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The 2026 Draft Thread - 1st Round - 7th overall
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I don’t agree with him. But he backs his takes up with logic and makes sure it’s clear it’s his opinion.
I respect it completely.
burgold
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As long as the Jets believe him that's all that matters
From your mouth to the draft gods ears. But alas, at least judging by mocks, no movement up for Bain. IMO he deserves at best no movement up, best case to stay the same.
As McShay, Brugler like to say talking to scouts, he's a polarizing prospect, some dig some don't. In his pro day, he doubled down IMO on that front.
For those who are concerned he did zero to assuage those concerns -- he didn't remeasure his arms, he basically confirmed that his speed and agility was poor by not doing a single combine exercise. Zip.
For those who like him, the who cares about the bad athlete, short arms narrative -- he's a football player and he's strong with good bend, he showcased that by pushing around the sled, etc.
Seems like the only feint hope he goes before 7 is maybe the Titans, its the only team that has occasional links to him.
But feels like the Jets and Cards want to take a pass rusher, and heavily linked to Bailey and Reese. Some say the Titans, do too but would they take Bain? i suspect not but it would help this team IMO if they did, help a prospect to fall.
I wish the PFF draft guys or some in the draft media were running the Titans draft room, they would take Bain in a splt second. Are they right or wrong you got me. For me Bain is a mystery box, and not one i want to unwrap with a top 10 pick.
But it doesn't feel to me like there is much of a shot that he goes top 7 right now. But heck buzz changes as draft day approach and buzz doesn't always bear out.
Whether this team is among the pro Bain crowd as to him being polarizing in the NFL -- don't know but of course am curious. Peters not going to the U proday but headed with almost everyone of import to Ohio States makes me think at the moment that the team might be not be coveting him, but again still early, will see.
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They are down playing Bains twitchiness and athleticism. That said I still like Bailey more
Bain: Good bend -- good leg strength, strong ankles, loose hips.
I am not running the 40 or doing the shuttle, vertical, broad, etc. Means you aren't good at any of it or even pedestrian: Speed-twitch-quick explosion, change of direction, extended balance, extended body control.
If I am giving him major props for bend -- ok, I'll say a limited athlete? His bend is his superpower, no doubt.
It's not like for me at least watching him he looks like a fast mover so I don't blame him for not participating -- if he ran a 4.85 and had a 30 vertical, it would spur a lot of negative talk, so just don't do it. So I'll give him props for not doing any of it. Leave it to people's imagination and like I said for those who dig him, they will keep at it, and those who don't, won't.
And if McShay-Brugler are right, and he is polarizing within the NFL -- don't give any fuel to it. So from his standpoint and his agent, I think it was a smart move. But there is zero about his proday that I think improved his stock.
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I mean, his film speaks for itself as far as his athleticism. I don’t care if OL or Edges don’t run the 40 - it doesn’t matter.
And I don’t need a vert number to see Bain is explosive.
I get the criticism - short arms (although his differential of height to arms is in range with successful edges). I get questioning why he didn’t run the drills.
That criticism isn’t lost.
But the “bad” or “limited” athlete thing just screams “underwear Olympics matter too much” to me. His film speaks for itself. He isn’t injured. He did football drills.
Remeasuring arm length isn’t necessary. His arms didn’t grow 1.25” in 3 weeks.
People not wanting to take the risk on Bain based on historical precedent I get. People asking why he didn’t do drills… I get.
But bad or limited athlete… the film tells you that isn’t true.
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I get that. I don’t agree. But I get it. But it’s clear he has twitch, bend and explosiveness.
When I see so many studs on one side of the ball for a team, I wonder how much the players performance/stats benefit from their oppositions focus on all the other talent on the field.
I just watched his proday, its cool you can see the whole thing on youtube. It gave me an idea, could be wrong, about the pros-cons and why he's a tough player to gauge athletically.
I am no expert but my little dose of athleticism is from running track. And I still sprint, I am about to do some VO2 max exercises, sprinting, after this post ironically. But I've been around speed and not bad at recognizing it.
Bain being shortish for being an edge and having tankish strong legs to me looks like his superpower as far as leverage and bend and for that matter trying to overpower tackles. Gives him balance too. Sort of like the shorter running backs sometimes being tougher to bring down.
He doesn't look even remotely to me like a twitchy or fast runner, or mover -- looks below average watching him on that front. I'd guess he runs in that 4.8's range. His legs don't come off springy for me -- more strength then flexbility so I can see why he'd avoid the vertical-broad. Also, change of direction doesn't seem to be his thing either so avoid the shuttle-3 cone.
It's interesting for me now watching him, it doesn't sell me at all but doubles down for me on he's a mystery and outlier and it could go either way. But it makes me think how it can work or not work for him in the NFL purely from an athletic point of view.
A. Can he use his lower center of gravity and thick anchor with his legs. Anchor. Leg and ankle strength. Makes it rough to push him around and gives him leverage.
B. But IMHO, he's not twitchy, he's not fast, not pedestrian at it either, he's below average on those fronts.
In short, pun intended, I think Bain drill as an athlete is lower body strength with really good center of gravity and ankle strength. the converse of that is if you are too tall and lengthy sometimes its tougher to coordinate your body smoothly. He feeds off of being the opposite of that.
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How do you define twitch? His get off, burst and bend shows short burst speed, lateral agility and hip, knee and ankle flexibility. Those are always primary ingredients in a twitchy athlete.
Do you strictly define twitch as high speed CoD? If so, it explains why we’re arguing over the word twitch.
He’s not a 4.4/4.5 guy. I’d guess somewhere between 4.6 and 4.8
But his “phone booth” work is quick and powerful.
I'd bet my mortgage he's not a 4'6 runner. He looks 4'8ish, maybe 4.75 at best. He has shortish stumpy-thick legs, that isn't the recipe for speed. Even if I didn't pay attention to that, he doesn't look fast when watching him.
If he could run a 4'6, I would take him off the board for being stupid. Considering the concerns about him, people would be over the moon if he ran a 4.6 so he'd be a nut job not to showcase that.
I define twtichiness is ability to move your body with suddeness, especially your hips and legs rapidly and change direction with no buildup.
ok, sorry rage bait for someone here who sees Tate as the football devil incarnate. But love this from ESPN rankiing the WRs. Because its how I see it, too. Tate in that Olave class, but if anything a hair better.
With Blough going to the Ohio State proday, clearly he's at least on this teams radar.
Best team fits: New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins
Like several receivers on this list, Tate was never the No. 1 target in Columbus. Even in his final season, he was the secondary option behind Jeremiah Smith. But he has been able to impress in a No. 2 role with his routes, toughness and ability to play above the rim.
"You watch his route running and his body control, and tell me that's not Justin Jefferson at LSU," said an NFC area scout.
Tate wins like Jefferson does -- with timing, body control and quick cuts that allow him to separate with or without the ball. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate plays much bigger than his listed size, too.
"He high-points so well. The first time I saw him play I thought he must be 6-foot-4 with his length and vertical ability," said the same scout.
Tate's strong hands are a résumé trait. He had only one drop on 67 targets last season, finishing with 51 catches for 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games. He is a likely top-10 pick in the upcoming draft and could go as high as No. 5 overall to the Giants.
Drafted: No. 11, New Orleans Saints
I consider Olave a personal miss, as I had him lower in my predraft rankings than most. He tested much better than I expected at the 2022 combine, highlighted by his 4.39 40-yard dash. At 6-foot, 187 pounds, Olave was seen by scouts as an NFL-ready route runner with good vertical speed and exceptionally smooth movements throughout the route tree.
The knock on Olave at the time was how much space was afforded to receivers in Ohio State's scheme. But he scored 35 touchdowns in four seasons with the Buckeyes, and he had three years of more than 700 receiving yards and at least 49 catches.
"I didn't think [Olave] was tough enough to hang with NFL corners," an AFC East scout said -- a sentiment that matches my predraft notes.
Olave quickly made his mark in New Orleans, though. In four NFL seasons, he has caught 291 passes for 19 touchdowns and is coming off his best season in 2025 (100 catches, 1,163 receiving yards and nine scores). My colleague Mel Kiper Jr. actually has Tate joining Olave in New Orleans in his recent 2026 mock draft.
Drafted: No. 19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Egbuka left Ohio State after four seasons, three of which he served as the team's No. 2 wide receiver. He was widely praised by scouts in the predraft process for his toughness, leadership and team-first mentality. A captain for the Buckeyes' 2024 national championship squad, Egbuka was fearless over the middle and in traffic despite being just 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds. And like many of the receivers on this list, he was a polished route runner with sure hands.
In three years as a starter, he produced two seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards and had 24 touchdowns on 196 catches.
"He was one of my favorite players to watch last year," an NFL general manager said. "I was pissed when he went to Tampa because it's such a great fit for his skills."
Egbuka produced immediately as a rookie, with 63 receptions for 938 receiving yards and six touchdowns. With Mike Evans signing with the 49ers as a free agent this offseason, Egbuka is on track to be the Buccaneers' No. 1 receiver in 2026.
With Blough going to the Ohio State proday, clearly he's at least on this teams radar.
NFL draft: Ranking Ohio State first-round WRs since 2022
Tate could be the WR1 of the 2026 draft. But how does he compare to Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka?
www.espn.com
NFL draft: Ranking Ohio State first-round WRs since 2022
Tate could be the WR1 of the 2026 draft. But how does he compare to Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka?
4. Carnell Tate (2026)
Current ranking: No. 9 overall, WR2Best team fits: New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins
Like several receivers on this list, Tate was never the No. 1 target in Columbus. Even in his final season, he was the secondary option behind Jeremiah Smith. But he has been able to impress in a No. 2 role with his routes, toughness and ability to play above the rim.
"You watch his route running and his body control, and tell me that's not Justin Jefferson at LSU," said an NFC area scout.
Tate wins like Jefferson does -- with timing, body control and quick cuts that allow him to separate with or without the ball. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate plays much bigger than his listed size, too.
"He high-points so well. The first time I saw him play I thought he must be 6-foot-4 with his length and vertical ability," said the same scout.
Tate's strong hands are a résumé trait. He had only one drop on 67 targets last season, finishing with 51 catches for 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games. He is a likely top-10 pick in the upcoming draft and could go as high as No. 5 overall to the Giants.
5. Chris Olave (2022)
Predraft ranking: No. 15 overall, WR4Drafted: No. 11, New Orleans Saints
I consider Olave a personal miss, as I had him lower in my predraft rankings than most. He tested much better than I expected at the 2022 combine, highlighted by his 4.39 40-yard dash. At 6-foot, 187 pounds, Olave was seen by scouts as an NFL-ready route runner with good vertical speed and exceptionally smooth movements throughout the route tree.
Want to know more about the 2026 NFL draft class? ESPN's new show 'NFL Draft Daily' airs Monday-Friday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu. Join Mel Kiper Jr., Field Yates and other experts for the latest on top prospects.
The knock on Olave at the time was how much space was afforded to receivers in Ohio State's scheme. But he scored 35 touchdowns in four seasons with the Buckeyes, and he had three years of more than 700 receiving yards and at least 49 catches.
"I didn't think [Olave] was tough enough to hang with NFL corners," an AFC East scout said -- a sentiment that matches my predraft notes.
Olave quickly made his mark in New Orleans, though. In four NFL seasons, he has caught 291 passes for 19 touchdowns and is coming off his best season in 2025 (100 catches, 1,163 receiving yards and nine scores). My colleague Mel Kiper Jr. actually has Tate joining Olave in New Orleans in his recent 2026 mock draft.
6. Emeka Egbuka (2025)
Predraft ranking: No. 23 overall, WR4Drafted: No. 19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Egbuka left Ohio State after four seasons, three of which he served as the team's No. 2 wide receiver. He was widely praised by scouts in the predraft process for his toughness, leadership and team-first mentality. A captain for the Buckeyes' 2024 national championship squad, Egbuka was fearless over the middle and in traffic despite being just 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds. And like many of the receivers on this list, he was a polished route runner with sure hands.
In three years as a starter, he produced two seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards and had 24 touchdowns on 196 catches.
"He was one of my favorite players to watch last year," an NFL general manager said. "I was pissed when he went to Tampa because it's such a great fit for his skills."
Egbuka produced immediately as a rookie, with 63 receptions for 938 receiving yards and six touchdowns. With Mike Evans signing with the 49ers as a free agent this offseason, Egbuka is on track to be the Buccaneers' No. 1 receiver in 2026.
Riggo44
The Team Captain
A lot of fluff in his argument. I am not sure anyone who watched him against Auburn, Georgia, or Indiana can legitimately call him QB1--Orlovsky chose to not address those games. His analysis also sounds a lot like Bears homers like Adam Rank, Clay Harbor propping up Williams, using buzz words like "makes more NFL throws," without any real substantiation. Granted he doesn't have a whole lot of time to go deeper into his assessment on that show, but it seems like lazy, clickbait analysis. Also, apparently, he and Simpson are repped by the same agency, if you want a conspiracy aspect added to it.
For the record, this is what I mean about going "Full ESPN": https://deadspin.com/how-espn-manufactures-a-story-colin-kaepernick-edition-1185400028/
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Listen, I’m on the same page with you. He was on McAfee and he had to do a lot of defending on his take. It got to the point that Pat and the gang were annoying the shit out of me because they didn’t let him finish.
People have different opinions. Some are off, some are on. People have biases (see the Bain conversation where I’m a homer or the Bailey situation where I am not). I’m sure the agency thing is a real thing.
But I don’t think the take is that outlandish. Indiana had studs all around Mendoza.
Alabama had Germie Bernard. Ryan Williams looked absolutely awful.
That said - I still think Mendoza is better. He is clearly prepared for every situation, clutch in key moments, tough as nails, cool under pressure and ticks all the boxes for physical skills.
I think if Dan would have said he thinks it’s close and Ty Simpson shouldn’t be slept on the take wouldn’t feel as outlandish.
Riggo44
The Team Captain
I try to keep this in mind throughout the draft talk process.
Orlovsky has really gone down hill in my opinion, not just the Ty Simpson thing--he's said a lot of stuff lately that came across as clickbait crap
actorguy1
The Rookie
Always Commander Never Captain
The Free Agent Vet
Fully agreed here. That's his superpower. He's got that prototypical bend in terms of turning tighter corners while getting low. But normally Edge's have done that through more speed making it awkward for OT's to get a clean shot at pushing them wider. He's doing that through his super thick legs and core. So the punch the OT's are landing while he's dipping low and turning isn't moving him off target. It's just a different way. The question would be if NFL OT's are simply better/stronger and can then turn him wider around the pocket.
Bain's fluidity pops despite not having any explosive movements.
P.S. Remember how hyped we all were when Brian Orakpo fell to us in the draft? Now imagine Orakpo's explosive movements had Bain's fluidity.
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