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

[Simeon]

Pass rusher is probably 1st on the list. We are also going to be in the market for TE1.

As good as we are expected to be, we still have a lot of needs.

Maybe this would be logical to us but our ideas for top priority were ignored the last two years and we were surprised by AP’s choices and came around to seeing the logic of it. I think he will take the best player available in rounds 1-3 and factor in needs more after that. And we won’t know how it falls until it happens. Weird, I know.

 

[Bulldog]

We have been talking about edge players through two administrations here and we haven’t taken one yet.

I agree we need a premiere rusher but that just doesn’t appear to be a need we are able to address at the right moment where the draft board falls.

The fact guys like Chris Jones, Trey Hendrickson - the best rushers were drafted OUTSIDE of Round 1 may give a clue where that guy is going to come from.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

Appreciate you being flexible on this and leaving it in the main forum here, a lot of us newer faces have a deep history with spending a lot of time in these draft threads even during the season (in a Washington-related way), probably as a coping mechanism for how bad we were in recent decades 😂 but having it here on the main forum will bring a lot of value even before draft season imo, gracias

In years past on ES, the draft thread was just about the only thread I bothered posting in for half the year. I mean, we've been so awful at times under Dan Snyder.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

We have been talking about edge players through two administrations here and we haven’t taken one yet.

I agree we need a premiere rusher but that just doesn’t appear to be a need we are able to address at the right moment where the draft board falls.

The fact guys like Chris Jones, Trey Hendrickson - the best rushers were drafted OUTSIDE of Round 1 may give a clue where that guy is going to come from.

It's also possible they've looked at the hit rate for Edge's and thought they could get more reliable success through veterans in FA plus blitzing. They did draft Newton early in Round 2 though, so interior pass rushers could still be considered a worthwhile pick. It's only been 2 drafts under Adam Peters so there's so much still unknown about his preferences.

 

[Primus Porcus]

Year 1 of this regime took Jayden Daniels in the first round.

Year 2 took Conerly (a position of need) that appears to be a positive move.

Not sure i'd look at either draft and say "i'd rather" especially when looking at how things have panned out with EDGE guys in the first round of this last draft. It'll happen.... when it's what's best for the team.

 

[RexTomb]

EDIT: I will delete or edit this post after the first NCAA game is played next year. But somebody probably will have to remind me to do that.

Might want to delete this....

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Might want to delete this....

Did not delete. But did edit.

It’s go time baby!!!!

 

[RedWolf]

Reuben Bain Jr., DE, the U, predicted end of first round. Somebody to keep an eye on

 

[Riggo44]

I saw some highlights--he looked impressive.

Watching the LSU-Clemson game, Whit Weeks for LSU was all over the place, chased down Klubnik a couple of times. Him and Perkins really stood out

 

[Riggo44]

In years past on ES, the draft thread was just about the only thread I bothered posting in for half the year. I mean, we've been so awful at times under Dan Snyder.

This was the only place we ever had any hope.

 

[DWinzit]

Here are the top 10 WR's right now

And top 10 at Edge (I have already posted on a few of thee guys):

 

[The Chump Bailey]

In years past on ES, the draft thread was just about the only thread I bothered posting in for half the year. I mean, we've been so awful at times under Dan Snyder.

I'll take the opportunity to submit a mea culpa about Drake Maye and those on here that supported him for our selection. Dude is very good and can process just fine

 

[DWinzit]

The Manning clan is going to be telling Arch he isn't ready yet

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

The Manning clan is going to be telling Arch he isn't ready yet

But what would the Manning clan (Peyton couldn't beat Belichick, Eli wasn't elite, and pops played on really bad teams) know about football? I think they should seek outside, professional, qualified advice in quarterback evaluation....

Maybe they should get experts like Chris Simms and Tim Hasselbeck to chime in privately as to their opinion on Arch's prospects and readiness.

 

[bowhunter]

But what would the Manning clan (Peyton couldn't beat Belichick, Eli wasn't elite, and pops played on really bad teams) know about football? I think they should seek outside, professional, qualified advice in quarterback evaluation....

Maybe they should get experts like Chris Simms and Tim Hasselbeck to chime in privately as to their opinion on Arch's prospects and readiness.

Jaydens Mom is an agent. May be a perfect fit (as long as Arch is OK getting c*** blocked on occasion)

 

[Conn]

The Manning clan is going to be telling Arch he isn't ready yet

Arch Manning’s mechanics are so incredibly horrible that I can’t imagine he spends any time at all with either of his NFL QB uncles, at least not in a football sense or a “getting ready for the league” sense. That kid is not getting Peyton’s advice on footwork, throwing mechanics, or anything else. There’s no way

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Arch Manning’s mechanics are so incredibly horrible that I can’t imagine he spends any time at all with either of his NFL QB uncles, at least not in a football sense or a “getting ready for the league” sense. That kid is not getting Peyton’s advice on footwork, throwing mechanics, or anything else. There’s no way

Which is odd given Peyton at least used to run the manning camp for QBs.

Joking aside, you’d have to think Peyton and Eli watch the games and there has to be some face palming going on. Arch probably is more physically gifted than either of them, certainly more athletic. I bet they both are saying “if I had that mobility I’d never have lost.”

I do wonder if he is getting advice from his family. Because he should.

 

[Conn]

Which is odd given Peyton at least used to run the manning camp for QBs.

Joking aside, you’d have to think Peyton and Eli watch the games and there has to be some face palming going on. Arch probably is more physically gifted than either of them, certainly more athletic. I bet they both are saying “if I had that mobility I’d never have lost.”

I do wonder if he is getting advice from his family. Because he should.

It’s puzzling. You’d think at least in the offseason they’d be drilling him on the white board and working him out, preparing the next generation of the Manning legacy, but maybe that’s not their relationship or never was when he was growing up, who knows. I know it has to physically hurt Peyton to see Arch take a snap and stumble around in the pocket

I do remember hearing at some point that he was asked about his relationship with his QB uncles and he really downplayed it

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

It’s puzzling. You’d think at least in the offseason they’d be drilling him on the white board and working him out, preparing the next generation of the Manning legacy, but maybe that’s not their relationship or never was when he was growing up, who knows. I know it has to physically hurt Peyton to see Arch take a snap and stumble around in the pocket

I do remember hearing at some point that he was asked about his relationship with his QB uncles and he really downplayed it

I have an uncle who is a surgeon and ended up being the CEO/medical director at multiple hospitals. If I had any desire (or talent) to go into medicine, he would have become my best friend and I would have been his shadow.

If you have a HOF uncle and whatever Eli is (at worst 2 time SB winning QB) you put yourself in a situation to learn everything you possibly can from them. Thats on you.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

I have an uncle who is a surgeon and ended up being the CEO/medical director at multiple hospitals. If I had any desire (or talent) to go into medicine, he would have become my best friend and I would have been his shadow.

If you have a HOF uncle and whatever Eli is (at worst 2 time SB winning QB) you put yourself in a situation to learn everything you possibly can from them. Thats on you.

Some people aren't built that way. They feel like they have to "make their own path" - sometimes that comes from a semi-good place, where it's about YOUR hard work and determination, and wanting that to show through. Other times, it comes from an arrogance; like, I don't want to be in that person's shadow, because hey, they cast BIG shadows.

I mean, I get how the psychology on that side works. At what point do you say, man, I need some help here. The flip though, Sarkisian isn't some scrub coach supposedly. Most of what I know about him is by general rep, but he's supposed to know O, I'm sure he can see issues. Maybe Arch assumes that structure they have at UT should be enough... or maybe he's not very coachable. Hard to know.

Quick aside: I was a big VT fan due to my brother going to VT, he was class of 94. I was a fan of Mike Vick. Marcus (his bro) was said to be "even better" - and he was wearing his hoodie over his head while he was redshirted. Word was Mike bought him a pretty sweet ride and he was being given pretty high treatment on campus. Suffice to say, he didn't amount to a lot. I think it's tough sometimes without the right structure in place; I don't know if that is the Arch problem or not, but I will say, seeing him get that TD and kind of puff himself to the one dude who tried to tackle him didn't make me very enamored under the circumstances. Earn that bravado a bit more.