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

[skinsinparadise]

I actually think Tyson is a better compliment for Terry McLaurin than Tate. To me Tate is X WR who is a good deep threat, solid zone feel, and good contested catch guy. I think Terry is actually a good comp for him. Tyson is more of a route runner who can seperate well against man coverage. Terry is an okay seperater but its not his speciality and I don't think that will be Tate's speciality either. I think pairing Tyson separation ability against man with Terry is the best compliment

Tate started at Z for Ohio State last season. I think he'd be more than fine at it in the pros. Can play X, too.

I get the Ohio State comp for Terry, Terry was one of my guys that year. And Terry like Tate and a great YPC, and was the deep threat on the team. Tate with better production. I think they are different in ways where Terry in college was more the burner. In the pros he became the contested catch guy.

Tate comes off more sure handed and smoother of a pass catcher than the Ohio State version of Terry. Both good blockers in college. So agree some parallels.

Tate, the college version versus Terry, had the bigger catch radius using his height. In short, the NFL Terry is different than the college version.

Tyson is a really good seperator, I agree. I'd love him if he were a YAC guy but he isn't one. or I'd love it if he were more of a deep threat. I want to see his speed. For all three actually.

I think Tate and Tyson are different type of flavors. Lemon, too. I know some here say Tyson is the best of the three and by a mile. To each their own but I don't see that.

I get your point about a WR who is very different from Terry. I agree Tyson is more different in that context than Tate. But IMO they are different enough. Plus with Jayden's deep ball, I think this team is limited with just one deep ball threat so Tate serves on that front.

But if its purely to be different from Terry, I think that's Lemon. He has Terry's feistiness. But otherwise he's very different. Quick seperator on all three levels.

 

[method man]

I want to love Tate due to the archetype he fills that we need so badly. I want to really like Tyson while acknowledging his injury concerns.

But I really can’t justify putting either over Lemon the more I see. I think valuing Tate over him, for me, would mean that I’m letting what I perceive our needs to be influence my opinion too much. Because Lemon is a better football player. And I’m starting to doubt that it’s really close, after fighting through my “big strong outside WR” bias I’ve had the last couple months.

I think that slot bias is going to drop Lemon to 10-15 range. Will be good value for someone there

 

[Conn]

I’m not saying this is the comp but when I look at JSN tearing up the league this year after people thought he might be a pure low-DOT slot (what a waste that was, the way he was used as a rookie), I see Lemon being able to be used like that in a lot of ways. Great mover, natural with the ball in his hands and dangerous at all three levels. Screen production not over-represented in his profile, which is a big red flag for me when it comes to these seemingly explosive guys.

 

[Conn]

I think that slot bias is going to drop Lemon to 10-15 range. Will be good value for someone there

Yeah. And that’s scary to me given the type of WR’s that have been tearing up the league in recent years are “slot guys” that are actually just dangerous. ARSB, JSN, Puka

 

[KDawg]

The wide receiver class is quite frankly stacked. I'd be all about skipping a round one receiver... if we had a second round pick.

Lemon
Tate
Tyson
Sarratt
Z. Branch
Ted Hurst
Malachi Fields
Denzel Boston
Chris Bell
KC Concepcion
Chris Brazzell
Germie Bernard

The problem at hand is that we have basically one real shot at a receiver. And then we're out. I'd be shocked if any of those guys fell to our next pick as it currently stands.

As far as Edge goes - I am souring on Bailey and liking Bain more (shocker) based on the Viking defense. If we run a different variation than I am thinking then it is what it is. But the versatility of Bain is huge up front for this kind of defense.

Bailey actually falls behind Reese for me, too. Based on our team. Maybe not for the league ratings. But for THIS team, I think Bailey falls below Downs, Bain, Reese and maybe even Sonny Styles (who I really don't want to draft in the first at pick 7) and potentially even Howell. If we were running a true even front defense with true even personnel he'd still probably be the top guy on my board, though. So if we intend to go that route it still makes sense for him to be priority 1.

I'm really kind of interested in the mid round guys.

Josiah Trotter at linebacker would be such an incredible snag. I think he is my favorite backer in this class.

 

[Dlts20]

As of right now I got

1- Reese

2- Bailey

3- Tyson

4- Downs

5- Love

If Reese and Bailey are gone, I would consider moving down for the right deal if you think that someone you like will still be there. It's possible, even if it's for a pick swap, like our 3rd for there 2nd if it's a nice sized jump. It's pretty deep early with good talent.

 

[method man]

The wide receiver class is quite frankly stacked. I'd be all about skipping a round one receiver... if we had a second round pick.

Lemon
Tate
Tyson
Sarratt
Z. Branch
Ted Hurst
Malachi Fields
Denzel Boston
Chris Bell
KC Concepcion
Chris Brazzell
Germie Bernard

The problem at hand is that we have basically one real shot at a receiver. And then we're out. I'd be shocked if any of those guys fell to our next pick as it currently stands.

As far as Edge goes - I am souring on Bailey and liking Bain more (shocker) based on the Viking defense. If we run a different variation than I am thinking then it is what it is. But the versatility of Bain is huge up front for this kind of defense.

Bailey actually falls behind Reese for me, too. Based on our team. Maybe not for the league ratings. But for THIS team, I think Bailey falls below Downs, Bain, Reese and maybe even Sonny Styles (who I really don't want to draft in the first at pick 7) and potentially even Howell. If we were running a true even front defense with true even personnel he'd still probably be the top guy on my board, though. So if we intend to go that route it still makes sense for him to be priority 1.

I'm really kind of interested in the mid round guys.

Josiah Trotter at linebacker would be such an incredible snag. I think he is my favorite backer in this class.

Wouldn’t an odd front where Bailey gets to attack as a standup pass rusher be where he best fits? I would think he would struggle as an even front hand in the ground rusher

 

[method man]

As of right now I got

1- Reese

2- Bailey

3- Tyson

4- Downs

5- Love

If Reese and Bailey are gone, I would consider moving down for the right deal if you think that someone you like will still be there. It's possible, even if it's for a pick swap, like our 3rd for there 2nd if it's a nice sized jump. It's pretty deep early with good talent.

I took a look at the hit rate for high 3rd round picks and it’s lower than what one would expect. I would be interested in swapping up from that 3rd to a high 2nd if the opportunity presented itself

 

[KDawg]

Wouldn’t an odd front where Bailey gets to attack as a standup pass rusher be where he best fits? I would think he would struggle as an even front hand in the ground rusher

You’re looking at the 3-4 OLB as a pass rusher only, but they also have linebacker duties such as coverage. And they also need to be able to hold the edge.

 

[method man]

Conn Moving over our conversation regarding the focus with Day 3 picks under AP, it’s been all over the place with philosophy. Issue is sample size has been small

Magee - traits
JJB - injury riddled college career
Lane - foundational skill as a punt returner but raw otherwise
Kain - position convert with good tape as a 6th year senior but raw
Bill - missed his senior year due to eligibility

4 of the 5 seem to be hits so far as my bar for a Day 3 pick is “did you get a contributor and is the guy likely to have made it/did make it thru his rookie deal?"

However, to your point, some of these hits have to be doubles (starters), triples (very good starters) and home runs (All Pros). Otherwise, while your batting average may be high, your slugging percentage is low

 

[method man]

You’re looking at the 3-4 OLB as a pass rusher only, but they also have linebacker duties such as coverage. And they also need to be able to hold the edge.

I don't know what Bailey's TTU tape shows in terms of coverage responsibilities but draftniks agree that his Stanford tape shows solid/good ability in coverage. Regarding run defense, I believe it was philibusters who posted that Bailey struggles as a run defender in a 3-4 where he has to read and react but is perfectly fine in the TTU scheme where he can attack downhill.

I would also imagine it is harder to hold the edge as an event front guy vs as an odd front guy, hence why even front guys tend to be bigger. I'm curious as to why you think he'd be better in an even front vs an odd front

 

[Conn]

Conn Moving over our conversation regarding the focus with Day 3 picks under AP, it’s been all over the place with philosophy. Issue is sample size has been small

Magee - traits
JJB - injury riddled college career
Lane - foundational skill as a punt returner but raw otherwise
Kain - position convert with good tape as a 6th year senior but raw
Bill - missed his senior year due to eligibility

4 of the 5 seem to be hits so far as my bar for a Day 3 pick is “did you get a contributor and is the guy likely to have made it/did make it thru his rookie deal?"

However, to your point, some of these hits have to be doubles (starters), triples (very good starters) and home runs (All Pros). Otherwise, while your batting average may be high, your slugging percentage is low

Very well put. You need a baseline of NFL talent making up your roster, for sure—especially when you’re trying to rise from the depths of irrelevancy like us. But eventually some of these low-percentage guys have to really pop, for the roster to turn out special. And if that’s not happening at all, you at least have to keep your premium picks (1’s, 2’s, 3’s) and consistently knock them out of the park. But when you steal a 4th-5th round all-pro, essentially cheating the system to gain an extra 1st round talent or two at a low, low cost…that’s when special things can happen.

 

[KDawg]

I don't know what Bailey's TTU tape shows in terms of coverage responsibilities but draftniks agree that his Stanford tape shows solid/good ability in coverage. Regarding run defense, I believe it was philibusters who posted that Bailey struggles as a run defender in a 3-4 where he has to read and react but is perfectly fine in the TTU scheme where he can attack downhill.

I would also imagine it is harder to hold the edge as an event front guy vs as an odd front guy, hence why even front guys tend to be bigger. I'm curious as to why you think he'd be better in an even front vs an odd front

I don’t love Bailey’s change of direction and I haven’t personally seen him play in space. Bailey can win vs. tackles in a 5 and 9, but he tends to get upfield in his rushes at times. As a 5 that works to help hold the edge. In a 9 it can work, but as an OLB that isn’t always aligned at the LoS or that has coverage responsibilities you are putting him in a place that his skill set doesn’t excel at.

Bailey is a pure pass rusher. As good as any in this class. I don’t love giving him other duties in the pass game other than rushing the passer.

Now, schematically, this can be schemed around. You can use him in ways where that IS his primary responsibility and it can work.

I’ve seen some project him as a 3-4 OLB, too. Maybe he can do it better than I think. That is what this whole process is for.

I’m not sure he has the coverage chops or the ability in space to thrive there, but his size of around 250 lbs does fit the profile of a 34 OLB. So we’ll see.

I’d prefer him in a 5/9 and focused on pass rushing on passing downs, though. At least at this point.

Just like I’d prefer Bain to be a 3/4i/4/5.

Reese, Howell are guys who move well and can play in space and have coverage chops.

 

[philibusters]

I don't know what Bailey's TTU tape shows in terms of coverage responsibilities but draftniks agree that his Stanford tape shows solid/good ability in coverage. Regarding run defense, I believe it was philibusters who posted that Bailey struggles as a run defender in a 3-4 where he has to read and react but is perfectly fine in the TTU scheme where he can attack downhill.

I would also imagine it is harder to hold the edge as an event front guy vs as an odd front guy, hence why even front guys tend to be bigger. I'm curious as to why you think he'd be better in an even front vs an odd front

I actually think it’s the opposite, and Bailey’s best run-defense tape lines up most cleanly with what Texas Tech asked him to do in their odd front. In that structure he’s living in wider alignments as an outside LB, not a true down lineman. His job is largely to set the edge vs weakside runs, keep outside leverage, and chase plays from the backside when runs go strong. He’s not consistently being asked to anchor against down blocks, eat doubles, or control an interior gap. That lets his best traits show up: burst, range, and the ability to arrive with bad intentions rather than sit and absorb contact.

Where people get crossed up is the idea that “3-4 = read and react.” That’s true for some edges, but not the way TTU deployed Bailey. He wasn’t two-gapping or slow-playing blocks; he was attacking from space with simplified run rules. The interior handled the dirty work, and Bailey was more of a force/contain + pursuit player. That’s why his run defense looks cleaner there than at Stanford at times — not because he suddenly became stronger, but because the role fit the skill set. As an odd-front OLB, he can be light, fast, and disruptive without being exposed.

An even front changes the math. As a 4-man edge, he’d have more frequent responsibility to hold the C-gap, take on tight ends and tackles head-up, squeeze down blocks, and survive combos without help inside. That’s why even-front DEs tend to be bigger — they’re part of the run structure, not orbiting it. Bailey can function there in the right alignment (wide-5, passing downs), but asking him to live as a base even-front run defender adds responsibilities that blunt what he does best. His cleanest projection is still as an outside LB in an odd front, where he can set edges from width, run things down, and let the front protect him from power football.

 

[Commander Wraith]

I want to love Tate due to the archetype he fills that we need so badly. I want to really like Tyson while acknowledging his injury concerns.

But I really can’t justify putting either over Lemon the more I see. I think valuing Tate over him, for me, would mean that I’m letting what I perceive our needs to be influence my opinion too much. Because Lemon is a better football player. And I’m starting to doubt that it’s really close, after fighting through my “big strong outside WR” bias I’ve had the last couple months.

Totally hear you, and I’m definitely torn. My number one criteria in terms of what this team needs (more specifically what Daniels needs) right now is quick/timely separation. Terry’s super impressive on contested catches, and a Terry clone(ish) would be great, for multiple reasons, but… I want an easy button for Jayden.

However, to your semi-implied point, how much do we factor in that a slot receiver is just not going to be on the field for a chunk of the time? Probably the solution has to do with bringing in a capable z receiver in FA (as well as a bunch of defensive pieces of course).

 

[philibusters]

Totally hear you, and I’m definitely torn. My number one criteria in terms of what this team needs (more specifically what Daniels needs) right now is quick/timely separation. Terry’s super impressive on contested catches, and a Terry clone(ish) would be great, for multiple reasons, but… I want an easy button for Jayden.

However, to your semi-implied point, how much do we factor in that a slot receiver is just not going to be on the field for a chunk of the time? Probably the solution has to do with bringing in a capable z receiver in FA (as well as a bunch of defensive pieces of course).

Lemon can play both the slot and the Z receiver position, which means you don’t have to take him off the field in two-receiver formations. He has enough straight-line speed to threaten vertical routes and crossers, can absorb contact downfield without it completely disrupting the route, is comfortable running routes out of motion, and can block in space. His best work probably comes from the slot, where his short-area quickness really shows up, but he also clearly has a Z-receiver skill set. Where he would be less effective is as a true X receiver, where he’d face constant press coverage and defenders can get hands on him early and stay attached through much of the route.

 

[philibusters]

The wide receiver class is quite frankly stacked. I'd be all about skipping a round one receiver... if we had a second round pick.

Lemon
Tate
Tyson
Sarratt
Z. Branch
Ted Hurst
Malachi Fields
Denzel Boston
Chris Bell
KC Concepcion
Chris Brazzell
Germie Bernard

The problem at hand is that we have basically one real shot at a receiver. And then we're out. I'd be shocked if any of those guys fell to our next pick as it currently stands.

As far as Edge goes - I am souring on Bailey and liking Bain more (shocker) based on the Viking defense. If we run a different variation than I am thinking then it is what it is. But the versatility of Bain is huge up front for this kind of defense.

Bailey actually falls behind Reese for me, too. Based on our team. Maybe not for the league ratings. But for THIS team, I think Bailey falls below Downs, Bain, Reese and maybe even Sonny Styles (who I really don't want to draft in the first at pick 7) and potentially even Howell. If we were running a true even front defense with true even personnel he'd still probably be the top guy on my board, though. So if we intend to go that route it still makes sense for him to be priority 1.

I'm really kind of interested in the mid round guys.

Josiah Trotter at linebacker would be such an incredible snag. I think he is my favorite backer in this class.

Guys like Kevin Coleman Jr., Tyrone Montgomery, Skyler Bell, Antonio Williams, Deion Burks, DeZhaun Stribling amongst others are good prospects. I don't think there is a hard cutoff at the guys you liisted. There will be guys available at 71 who are decent options. Roughly I see Tate, Tyson, and Lemon as tier 1, Concpcion, Boston, Bell as tier 2. And then there are like a dozen guys in tier 3 and it becomes more about what flavor of receiver you want. Whether the guy that fits you flavor is there at 71 is hard to predict, but there will be tier 3 guys available at 71.

 

[DWinzit]

When we begin talking about the 3rd and 4th round WR's, it's us adding another Luke or Lane. That's cool as long as we bring in a FA WR1-2 because the draftee would be in a battle for the WR3,4,5,6 positions.

 

[DWinzit]

Bailey has been my favorite player in the draft for a long time and my favorite for Washington. I admit that once Jones was hired I felt Reese would probably be the better fit. Either would bring talent our D has lacked.

I have been high on Styles as well and like Howell but not at 7. I'd be happy with them I there was a small trade down

 

[Conn]

When we begin talking about the 3rd and 4th round WR's, it's us adding another Luke or Lane. That's cool as long as we bring in a FA WR1-2 because the draftee would be in a battle for the WR3,4,5,6 positions.

I mean, there are certainly WR classes where the depth is excellent and you’re not taking developmental guys in the 3rd like that necessarily. The board doesn’t always fall in an advantageous way obviously, so you can’t bet on it. But for a high 3rd round pick I wouldn’t assume you’re stuck with a developmental guy, depending on the class