OFFICIAL 2026 NFL Draft Stuff

[jjab360]

Yeah, when a round equals 32 players, not all will obviously be blue chip players if you equate blue chip with first rd. Top 5 picks are certainly going to have more top quality traits and less questions than picks 28-32 will.

Of course but why not give them a blue chip grade instead of a 1st round grade? It just seems like 1st round grades should be more closely aligned with 32 since that's how many picks there are. And then create sub divisions within the 1st round grades?

It's a bit of semantics and I kind of doubt that's how teams are really doing things these days anyway but it seems like saying there's an average of 14-16 players with a 1st round caliber grade is a functional mislabeling.

 

[Fire Ants]

I think a better term might be "certain" or "for sure" first rounder. So if there are 13 players considered to be certain 1st rounders, there could be 30 more players that grade out around the same as each other, and some teams will see some of these guys as first rounders, some will be designated as 2nd rounders...so these guys are NOT for certain 1st rounders (but are still quality players)

 

[WestCoastRam]

Right. I get the concept, but if on average only 14-16 meet that grade, it's time to rework the curve.

The average should be 30-32 players have a 1st-round grade, bad drafts have 20, and great drafts have 40. Or else it's not a useful metric.

Wonder why they don't change it? I would assume if there was no use to the way they did it then they'd change it no?

 

[WestCoastRam]

Who do you think the 7 are, WC?

Love
Mendoza
Ioane
Reese
Bailey
Delane
McCoy

???????

In no order:
Mendoza
Downs
Bain
Reese
Love
Styles
Mauigoa

 

[Merlin]

I've asked this question before. The dude gets around the field. He's fast. He runs to ball. But how many times in this game would you say he affects the QB. So for me this goes back to what I keep saying: if Reese is an Edge, then he's behind quite a few of these dudes. Unless you're a big fuckin lover of upside. And I have nothing against upside mind you. But I don't like the extent of projection required with Reese for him to go up top.


View: https://youtu.be/383C12BzOtk

 

[DzRams]

Wonder why they don't change it? I would assume if there was no use to the way they did it then they'd change it no?

Well, above I was educated that they're referring to blue chip grades. I didn't have blue chip grade synonymous with 1st round talent grade.

It still seems like a misnomer to call it 1st round grades, but I get the system, now.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Well, above I was educated that they're referring to blue chip grades.

Sounds right, I guess.

Teams have their own draft boards and their list of draftable players often don't even extend through all seven rounds so you're always taking a team's rankings and forcing it into a system (that presents rankings simply by how it functions and not by overall talent/score).