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

[skinsinparadise]

While I am not rooting for loses i do like the upside of them and on that point next week is big

 

[skinsinparadise]

If this club winds up with a top 3,4,5 pick, they have no business drafting there. This should be a no brainer trade down to acquire more picks to address more holes.

Tired of paint and spackle. Need a serious effort to get younger/deeper.

Feel like a skipping record every December........

Depends IMO on the draft haul.

if they actually win a draft trade down unless am forgetting one it would be the first win in like 20 years. Every trade down I can recall ranged from bad to a disaster.

 

[Bulldog]

Morale-wise after the Denver loss in overtime and how they responded against Minnesota, I don't see them winning many more games.

 

[method man]

I have no faith that we’d be happy with the usage of such a player with Kliff calling the plays. Run game was working great but you wouldn’t know it because we abandoned it on the way to a multi-score deficit. I’m not sure I believe Kliff wouldn’t piss me off underutilizing such a weapon at RB.

If you are talking about a guy like Derrick Henry, sure. If we are talking about a feature back with higher end receiving skills like Hall, I disagree

 

[skinsinparadise]

While I agree, the team needs an Edge rusher more imo. Faulk or Bain need to be the pick.

I wished I loved either one.

I started watching Reese today on and off and I am starting to buy in but need to watch more.

 

[Riggo44]

I think this game illustrates what a dynamic stud back could do with this line to take the pressure off Jayden. I’m completely with you on the need for this guy but I’m hoping the answer is Hall

Kingsbury needs to use him first. I'm pissed at how he called this game, and I think he's a very good OC. This was awful--Daniels was getting battered and he refused to run.

 

[DogofWar1]

I'm leery of trading back unless you feel like the 2nd tier of WRs and Edges are practically as good as the first tier. But indeed if you're sitting at like, 1 or 2 and there's a QB someone will come up for, absolutely, a 2nd round pick + extra + still picking probably in the top 10 is worth the difference in skill probably.

If we've got to turn lemons into lemonade (but NOT Makai Lemon), I would love something like trading from 1st down to like 6th and picking up something like a 2027 1st and 2026 2nd while still managing to get someone like Tate.

 

[skinsinparadise]

If you are talking about a guy like Derrick Henry, sure. If we are talking about a feature back with higher end receiving skills like Hall, I disagree

Ditto Love who is a passing weapon who can pass block. It was telling that Ekeler began as the starter. Kliff clear prefers the pass catching type which doesnt fit Croskey-Meritt or Rodriguez

 

[Gooseneck]

I'm leery of trading back unless you feel like the 2nd tier of WRs and Edges are practically as good as the first tier. But indeed if you're sitting at like, 1 or 2 and there's a QB someone will come up for, absolutely, a 2nd round pick + extra + still picking probably in the top 10 is worth the difference in skill probably.

If we've got to turn lemons into lemonade (but NOT Makai Lemon), I would love something like trading from 1st down to like 6th and picking up something like a 2027 1st and 2026 2nd while still managing to get someone like Tate

If we can trade back and still get a top ten pick; I am for it. I think 3 Qbs are going in the top 5.

 

[method man]

Ditto Love who is a passing weapon who can pass block. It was telling that Ekeler began as the starter. Kliff clear prefers the pass catching type which doesnt fit Croskey-Meritt or Rodriguez

James Conner fit that mold for him too in AZ

 

[skinsinparadise]

I'm leery of trading back unless you feel like the 2nd tier of WRs and Edges are practically as good as the first tier. But indeed if you're sitting at like, 1 or 2 and there's a QB someone will come up for, absolutely, a 2nd round pick + extra + still picking probably in the top 10 is worth the difference in skill probably.

If we've got to turn lemons into lemonade (but NOT Makai Lemon), I would love something like trading from 1st down to like 6th and picking up something like a 2027 1st and 2026 2nd while still managing to get someone like Tate.

i am in this boat. This team doesn’t major in elite players going back forever. I’d rather have a game changer than 2 good players.

Going through these team trade backs for decades now. The other team has won the deal. Heck they even traded down with Dallas so hooray they can get Dexter Lawrence and we got Spencer Long AND Trent Murphy. Seattle so they can get Tyler Lockett and we got three nobodies. On and on.

 

[method man]

i am in this boat. This team doesn’t major in elite players going back forever. I’d rather have a game changer than 2 good players.

Going through these team trade backs for decades now. The other team has won the deal. Heck they even traded down with Dallas so hooray they can get Dexter Lawrence and we got Spencer Long AND Trent Murphy. Seattle so they can get Tyler Lockett and we got three nobodies. On and on.

It would be a huge huge huge win if we can get a 2027 1st out of a team. Howie put together a masterclass on how to milk a future 1st for multiple years to get a lot of assets a few years back

 

[DieselPwr44]

Kliff is a "My system trumps all" type of coach. He has no interest in figuring out what a player's strength is and how he can use it to his benefit.
Norv was that way. So was Spurrier.

The run game is an after thought with guys like him even when it's working. When you got a guy that's hot (7 yards a carry), you just don't go away from him because you just have to get back to passing.

He likes running his Qb more than his backs also, which is a bad mix with a fragile QB.

 

[DCSkinz2023]

We're getting up there close enough to get an elite LT prospect, if there is one in the draft. It may make sense to get a guy you'll have for 10 years and trade Tunsil to get some picks back. If there is an elite talent there.

 

[skinsinparadise]

If we can trade back and still get a top ten pick; I am for it. I think 3 Qbs are going in the top 5.

Be surprised if Moore comes out. So guessing it will be 2.

 

[method man]

I'm leery of trading back unless you feel like the 2nd tier of WRs and Edges are practically as good as the first tier. But indeed if you're sitting at like, 1 or 2 and there's a QB someone will come up for, absolutely, a 2nd round pick + extra + still picking probably in the top 10 is worth the difference in skill probably.

If we've got to turn lemons into lemonade (but NOT Makai Lemon), I would love something like trading from 1st down to like 6th and picking up something like a 2027 1st and 2026 2nd while still managing to get someone like Tate.

My early take is there isn’t a meaningful gulf between the tier 1 and tier 2 guys at receiver or EDGE

 

[method man]

We're getting up there close enough to get an elite LT prospect, if there is one in the draft. It may make sense to get a guy you'll have for 10 years and trade Tunsil to get some picks back. If there is an elite talent there.

First off, there isn’t an elite LT in this draft. Second, it would be absolutely moronic to trade the guy who may be our only blue chip player to create a new gap on the team

 

[skinsinparadise]

It would be a huge huge huge win if we can get a 2027 1st out of a team. Howie put together a masterclass on how to milk a future 1st for multiple years to get a lot of assets a few years back

Yeah if they got a 2027 first, I likely be in favor of it. But if its the typical one for this team where you add a 2nd, I dont know.

The trade backs were fun in the moment but all aged horribly. Not just the first round trade backs but others too.

Cerrato’s 3 2nd round picks after the tradeback. Shanny’s was the best one but still I’d take JJ Watt over Kerrigan. The trade with Dallss. Seattle. The Rivera one with the Saints. Peters with the Eagles. All yuck.

 

[DCSkinz2023]

First off, there isn’t an elite LT in this draft. Second, it would be absolutely moronic to trade the guy who may be our only blue chip player to create a new gap on the team

Ok, calm down, I said if there is an elite talent. Losing those picks for a guy who does nothing to change a game for us seems moronic. Show me how he's a difference maker, and maybe I'll agree that keeping a guy who may be too old by the time we're good makes sense.

 

[Bulldog]

I don't spend a top pick on a tackle.

We invested multiple picks on Tunsil and he's going to be in his prime still for the next several years. Look at how long Trent Williams and Lane Johnson have performed at a high level.

Then we just took Conerly Jr. with a #1 pick in 2025.

That's enough draft capital spent at one position.

In my mind we need a pass rushing DE #1 and then look opportunistically at skill players for the offense in the draft.

We also need resets at tight end and at linebacker but may have to look to free agency for one or two starters here as we don't have the picks right now.

But if we were to trade Daron Payne and anyone else we can possibly move and then trade down from a top 5 pick we could end up with the 9-10 picks we had in 2024.

And hopefully make BETTER selections with them.

Right now we only netted TWO starters in Daniels and Sainristil out of those 9 draft choices in 2024 and we were picking near the top of each round.