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

[KDawg]

Could have been earlier in the process that day. I doubt they'd have gone Delane over Stytes. Not just because of Keim but it was the one thing he had the overlapped most other national insiders too.

It seems like they wouldn't have taken Tate. Both Keim and Grant Paulsen said if not Delane it would have been Downs (if Styles and Love were gone). Also Sheehan made a good point that Peters sort of spilled the beans on it in his presser when he goes he thought Tate'ss celing was 4 and floor 9. If the floor was 9 that's him saying it wouldn't have been 7.

If so Schrager among others looked to b dead wrong, specifically on him, he was really hopped up about this team being hopped up about Tate.

I think our board was

Love
Styles
Delane
Downs
Tate

 

[skinsinparadise]

I'll be more specific Bernard and Antonio Williams and probably Sarratt but especially Bernard and Antonio would be IMHO good picks at 71.

I don't care about some stat that 3rd Wrs fail. I just look at them as players. It was like Sheehan last year going on and on that almost no chance Croskey-Merritt will be a find because of the stats of 7 round busts at that spot.

If people want to depend on that stats, its cool, to each their own. But it doesn't influence what I think of the players.

 

[Conn]

I just have to laugh at how everyone has forgotten Burks completely. I just read through the last 5-6 pages of this thread and I see every WR on the roster mentioned except Burks.

Four years ago he was a 1st Round pick, 18th overall.

He is 6'2" and 225.

Did he light the world on fire with TN? No, he did not.

Was the TN QB room a dumpster fire the whole time he was there? Yes, yes it was.

I'm not saying the young man is the definitive answer to our #2 WR position. Honestly, the older I get and the more I watch the game, the less I think I know about player evaluation, so my opinion is absolutely suspect (at best). Having said that, Burks has all the physical tools to be at least a legit #2. This coaching staff appeared to really like him last year.

It wouldn't be the first time in NFL history that a talented prospect went to the wrong place to start his career only to find himself at a second stop with the right coaching and teammates.

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that most fans seem to have already written him off and I'm not sure why.

*shrug*

He had ten more catches than you last season, for a start

 

[skinsinparadise]

I think our board was

Love
Styles
Delane
Downs
Tate

Yeah, agree.

 

[Bulldog]

It is questionable whether Tate is the best receiver available in the draft, although he is a safe choice that looks to be very productive.

Lemon, Tyson, Boston or other may be better down the road. But if a team that is a WR away from having a good offense to help a young quarterback you took #1 overall then perhaps its the best pick FOR THAT TEAM.

Especially as Tennessee had a second #1 pick to improve the defense later in the round.

That's how teams addressed the fact this draft was not big on blue chip elite prospects like say 2024, but there was good depth and having TWO #1 picks as KC, Dallas, TN, NYJ and others did was a way to maximize value in numbers.

Instead of getting ONE generational prospect these teams were able to get TWO very good to excellent prospects.

 

[Conn]

We should have a Day 2 Draft Thread!

I’m nobody but personally I disagree with this. I didn’t even like the pre-draft Day 2 + Day 3 threads lol, but I’m a mega thread purist. One thread left open in a tab for months, just refreshing over and over again. That’s how I do it.

But seriously, these draft threads are like historic living documents. I like being able to reference them in their entirety in future years, and mourn the loss of thousands of pages of that history from the other site where many of us did this every year forever. Splitting all the conversation, debates, rankings, etc. up into different threads kills that imo.

But again, not my site not my choice lol. Just expressing an opinion

 

[Conn]

I think our board was

Love
Styles
Delane
Downs
Tate

This seems correct

 

[KDawg]

I’m nobody but personally I disagree with this. I didn’t even like the pre-draft Day 2 + Day 3 threads lol, but in a mega thread purist. One thread left open in a tab for months, just refreshing over and over again. That’s how I do it.

But seriously, these draft threads are like historic living documents. I like being able to reference them in their entirety in future years, and mourn the loss of thousands of pages of that history from the other site where many of us did this every year forever. Splitting all the conversation, debates, rankings, etc. up into different threads kills that imo.

But again, not my site not my choice lol. Just expressing an opinion

Agreed. It kind of hurts the flow of conversation. Though I do like the idea of discussing the days in different threads DURING the draft.

 

[Bulldog]

yeah, it's fun to go back and look at what people said including yourself.

In 2024 I really wanted the Commanders to give up the 2025 #1 pick and move back into Round 1 and take Jared Verse.

As it turned out that would have been a great move for an EDGE that is outstanding.

At the same time based on the measurables in 2020 and where we were drafting I was almost sure that Chase Young was going to be a dominant player in the NFL.

So, we can be big time right or wrong based on the year and player.

 

[HTTR]

I think our board was

Love
Styles
Delane
Downs
Tate

Agree. And I think that’s exactly what it should have been. Tate maybe would move up because of need, but I think Peters was sticking to BPA, which to me is the right thing to do.

 

[Bulldog]

Agree. And I think that’s exactly what it should have been. Tate maybe would move up because of need, but I think Peters was sticking to BPA, which to me is the right thing to do.

I am a bit amused the Cardinals took Love. They don't have a quarterback and their line is suspect.

I can see him suffering through an Jeanty type first season in the NFL where he shows flashes but doesn't get much help.

 

[Conn]

Agreed. It kind of hurts the flow of conversation. Though I do like the idea of discussing the days in different threads DURING the draft.

See I’m such a mega-thread-a-holic that I like all that conversation bundled up in the same place too lol, but I’m less hardcore on that because it’s a little more like a Gameday thread with lower quality reaction posts and such, so I get it

 

[Conn]

I am a bit amused the Cardinals took Love. They don't have a quarterback and their line is suspect.

I can see him suffering through an Jeanty type first season in the NFL where he shows flashes but doesn't get much help.

He’s also immediately the highest paid RB in NFL history, with $15M+ more guaranteed money than Saquon signed for when he broke the record. Just an insane usage of a “cost-controlled” rookie contract by a rebuilding team without a QB, even though I love the player

 

[HTTR]

yeah, it's fun to go back and look at what people said including yourself.

In 2024 I really wanted the Commanders to give up the 2025 #1 pick and move back into Round 1 and take Jared Verse.

As it turned out that would have been a great move for an EDGE that is outstanding.

At the same time based on the measurables in 2020 and where we were drafting I was almost sure that Chase Young was going to be a dominant player in the NFL.

So, we can be big time right or wrong based on the year and player.

Yeah, I was big-time pushing for the Chase Young pick as well. Plenty of us were. Such a shame how it worked out. More proof that there’s no such thing as a can’t miss prospect.

 

[KDawg]

He’s also immediately the highest paid RB in NFL history, with $15M+ more guaranteed money than Saquon signed for when he broke the record. Just an insane usage of a “cost-controlled” rookie contract by a rebuilding team without a QB, even though I love the player

Of we were Arizona, I wouldn’t have wanted him. Not because I didn’t like him, but it didn’t make sense.

And they just spent on Allgeier

 

[HTTR]

Yep. I’d like to be a fly on the wall when the Cardinals explain to Allgier that they just did the exact same thing to him that the Falcons did when they took Bijon. Just when he thought he was finally getting his chance at a featured role, the Cards pulled the rug right out from under him.

 

[Bulldog]

Of we were Arizona, I wouldn’t have wanted him. Not because I didn’t like him, but it didn’t make sense.

And they just spent on Allgeier

That's why the Cardinals have been picking in the top 5-7 for the past 20 years.

 

[Conn]

Of we were Arizona, I wouldn’t have wanted him. Not because I didn’t like him, but it didn’t make sense.

And they just spent on Allgeier

Yeah, wildly inefficient use of resources for where they’re at as a team. If they can draft high next year and just plug in a blue chip franchise QB prospect, maybe it’ll work out. But a playmaker like him may fight against the tides and actually win them a game or two on big plays that an OL or EDGE or whatever may not have, so may ruin their chances at the top QB’s also

 

[burgold]

Maybe, but he’ll still play a lot across those three positions imo. And Luvu may not be back after this year, depending.

True. And I think we all believe in meritocracy. Magee had two years to force his way onto the field and both he and Kain still will have an opportunity to make their impressions. I do think with the free agency signings and now this draft, the deck is heavily stacked against them, but a number of the linebackers are still on one year deals so they need to maximize the snaps they do get and to kill it on special teams.

 

[Conn]

Yep. I’d like to be a fly on the wall when the Cardinals explain to Allgier that they just did the exact same thing to him that the Falcons did when they took Bijon. Just when he thought he was finally getting his chance at a featured role, the Cards pulled the rug right out from under him.

Poor guy, I didn’t even think of that. He must be pissed. He’ll likely hit his third contract period in FA never having had a shot at 200+ touches since his rookie year