, in a loaded draft at edge and did nothing at that spot.
I doubt he doubles down on that approach again. I'd put money that internally in that building its a need based draft especially at CB and WR and they justify it by saying that's how the board fell, too. And in their defense the board will likely fall close enough to match need-BPA. I am not saying they go all CB-WR. But I'd put money they will draft some.
IMO that would be true if they weren't in a window season with a rookie QB and it was still a new regime. But in year 3 with this regime and on a rookie contract the window is shrinking and these guys don't have forever to fix this.
And last year had two holes the size of the Grand Canyon -- WR and Edge. This year right now they have two holes the size of the Grand Canyon -- WR and CB. I am not saying they are strong everywhere else, they are clearly not. But they had two ridiculous sized weaknesses last year. And this year again they have two ridiculous sized weakness but there is still time to fix them.
Can you imagine if 31 year old Terry gets banged up again? This by a mile would be the worst starting WR corp in the league, worst than last years pathetic crop. Imagine if Amos who got banged up a lot last year and is coming off a major injury and he struggles again to stay healthy? Worst CB room in the league IMO if so. Both spots are hanging on a thread.
I know its the cool thing to say, and its a way for Peters to pat himself on the back that they covered everything and they can do whatever they want -- and of course they want the NFL to think that way so they don't come off predictable in the draft. But I don't think Peters is stupid. Last year they went into the draft with big needs at edge, in a loaded draft at edge and did nothing at that spot.
I doubt he doubles down on that approach again. I'd put money that internally in that building its a need based draft especially at CB and WR and they justify it by saying that's how the board fell, too. And in their defense the board will likely fall close enough to match need-BPA. I am not saying they go all CB-WR. But I'd put money they will draft some.
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Corners are always a tough evaluation. But watching him and thinking about Spoon, I went back and watched Spoon. And it’s a lot like that Spider-Man pointing at each other meme.
They aren’t the same but boy are they close. And I loved Spoon in that class.
The tricky part about corners is that they are like hitters in baseball. They can get hot or cold and it happens with all of them. Make no mistake, if we draft Delane was will at times be very frustrated and at times likely nearly euphoric.
I favor him from all of the defensive prospects, but Styles is right there. After that it’s a mixed bag.
I do think I’d go Tate over him - mostly because even though I think Delane is a better overall football player corners are by nature streaky and our corner situation is somehow better than our receiver situation. And if Tate is McLaurin that is a good get there.
But if they took Delane over Tate I wouldn’t be mad.
RWJ
The Starter
Thanks, SIP. After I responded to you, I found this that you posted to KDawg: Styles and Delane over Downs. Well, most are hoping Love is there and he's the pick as I am. If Love it not there, then Styles or Delane. I am dumbfounded on why they don't like Downs. Maybe they know or they're not taking a chance on the red flag medicals that came up.
That's where I did myself as well.
I have Delane graded hire but think I'd take Tate. The reason sucks, biggest need and less chance of filling the void well for WR2 with WR1 potential through FA or at 71.
SkinsNumberOne
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Interestingly about Delane, he was VA Tech and I guess spoke with D Hall. D Hall basically said that Delane left Tech because he wasn’t getting coached well.
If true, that shows a trait that you like too, desire to grow, desire to work. D Hall apparently likes him. I also wonder if his growth was slowed there at all.
Lots of variables, as always.
If true, that shows a trait that you like too, desire to grow, desire to work. D Hall apparently likes him. I also wonder if his growth was slowed there at all.
Lots of variables, as always.
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