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

[skinsinparadise]

McShay: Styles is Washington’s priority. They love Love, but he’s hearing they aren’t all that in on Bailey but could be just being coy about it. But otherwise if they are thinking receiver it would be”absolutely” be Tate.

No mention of Delane. So I do think some things have been left out because I think we’re in on him.

Yeah Keim echoes Love, Styles. But he's alone as far as I can tell with Delane as their #3 who might fall there.

So for those that hate the Keim stuff, and think he is overhyped or doesn't know or whatever -- here is your chance to take him dowm.

But in all seriousness, no one is right 100% of the time, so while I don't dismiss Keim as some do on these type of things, I don't take it as 100% either, also like I said things can change this week. So many GMs say their board is finalized this week not the week before. So even with Keim I'll take anything more seriously tomorrow or Wednesday then last week.

 

[Kalu44]

Most likely Styles and Love are gone by 7. I think it boils down to Delane vs Tate. I’d vote Delane. I’d rather have a potential #1 shutdown corner (especially in NFC east) then a #2 WR.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Most likely Styles and Love are gone by 7. I think ot boils down to Delane vs Tate. I’d vote Delane. I’d rather have a potential #1 shutdown corner (especially in NFC east) then a #2 WR.

I'd go Tate over Delane myself but I totally get that logic.

If Delane ends up an elite CB, and Tate a high end 2nd -- which is certainly possible. Delane is definitely the more valuable player.

I've been diving in more to Delane recently, watched interviews too, i am digging him more as the draft approaches.

 

[DWinzit]

I'd go Tate over Delane myself but I totally get that logic.

If Delane ends up an elite CB, and Tate a high end 2nd -- which is certainly possible. Delane is definitely the more valuable player.

I've been diving in more to Delane recently, watched interviews too, i am digging him more as the draft approaches.

Delane should have higher grades than Tate in my eyes. I see WR as the bigger hole. Delane should be a legit CB1, Tate a legit WR2 with a ceiling of WR1b.

I would be fine with either being taken but it would be knowing it was more of a need than best player selection

 

[skinsinparadise]

Delane should have higher grades than Tate in my eyes. I see WR as the bigger hole. Delane should be a legit CB1, Tate a legit WR2 with a ceiling of WR1b.

I would be fine with either being taken but it would be knowing it was more of a need than best player selection

Tate would be a need pick, I agree. But as for Jayden's growth, winning some games in 2026, and the lack of opportunity to get marquee WRs in FA in recent years -- he's in consideration for me.

Also I don't think Tate as a player is a mile below Delane. I agree though Delane is the better player.

 

[clskinsfan]

Everyone keeps saying they are worried about trading down because the "blue chip" talent will be gone. I am not sure there even is a blue chipper in this draft. Love is probably the safest pick as far as being a blue chipper goes. But he isnt Jeanty. Robinson, Gibbs or Barkely imo. And of course you need to add n positional value.

I would trade down if they can. But I am not sure anyone wants to waste draft resources by trading up in this draft. Being honest I would probably prefer to trade down and acquire 2027 picks. Purely my opinion but this is probably the least talented draft pool I have ever watched tape on. The two players I really like are injury disasters on top of it.

 

[DogofWar1]

It's lying season so who knows what % of rumors is true, but taking everything together it seems like:
- top 5 on their board is likely Reese, Bailey, Love, Tate, Styles (not necessarily in that order)
- Delane smoke suggests he might be 6th
- they would prefer Delane later than 7
- unsure where Downs is but I doubt there'd be trade down smoke if Downs was in there with that top 5 because they'd be guaranteed one of those top 6.

Then other team smoke sounds like we're careening towards the "worst case scenario":
- Jets are sticking and picking one of Reese and Bailey (sounds like Reese is favorite)
- Cards want out of 3 and if they manage that its probably whichever of Reese and Bailey isn't grabbed. If they don't, sounds like between pass rusher and Love.
- Love goes no later than 4. If Love gone at 3, sounds like Titans are more likely to go pass rusher or Styles than OL.
- Giants probably want Styles at 5, and it sounds like they'd prefer Tyson at 10 over Tate at 5 but I don't know how their calculus changes if bpa is a pass rusher if Love/Styles go 3/4.
- All of this seems to suggest Tate at 6 to Cleveland, I haven't heard Freling's name in weeks.

Now Josh Taylor just suggested Downs is liked so maybe he is up there in that top 5/6 and Delane talk is smoke.

But if they don't like Downs at 7 and the top 6 has no OL, AND we don't want Delane at 7 AND we can't trade down, then we have to stick and pick Delane at 7. Which....I guess is fiiiiiine. But certainly not ideal.

 

[KDawg]

Everyone keeps saying they are worried about trading down because the "blue chip" talent will be gone. I am not sure there even is a blue chipper in this draft. Love is probably the safest pick as far as being a blue chipper goes. But he isnt Jeanty. Robinson, Gibbs or Barkely imo. And of course you need to add n positional value.

I would trade down if they can. But I am not sure anyone wants to waste draft resources by trading up in this draft. Being honest I would probably prefer to trade down and acquire 2027 picks. Purely my opinion but this is probably the least talented draft pool I have ever watched tape on. The two players I really like are injury disasters on top of it.

Completely disagree on Love. He is better than Jeanty. And he is blue chip. I think Delane, Styles are blue chip as well.

 

[skinsinparadise]

It's lying season so who knows what % of rumors is true, but taking everything together it seems like:
- top 5 on their board is likely Reese, Bailey, Love, Tate, Styles (not necessarily in that order)
- Delane smoke suggests he might be 6th
- they would prefer Delane later than 7
- unsure where Downs is but I doubt there'd be trade down smoke if Downs was in there with that top 5 because they'd be guaranteed one of those top 6.

Then other team smoke sounds like we're careening towards the "worst case scenario":
- Jets are sticking and picking one of Reese and Bailey (sounds like Reese is favorite)
- Cards want out of 3 and if they manage that its probably whichever of Reese and Bailey isn't grabbed. If they don't, sounds like between pass rusher and Love.
- Love goes no later than 4. If Love gone at 3, sounds like Titans are more likely to go pass rusher or Styles than OL.
- Giants probably want Styles at 5, and it sounds like they'd prefer Tyson at 10 over Tate at 5 but I don't know how their calculus changes if bpa is a pass rusher if Love/Styles go 3/4.
- All of this seems to suggest Tate at 6 to Cleveland, I haven't heard Freling's name in weeks.

Now Josh Taylor just suggested Downs is liked so maybe he is up there in that top 5/6 and Delane talk is smoke.

But if they don't like Downs at 7 and the top 6 has no OL, AND we don't want Delane at 7 AND we can't trade down, then we have to stick and pick Delane at 7. Which....I guess is fiiiiiine. But certainly not ideal.

I saw the Josh Taylor stuff, he's a fan who got a gig recently at A and Z, which is cool, I watch some of his videos, he's definitely not an insider but proclaims to be, but I don't mind him.

So it seems like you are riding with Taylor's take over Keim unless you don't know Keim's take.

If we are going Keim: Styles, Love not sure in what order then Delane.

They also like but not as much as those three: Tate, Downs, Bain but not sure in what order

Bailey and Reese expected to be gone by 7, but if they fall, not sure how they rate them.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Breer:

Albert Breer’s Takeaways: How the Dexter Lawrence II Trade Came Together

Examining the timeline as the Giants and Bengals worked out a deal. Plus, a prospect whose stock is tumbling, intriguing positions and more.

www.si.com

Jermod McCoy’s status makes the corner position a bit of a murky one. It does, for one, help Mansoor Delane, whom I’d bet will go in the top 10 now. But after Delane and absent McCoy, there’s a pretty big dropoff to the next guy, which I would say is McCoy’s Volunteers teammate Colton Hood.

After that, you’re looking at: Clemson’s Avieon Terrell, who may be just a nickel; San Diego State’s Chris Johnson, who’s checking a lot of boxes this spring but faces a big jump in competition going to the NFL; and South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse, who’s seen as a good-maybe-not-great prospect. I don’t think many teams see those three as first-round corners, but they may wind up sneaking in the bottom of the first round due to this dynamic.


Who knows when these guys come off the board. But I do think it’s one of the real wild cards Thursday night, with plenty of teams with needs at the position, from the Bucs at No. 15 on down, that will be picking with Delane long gone.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[DogofWar1]

I saw the Josh Taylor stuff, he's a fan who got a gig recently at A and Z, which is cool, I watch some of his videos, he's definitely not an insider but proclaims to be, but I don't mind him.

So it seems like you are riding with Taylor's take over Keim unless you don't know Keim's take.

If we are going Keim: Styles, Love not sure in what order then Delane.

They also like but not as much as those three: Tate, Downs, Bain but not sure in what order

Bailey and Reese expected to be gone by 7, but if they fall, not sure how they rate them.

Most of my notes are based on the latest from McShay. I just wanted to note Taylor's take.

I've also heard enough positive things about Tate that I feel like he's in that top 5 grouping, but indeed most of the scuttlebutt is about Style>Love>>>Delane (preferably post trade down) (and I assume they like Reese/Bailey but also assume he's long gone).

 

[Skinfanjon]

Absolutely. Premium positions matter. One way to look at it is if you strike it big on a premium spot -- you basically get two players for one where you can later afford a marquee FA as a consequence.

Also important to note that high end talent at premium positions just isn’t available in free agency. So if you don’t draft and develop it, you never get it. High end talent does become available at RB, TE, etc. and for reasonable prices.

Which all means you kinda have to commit to the bit if you’re taking a long view as GM when building a team. There are going to be many tests along the way *cough Love cough Styles*.

Apply it to this draft and it’s exactly why I’m all in for Tate and like Delane as the disaster scenario result.

Looking back at Peter’s two drafts, he seems to agree.

2024- QB (1), DT (2), CB (2), TE (2), OT (3), WR (4), LB (5), S (5), EDGE (7)

2025- OT (1), CB (2), WR (4), LB (6), RB (7)

The only time he took non premium early was Sinnott and hoo boy was that a disaster. The exceptions related to Love have been articulated well and frequently. And while he would be fun as hell to watch, easily the best fun factor in the draft, gun to my head we need to eat our vegetables and stick to Tate or Delane.

As good as Styles could be, I want no part. Downs is down right laughable to me.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Most of my notes are based on the latest from McShay. I just wanted to note Taylor's take.

I've also heard enough positive things about Tate that I feel like he's in that top 5 grouping, but indeed most of the scuttlebutt is about Style>Love>>>Delane (preferably post trade down) (and I assume they like Reese/Bailey but also assume he's long gone).

I haven't listened to McShay's podcast yet today and will do it in a minute. But it sounds like McShay isn't saying he's next on their board post Styles-Love but your thought is McShay's enthusiasm for the player likely overlaps with Washington's enthusiasm for him.

The post trade down stuff from Keim isn't for Delane. But a trade down for Tate, Downs, Bains.

But who knows will see. Also I am waiting to hear lol the scuttlebutt in the next day or two that's the stuff I'll trust the most especially from Keim is to this team.

 

[bifflog]

 

[skinsinparadise]

Also important to note that high end talent at premium positions just isn’t available in free agency. So if you don’t draft and develop it, you never get it. High end talent does become available at RB, TE, etc. and for reasonable prices.

Which all means you kinda have to commit to the bit if you’re taking a long view as GM when building a team. There are going to be many tests along the way *cough Love cough Styles*.

Apply it to this draft and it’s exactly why I’m all in for Tate and like Delane as the disaster scenario result.

Looking back at Peter’s two drafts, he seems to agree.

2024- QB (1), DT (2), CB (2), TE (2), OT (3), WR (4), LB (5), S (5), EDGE (7)

2025- OT (1), CB (2), WR (4), LB (6), RB (7)

The only time he took non premium early was Sinnott and hoo boy was that a disaster. The exceptions related to Love have been articulated well and frequently. And while he would be fun as hell to watch, easily the best fun factor in the draft, gun to my head we need to eat our vegetables and stick to Tate or Delane.

As good as Styles could be, I want no part. Downs is down right laughable to me.

Yeah its easier to find LBs, safeties, RBs, in FA. to a lesser extent TE.

Of the premium positions, edge and CB isn't easy -- WR has becoing really hard to see marquee guys hit the market.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I'd take that bet big time that its not Tyson at 7.

 

[bifflog]

I'd take that bet big time that its not Tyson at 7.

Yeah it is a little bit of a flawed premise, because the odds would look different as certain options left the realm of the possible after each pick but I do think it's a fun exercise to walk the draft order and see what an all-chalk board would look like. I don't think it is wrong however that Downs/Baim/Delane/Tyson is a pretty realistic best available at our slot.

 

[Canuck]

I'd go Tate over Delane myself but I totally get that logic.

If Delane ends up an elite CB, and Tate a high end 2nd -- which is certainly possible. Delane is definitely the more valuable player.

I've been diving in more to Delane recently, watched interviews too, i am digging him more as the draft approaches.

Downs
Tate
Delane

 

[burgold]

Gotta agree. If we hadn't gone through a year of pure injury hell then maybe you cold imagine Peters wanting to roll the dice based on a pure talent play (maybe still not at 7 though) but given how injuries derailed the entire season I can't just see him turning a blind eye to the risk. He's going to want a clean player.