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

[KDawg]

I would not trade down if it meant passing on any of Tate, Love or Downs. Love and Downs are blue chip, Tate is the best at a premium position of need.

Styles is IMO by far the best MLB in the draft, so maybe he falls in the above category as well (edit)

If all 3 are gone, I am not sure that the gap between who would be there at 7 as opposed to 12 or 16 is that much of a gap.

At 7, it’s 99.9% certain someone in that group is there (I include Delane, not sure why he’s being slept on)

Bailey, Mendoza are just about locks.

Then we have four picks plus us until we select with Delane, Tate, Downs, Love, Styles all on the board.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[burgold]

I agree. We pick at 7. The top prospects are supposedly.

Mendoza, Reese, Bailey, Styles, Maligula (sp), Tate, Love, Downs, Fano, and Delane

That's ten players. We pick 7. A potentially good fit will fall to us. In the worst case scenario:

Mendoza
Reese
Bailey
Love
Styles
Tate
Downs and Delane will still be there for us.

In the best case scenario, we get Love, Tate, or Styles.

 

[Canuck]

At 7, it’s 99.9% certain someone in that group is there (I include Delane, not sure why he’s being slept on)

Bailey, Mendoza are just about locks.

Then we have four picks plus us until we select with Delane, Tate, Downs, Love, Styles all on the board.

How much better is Delane than McCoy?

 

[KDawg]

How much better is Delane than McCoy?

Probably preference. But Delane played last season and doesn’t have an existing injury.

 

[Canuck]

Probably preference. But Delane played last season and doesn’t have an existing injury.

I agree that Delane is the better prospect as of now, but pre-injury to McCoy I'm not sure.

 

[Dlts20]

How much better is Delane than McCoy?

Physically I like McCoy better. Reminds me of a Champ Bailey level athlete. Strangely I feel like Delane is the clear better/sure tackler while McCoy is more of a drop tackler.

Delane is more of a sure thing with higher floor while McCoy has the greater upside and potential. I always shoot for best case scenario so I would go with McCoy but the injury is definitely a factor, especially con that unlike Tyson, we haven't seen McCoy play since

 

[clskinsfan]

I include Delane, not sure why he’s being slept on

I think he's good. But if you compare his tape to McCoy's there is no comparison imo. McCoy is the far better player at the position. Health issues or not. That is another thing that stinks about this draft. Two of the best players in it have a serious injury history.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Last week, I reported that the Cleveland Browns would like to trade out of the sixth slot and move down a few positions in Round 1. There’s talk of the Cowboys wanting to trade up to that spot if linebacker Sonny Styles slides past the Giants, who presently own the fifth pick.

The question the Browns need to answer is how far down can they trade and still get the player they want? I’ve reported multiple times that the team believes they can slide Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano over to the left tackle spot to fill a hole at that position. As someone told me Monday evening, “AB wants o-line early and has been telling people since last season”; AB refers to Browns general manager Andrew Berry.

Over the past two days, multiple sources have told me that several teams have red-flagged the combine medicals of Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy, who did not play last season after sustaining a knee injury in January of 2025. The information received additional confirmation after others were asked.

I’m told that red flags were raised after teams deemed McCoy’s knee to be a degenerative condition. Medical opinions differ team by team; some could fail McCoy based on his medicals, which means they would take him off their board completely, while others could flag him, meaning he would be assessed a penalty of a half-round to a full round on his grade. Some other teams may look at his medicals and be okay with McCoy’s knee.

Sources: NFL Teams Flag Jermod McCoy’s Combine Medicals; Browns GM Eyes OL in Draft

NFL teams concerned over Jermod McCoy’s Combine medicals, while Browns GM Andrew Berry eyes offensive line help in the 2026 Draft.

www.essentiallysports.com

 

[skinsinparadise]

I think he's good. But if you compare his tape to McCoy's there is no comparison imo. McCoy is the far better player at the position. Health issues or not. That is another thing that stinks about this draft. Two of the best players in it have a serious injury history.

Who do you think the other is Tyson?

 

[skinsinparadise]

Then we have four picks plus us until we select with Delane, Tate, Downs, Love, Styles all on the board.

IMO too, we need to end up with one of these guys. Trading out of this range is IMO insane.

 

[clskinsfan]

Who do you think the other is Tyson?

Yep.

 

[KDawg]

I agree that Delane is the better prospect as of now, but pre-injury to McCoy I'm not sure.

I wouldn’t want to sign an injury prone FA who hasn’t played in a year to a big contract. I hold the same stance with a top 7 draft pick.

 

[Dlts20]

McCoys workout shot him back up the board. Now it's his turn

 

[skinsinparadise]

Yep.

I think its a toss up between him and Tate healhy or not healthy, I'd slightly favor Tate -- scouts judging by McGinn's reports think he's the third best WR in group regardless of health.

It was interesting to read their takes on him because I wondered why he is meh as to YAC and so so for contested catches -- their take is he's soft. Don't know. But I do no know that multiple draftniks including McShay have said talking to NFL teams he's polarizing, some dig, some don't -- and the injuries are the gravy to that, not the theme.

Part 1, WR: Who's the next star wideout?

Bob McGinn's 42nd draft series begins. One scout doesn't give a damn what Carnell Tate ran. One scout sees JSN in Makai Lemon. But in 2026? Mining for A-level talent is complicated.

www.golongtd.com

I don’t think he has first-round traits,”... “He’s got adequate size and adequate speed. He’ll catch the heck out of the ball. There were times he would disappear, and then all of a sudden he and (Sam) Leavitt would get together and they’d go boom-boom-boom and score. But there’s nothing about him that’s exceptional. All this first-round talk, I don’t see it. To me, to be in the first round you’ve got to have something special about you. There’s nothing physically about him – size, speed, anything – that sticks out. And he’s been hurt. He was an enigma to me.” Three-star recruit from Allen, Texas. “You can see the quick twitch and the movement, and he can run,” said a fourth scout. “But this guy is one of the most noncompetitive receivers I’ve done in a while. Body catcher even when it’s not contested. I’ve never seen anybody catch slants and just slide to the ground like this guy does. It’s nuts. He’s just not a tough dude. He doesn’t make catches when bodies are around him. Very inconsistent. And Hines Ward coaches him, which is crazy. Because I know no way Hines is saying, ‘This is what we need here.’ I don’t like him at all. He gets hurt all the time and I don’t think he’s very tough.”

 

[skinsinparadise]

McCoys workout shot him back up the board. Now it's his turn

Feels like the McCoy shot back up the board might have been short lived.

As far as Tyson goes. I like him, don't love him. But if he falls into the late first as some say he might, and they trade down that far which I hope they don't do, I can see it.

His injury situation though different than McCoy. With McCoy the idea was has he overcome his ACL injury?

The thing with Tyson as far as injuries go is that he's chronically injured, its not that its some one off. Of course at some point, he will have healed from his hamstring injury -- but that doesn't seem to be the hang up with him.

 

[burgold]

IMO too, we need to end up with one of these guys. Trading out of this range is IMO insane.

View attachment 14644

Umm... Daniels?

 

[skinsinparadise]

Umm... Daniels?

Agree Daniels, too but I guess because of last season some have a TBD vibe about him

 

[skinsinparadise]

So guessing Lemon is doing the Top Golf

 

[Riggo44]

IMO too, we need to end up with one of these guys. Trading out of this range is IMO insane.

View attachment 14644

To not include Daniels as a blue chipper is insane. Is Nabers blue chip? Has the same career so far: great rookie year, injured 2nd year.