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

[DWinzit]

lol, mocks can get me a little riled. But nothing beats the real thing.

I was probably the most angry with the Payne pick over Derwin James. I just couldn't believe James kept falling. And granted Payne has been fine. I didn't hate the player I just thought his ceiling was good, not great.

If I had to summarize why this team hasn't hit the top of the mountain -- QB obviously the number one reason. The other is this team seems to be allergic to great players. Payne is soooooo Washington. Decent player. In our world, he's a great player because relatively speaking he is in the context for the talent of this team. But on other teams, he's a decent player but nothing special. Derwin James on the other hand is mentioned as one of the greatest safeties who have played the game -- a legit star.

the other to me is the Forbes over Gonzalez drill. Why pick the obvious star -- the freakish talent? Lets be cute, and go "outside the box"

The runner up is Dotson over someone like Hamilton. I liked Dotson (was wrong about him) but graded him in the 2nd round. I loved Hamilton though. It wasn't hard to love him. Teams like the Ravens and Eagles for example, just take guys who are universally seen as studs, they don't try to be cute.

Man, there were a lot of draft days where Washingons first round selections caused items being thrown at the TV. Here are a few as they pop in my head - Haskins, Jamin, Campbell, Doctson, and I hated taking Young but didn't throw anything

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[skinsinparadise]

Man, there were a lot of draft days where Washingons first round selections caused items being thrown at the TV. Here are a few as they pop in my head - Haskins, Jamin, Campbell, Doctson, and I hated taking Young but didn't throw anything

I loved Fitzpatrick and Derwin James. Also thought Vea >> Payne. All of those takes aged well. I didn't hate Payne but didn't see star potential in him like the other 3. Vea and Fitzpatrick were gone before their pick but James was still on the board. lol, I was furious.

I along with volsmet (volsmet got me going on this initially) were so opposed to Haskins (RIP) that we were rooting on ther draft ES thread for him to go before the pick as the draft was unfolding. But I was resigned that it was going to happen.

I wanted Darrisaw in the Jamin draft. I liked Jamin as a 2nd rounder (was wrong about him), it was a reach but talked myself into it.

I did love Chase Young, I was stoked about that pick.

Thinking about picks they made of players that I didn't like and hit them on the draft thread but talked myself into it after they took them: Gandy-Golden, Ryan Anderson.

Sort of with Dotson and Jamin, too. I liked both players but not as first rounders. But talked myself into the pick even though that's not who I wanted in the first.

I hated the Forbes over Gonzalez pick, was one of the more vocal critics of it -- tried to talk myself into it for a day or two, and then lol I turned on Rivera and trashed that whole draft and became a really loud Rivera critic.

I did a deep dive in to the WRs most years including a couple of drafts back and had McCaffrey as a 6th rounder, but talked myself into it after they took him. Thought the jury is still out on him. I think that pick is ok -- late third even though I graded him much lower.

 

[DWinzit]

Oh Minkah Fitzpatrick is on my top 10 draft crush list of all time. There have been so many frustrating mid round picks as well, way too many to list lol

 

[skinsinparadise]

Oh Minkah Fitzpatrick is on my top 10 draft crush list of all time. There have been so many frustrating mid round picks as well, way too many to list lol

With me too as to other picks. But Ryan Anderson and Gandy Golden really stood out to me because I didn't think much at all about either player. At least with McCaffrey for example, I thought it was a reach but saw some potential in him. I also thought Sinnott was a round too early -- I liked him but didn't love him, I recall saying he struggles to seperate.

 

[Canuck]

What an awful mock. Woods at #10? Really?

I agree its wonky, but nothing surprises me, FWIW, this same mock predicted the top 5 of 9 lasyt year.

The biggest thing I get from it is that the league values pass rush, receivers and OL above all else (other than QB)

 

[skinsinparadise]

I agree its wonky, but nothing surprises me, FWIW, this same mock predicted the top 5 of 9 lasyt year.

The biggest thing I get from it is that the league values pass rush, receivers and OL above all else (other than QB)

Usually the mocks where the beat guys do the picks for their team -- ESPN, Athletic, etc -- tend to be much more on the money closer to the draft after their intel improves let alone I'd guess most of these teams haven't decided what they are doing just yet.

 

[Canuck]

This is going back more than a few years, but after winning the SB, trading 2 FRP to trade up for Desmond Howard still takes the cake.

 

[skinsinparadise]

This is going back more than a few years, but after winning the SB, trading 2 FRP to trade up for Desmond Howard still takes the cake.

I recall Joe Gibbs' comment back then which was more or less studying him "he is can't miss."

Shows how hard is it to do evaluations. Gibbs was a great coach but bad with personnel. Falling in love with TJ Duckett, Jason Camobell, etc.

 

[DWinzit]

This is going back more than a few years, but after winning the SB, trading 2 FRP to trade up for Desmond Howard still takes the cake.

That was a cluster f for sure. We were in dire need of a DE and a CB. There were a bunch of really good ones that went on to stellar careers and we wasted the day on that dude.

 

[Canuck]

I recall Joe Gibbs' comment back then which was more or less studying him "he is can't miss."

Shows how hard is it to do evaluations. Gibbs was a great coach but bad with personnel. Falling in love with TJ Duckett, Jason Camobell, etc.

I actually think that move was the begginning of the demise of this team.

 

[DWinzit]

With me too as to other picks. But Ryan Anderson and Gandy Golden really stood out to me because I didn't think much at all about either player. At least with McCaffrey for example, I thought it was a reach but saw some potential in him. I also thought Sinnott was a round too early -- I liked him but didn't love him, I recall saying he struggles to seperate.

I did hate the Anderson pick, it actually left me in one of those WFT moments that still lingers today lol

 

[DWinzit]

Well we had some good picks too...to change the subject. Some of my favs were Jon Jansen and Bailey in the same year, Orakpo, Smoot, Samuels, Frank Wycheck, and I liked grabbing Montez after the Haskins debacle

 

[Riggo44]

Decent player. In our world, he's a great player because relatively speaking he is in the context for the talent of this team. But on other teams, he's a decent player but nothing special.

Textbook definition of Ashburn Syndrome.

 

[HTTR]

Yeah if its true. Will see.

I've seen a few reporters say they see him as a rotational guy with durabilty concerns and want a different top back. I've seen Kenneth Walker linked to them over and over again.

A lot of stories coming out about who they like and who they don't.

Very little chance if any they get Kenneth walker. The only reason he wanted to leave Seattle is because he has to split time and cede goal and carries to a younger bigger back. I would imagine the last thing he wants to do is go to the same situation on a crappy team. He will have multiple better options.

And I’d be surprised if they are that down on Skatt. He was the darling of their fanbase and media before he got hurt. And everything I read is he will be fully healthy going into next year.

I’m hoping the running back talk just subterfuge and we don’t have to worry about them taking Love.

 

[Chris]

I have still yet to see one reputable NFL voice report about Caleb Downs medical concerns. I haven’t seen everything that has been posted so pretty please point to one if it exists.

Otherwise I’m going to view this ‘news’ as a targeted attack on the player to get him to drop.

 

[DogofWar1]

Ok, so we need to figure out who our guy is, and get Tunsil to mail him his gas mask, so he falls to us...

*Me going up to David Bailey*

"But like, nothing toooooo serious we need you not in jail, okay?"

 

[HTTR]

Cool, I'll check it out. Them taking Bain over Styles would put my TV's health in danger. I felt like breaking my TV when they took Forbes over Gonzalez -- lol I recall on ES saying as the pick approached I'll have a stroke if they take Forbes especially with Gonzalez on the board.

This was the one that killed it for me as well. I’ve never been so angry at a draft pick. Not just Gonzalez falling in our lap but Joey Porter sitting right there. And I remember how you loved Gonzalez, but we were all assuming he’d be gone before our pick. What a disaster.

 

[Dlts20]

Those are links to mocks, if we go by that every team is being talked about with different ties to players

We have heard one name over and over again and that is Styles. We have heard one name over and over again in FA and that is Walker. I am not talking about mocks.

Specifically as leaks about supposedly what THEY like, not Kiper, PFF or name that mock drafter -- they really really want a LB, they would take Styles in a second if he's there. We got Harbaugh commented on Downs but I don't take that too seriously. they really really want a top RB in FA, preferably Walker but if they don't get him then Love is on the table.

True or not? I don't know but mock drafters aren't what am talking about. I am talking specifically about stories about how the Giants brass supposedly feels about a number of players.

Along woth other things such as their current regime isn't as high on Skattebo as the previous one. What FAs they expect them to let go. On and on.

Nah, I was posting on here a couple of weeks ago that all the talk on NY radio was that everyone thought they were going WR but that Harbaugh is actually in love with Caleb Downs. All of their radio and podcast were talking about it which made sense to me after him having guys like Ed Reed and Hamlin. Now actually listening, I guess that it was from Harbaughs own statements.. This was 2 weeks ago.

 

[bifflog]

At least on this thread, there wasn't a lot of clamoring for the "unlikely" event that Bain somehow manages to fall to us. I'd say at best this thread was divided on it. Twitter probaby at least close to be divided.

It's not weird either as supposedly what the NFL thinks. Both McShay and Brugler said many weeks ago that Bain is a polarizing prospect within the NFL scouting community.

I among others thought there was a good chance Bain would be there at 7 before the combine. The combine simply confirmed the sub 31 inch arms that were previously measured as sub 31 inch arms.

Your point seems to be we were all excited by Bain, would love to have him but darn he is too good to fall to 7, got shocked by the measurement and then all turned on him and now are sour on something we were once excited by. If so, I get the point. But its not so. ...

I was more talking about the greater "we" of fans of the team paying attention to the draft than necessarily the board. But if we're talking about projections, how is "unlikely" a bad descriptor if the guy is the #3 prospect on the consensus big board, and 2nd highest ADP on something like the PFF simulator? Also this is just devils advocating because why not, I've heard the same evals everyone else has by now and don't particularly want the player either, but we are going to have to pick somebody and we might not be able to trade out. The "funny" part is that you could end up selecting a player who would be a net positive in terms of actual pick relative to consensus rank (barring a big drop in the next few weeks, which could happen, but that would be minus even less meaningful activities and more just actual intel from teams getting out), but it still be a perceived disaster.