method man
The Starter
This is where I am at. We have fundamental holes at EDGE and WR that we must address before using this pick on a nonpremium position like S or RB
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The 2026 Draft Thread - 1st Round - 7th overall
- Thread starter Canadian Hog
- Start date
This is where I am at. We have fundamental holes at EDGE and WR that we must address before using this pick on a nonpremium position like S or RB
The Chump Bailey
The 1st Round Pick
Hoosier WR Elijah Sarratt could be a sleeper heading into the draft.
Oh yeah, Waffle House is on my late 2nd round list...we just need a 2nd round pick.
His nickname was given to him because he is always open. He has great hands, is tough and specializes in intermediate routes. He only knock is he is not a burner
clskinsfan
The Starter
Quite a college career as well. From St. Francis to JMU to the number one team in the country. Pretty amazing really.
Riggo44
The Team Captain
While I agree WR and DE are much bigger and impactful positions than safety or RB, this approach to the draft leads to bad decisions. Give Daniels a weapon like Barkley, and watch the offense open up. Kingsbury might actually stick to the run! (Mildly sarcastic, this last game not withstanding, I think Kliff does well and is a good OC, but that's for another thread).
What if Downs turns into Ed Reed (I read this as a comp to Downs, I don't recall where or its validity, but it's to make a point), while Jordyn Tyson turns into Josh Doctson? Or the DEs turn into Montez Sweat?
I've seen this sentiment a lot and it just makes my eye twitch--it's Daron Payne over Derwin James.
The Chump Bailey
The 1st Round Pick
Yeah, his hands stood out big time.
Riggo44
The Team Captain
Oh the dreaded draft day trade dilemma!
This is why I love the draft and all the analysis and the drama and machinations!
Depends to me on free agency. But yeah in general I've been beating to death this has to be a code red off season at edge and Wr. No cosmetic, half ass attempts to do it -- fuil out, 100 miles an hour.
Peters took that approach at the O line last off season but arguably half assed everything else. This off season he has to take the same approach he did to Edge and WR that he did for O line.
Riggo44
The Team Captain
Except trading a bunch of picks--no matter how good the Tunsil trade is. This draft is going to be very intriguing for the next 4+ months
If they sign a Pierce and Hendrickson for example in FA, I'd be open to Downs and Love in big ways in the draft especially if they traded down.
Downs beyond what I posted about him is also a leader who clearly has a beat on the opponent's game plan and lol would help direct this secondary out of their perpetual confusion.
Love IMO has the potential to be a Bijan or Barkley.
Bulldog
The Legend
Getting a top 5 pick to me is vital in that we will likely have the chance to move down and pick up enough picks to bring in a bevy of talent for 2026, if Peters and Co. don't swing for the fences and simply take the picks and make SANE selections for guys that rank where they are being taken.
No more flyers in Round 2 or 3. That's WAY TOO early to be taking risks on good athletes that come in trying to find their true NFL position.
No more flyers in Round 2 or 3. That's WAY TOO early to be taking risks on good athletes that come in trying to find their true NFL position.
Bulldog
The Legend
Pass rushing DE and true franchise breaking WR have been needs on this team since Gibbs retired............the FIRST time.
You can't stop the run putting guys Luvu's size with their hands in the dirt to rush the passer on the outside because they are too often exposed by the late handoff or run against the grain where they are knocked out of the play by 320 pound guards they are not big enough to anchor against.
That's one reason Micah Parsons is a feast or famine player. He has had a 3 sack game but he also as I recall was run over by the Packers in the playoffs and by other teams that were able to put Dallas in the position of having to defend both ways.
You can't stop the run putting guys Luvu's size with their hands in the dirt to rush the passer on the outside because they are too often exposed by the late handoff or run against the grain where they are knocked out of the play by 320 pound guards they are not big enough to anchor against.
That's one reason Micah Parsons is a feast or famine player. He has had a 3 sack game but he also as I recall was run over by the Packers in the playoffs and by other teams that were able to put Dallas in the position of having to defend both ways.
Watched a PFF mock last night, for Washington at 6 they took Downs. Several different shows they mentioned that they don't think Downs gets past Cincy's pick.
He is one of my favs and would be of great value if you get him out of the top 10. He could easily become the leader of this teams D for the next decade
Yeah the only things that make me ok with:
A. The trade down no matter what folks
B. If they steal game or two and end up picking 10-12
Getting Downs or Love.
I used to be in the trade down no matter what camp. But what changed me:
A. We lost EVERY trade for decades and mosty lost them big. At a minimuim it shows that trading down isn't a given win.
B. This team doesn't do elite players. We just don't have guys like that on the roster -- dude that team's game plan for.
Heck I've seen Frankie Luvu as the featured player on a commercial for a national matchup this year. Granted injuries to Jayden and Terry were part of it but it brings home the lack of star power here.
But Love and Downs IMO are genuine studs. So if its for them it wouldn't feel like trading down for Dotson, Trent Murphy, Malcom Kelly, etc.
What is your favorite WR comp in the class?
Miller: Carnell Tate to Justin Jefferson. I know, I know ... this sounds wild. But it's on point when comparing Tate to what Jefferson was at LSU -- not what he is doing now in the NFL. Both are 6-foot-3 and around 200 pounds. They each excelled as route runners while also being dominant on 50-50 balls thanks to vertical skills and body-adjustment ability. I'm not predicting Tate will take the NFL by storm and become a top player as quickly as Jefferson did, but their skill sets are very similar when evaluating where they were entering the draft.
What are scouts saying about edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.?
Miller: Bain is seen as a top-five player and one of the most pro-ready players in the class. "He's Trey Hendrickson," said an AFC East scout who has seen Bain in person. And a scout from the NFC North said, "He's the safest bet on defense because he brings a power element to his game and has more than enough quickness. He's a Day 1 RDE and 10-year starter."
Bain's tape doesn't show the sheer speed of Reese or previous highly drafted defensive ends, but what he lacks in chase skills he makes up for in power and leverage at 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds. In that way he's very similar to Jared Verse.
Which top-tier edge rushers will be the most interesting evaluations over the next few months?
Kiper: I'll cheat and say two names because they have similar reasoning. Clemson's T.J. Parker and Auburn's Keldric Faulk have all the traits in the world and have shown they can get to the QB. Parker had 11 sacks in 2024 and shows speed-to-power. Faulk had seven sacks in 2024 and wins with inside and outside moves. But neither has produced much in 2025.
Faulk is stuck at two sacks through 12 games, and Parker needed a three-sack performance against South Carolina on Saturday to get to five on the season. Their evaluations are going to remind folks of Shemar Stewart in the leadup to this year's draft -- great skill set, questionable production. Faulk is still in my top 25 right now, but Parker has fallen out.
Caleb Downs is awesome, but could we really see a safety go in the top five?
Reid: It's extremely unlikely. You would have to go back to the 2010 draft to see a safety picked in the top five (Eric Berry went to the Chiefs at No. 5). Jamal Adams (2017) is the most recent to be selected in the top 10. Now, if we're stacking prospects purely on talent, I believe Downs is one of the five best players in this class, and he's ranked No. 2 overall on my board. He is a consistent tackler with great ball skills (two INTs on the season). But although Downs is exceptional, it would go against the norm to see an NFL team draft Downs inside the top 10, much less the top five.
Call dibs on a prospect in this class: Who's your guy?
Miller: David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech. Bailey transferred from Stanford to Tech and has been a game wrecker for the Red Raiders' defensive line all season. He's quick off the edge at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, racks up a ton of pressures and hurries and -- most importantly -- plays with a relentless pursuit of the quarterback. He's not my top edge rusher (second on my board), but Bailey is a guy I'll go to bat for throughout the predraft process.
Yates: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State. In what can be described as an annual tradition, Ohio State will have a wide receiver taken in the first round (plus another in 2027 in Jeremiah Smith). Tate has very good size at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, but his superpowers are his route running and catch radius. He is a vacuum for nearly every target thrown his way and is also an excellent separator down the field. He has some big slot ability as well, a tool that will allow a playcaller to put him into even more advantageous spots at the NFL level. I won't be surprised if Tate winds up in the top 10 as the first wideout taken.
2026 NFL draft questions: Top prospects, QB class, risers
Who's in the hunt to go No. 1? How does the QB class look? Which teams need defense? And who could rise at the combine? Let's answer big questions on this class.
It looks like we will pick between 4-8.
Assuming a couple QB's go early, we should be in a good place to take a stud or to be able to trade back slightly and still get a stud like Downs, Love along with some top WR's and Edges
Assuming a team in the top 10 wants to trade up, which to me is a big wildcard
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