Tyler Sullivan#27 of 87 NFL pundits · Sep 1, 2026

An unsigned CBS Sports preseason review grading all 32 teams, which along the way stakes out a number of depth-chart calls for Week 1 and beyond — including Deshaun Watson opening as Cleveland's starter, Fernando Mendoza taking over as Las Vegas' QB1 by season's end, and Minnesota's Murray-Wentz-McCarthy quarterback order.

Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original

2 of 2calls landed2 hits · 13 waiting

100Average accuracyout of 100, across 2 calls

0A naive guessthe same calls, no knowledge

2Games calledeveryone’s picks below

#27Tyler Sullivan’s rankof 87 ranked NFL pundits

What Tyler Sullivan said

With a little more seasoning, he'll be QB1 by season's end in all likelihood.

Tyler Sullivan, the lead quote

Where it was published: CBS Sports
The piece: Grading every NFL team's 2026 preseason: Rams ace the summer, Falcons fail amid quarterback uncertainty
The original: Read the original
Read it wrong?: Tell us and we will look

SaidSep 1
PlayedSep 13
GradedSep 18

Box score, by kind

HitCloseMissWaiting

Group	Hits	Close	Misses	Waiting	Calls
Depth Chart Calls	2	0	0	13
All	2	0	0	13

How each call scored

15 checkable claims — 15 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 26 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

2 of 15 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls.

Of the 12 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 10.

Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.

Where this call stands in the room

Fernando Mendoza · 2026 season

Tyler Sullivan — 1the room — 24 calls from 22 punditsmedian 1

Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.

Depth Chart Calls2 hits · 13 waitingShow ▸

Deshaun Watson to be 1st on the depth chart
“Watson "won" the job, but he hardly looked the part of an NFL starter... Despite all that, he'll be the guy in Week 1”
Deshaun Watson Cleveland Browns
100Hit
100 − 0 naive = 100 × 2 difficulty = +200 skill
How this was scored
club:
CLE
week:
1
skill:
200
player:
Deshaun Watson
season:
2026
claimed:
he starts
accuracy:
100
baseline:
0
position:
quarterback
reported:
named the starter
settled by:
a confirmed report from the crawl (reported outcomes)
difficulty:
2
the naive guess:
no prior season — a rookie is assumed to start behind the incumbent
weeks in the season:
18
weeks left when called:
18
Think this is wrong?
Malik Willis to be 1st on the depth chart
“a 14-play, 93-yard drive led by incoming starter Malik Willis in Week 1 of the preseason”
Malik Willis Miami Dolphins
100Hit
100 − 0 naive = 100 × 2 difficulty = +200 skill
How this was scored
club:
MIA
week:
1
skill:
200
player:
Malik Willis
season:
2026
claimed:
he starts
accuracy:
100
baseline:
0
position:
quarterback
reported:
named the starter
naive slot:
2
settled by:
a confirmed report from the crawl (reported outcomes)
difficulty:
2
the naive guess:
he keeps the job he had last season
weeks in the season:
18
weeks left when called:
18
Think this is wrong?
Carson Wentz to be 2nd on the depth chart
“O'Connell was also wise to make Carson Wentz the top backup over J.J. McCarthy”
Carson Wentz Minnesota Vikings
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Jacob Saylors to be 2nd on the depth chart
“leaving them with Jacob Saylors potentially as the RB2 behind Jahmyr Gibbs”
Jacob Saylors Detroit Lions
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Jahmyr Gibbs to be 1st on the depth chart
“leaving them with Jacob Saylors potentially as the RB2 behind Jahmyr Gibbs”
Jahmyr Gibbs Detroit Lions
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Eli Heidenreich to be 3rd on the depth chart
“rookie running back Eli Heidenreich impressed enough to earn the RB3 role behind Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle”
Eli Heidenreich Pittsburgh Steelers
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Roschon Johnson to be 3rd on the depth chart
“Roschon Johnson is a quality third option behind D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.”
Roschon Johnson Chicago Bears
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Braxton Jones to be 1st on the depth chart
“Braxton Jones appears set to start on the blindside out of the gate”
Braxton Jones Chicago Bears
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Fernando Carmona to be 1st on the depth chart
“Fernando Carmona Jr., a fifth-round pick out of Arkansas, locked in the starting job at right guard with a strong preseason.”
Fernando Carmona Tennessee Titans
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
J.J. McCarthy to be 3rd on the depth chart
“(with Murray at the top followed by Wentz and then McCarthy)”
J.J. McCarthy Minnesota Vikings
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart
“with a little more seasoning, he'll be QB1 by season's end in all likelihood”
Fernando Mendoza Las Vegas Raiders
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Mansoor Delane to be 1st on the depth chart
“Mansoor Delane, the No. 6 overall pick out of LSU, looked primed to slot in as Kansas City's No. 1 corner”
Mansoor Delane Kansas City Chiefs
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
MarShawn Lloyd to be 1st on the depth chart
“That leaves MarShawn Lloyd as the top back, along with Chris Brooks and the recently acquired Kaleb Johnson.”
MarShawn Lloyd Green Bay Packers
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Jake Slaughter to be 1st on the depth chart
“Second-round rookie Jake Slaughter will take over, but there are some questions along the interior of the line.”
Jake Slaughter Los Angeles Chargers
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart
“This quarterback room as it's currently constructed (with Murray at the top followed by Wentz and then McCarthy) is the optimal approach.”
Kyler Murray Minnesota Vikings
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?

The games in this take

every pundit’s pick on each

Others on the same people

Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.
Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.
Jason Harmon · Roster Spot Calls · Max Brosmer · Miss 0
Harmon expects the Vikings' quarterback room to stay intact while Kyler Murray is hurt, and predicts Max Brosmer will be released and re-signed to the practice squad since Minnesota won't carry four QBs.
Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Ahead of the trade deadline, they float three Raiders moves: shipping Kirk Cousins to Minnesota if the Vikings offer a second-round pick, selling Maxx Crosby to Dallas for a first-rounder plus, and acquiring Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a second- or third-round pick.
Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Lazarczyk expects the Raiders to be sellers before the trade deadline, suggesting Kirk Cousins could be dealt back to the Vikings and that benched interior lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson is a prime candidate to be traded somewhere.
Patricia Traina · Trade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthy · Hit 100
Traina expects defensive tackle to be a top need for the Giants in next year's draft, and suggests the Giants could trade J.J. McCarthy next offseason — or keep both them and Jaxson Dart if the return isn't good enough. They also expect Dart to make a full recovery.

More depth chart calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

Jeremy Brener · Depth Chart Calls · Drew Lock · Hit 100
Brener picked the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals in Week 9 by a multi-score margin, giving a final score of 27-13, and expressed confidence Seattle would be fine with Drew Lock starting at quarterback.
Jeremy Brener · Depth Chart Calls · Jalen Milroe · Miss 0
Brener suggests Seattle may turn to rookie-contract quarterback Jalen Milroe for their first career start in Week 9 against the Cardinals, with Sam Darnold ruled out and Drew Lock dealing with an elbow injury.
Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.
Garrett Podell · Depth Chart Calls · Carson Beck · Miss 0
Podell argues the Cardinals have maxed out with Jacoby Brissett and that rookie Carson Beck should be ramped up to replace them as starter, targeting Week 8 at Dallas for Beck's regular-season debut.
Donnie Druin · Depth Chart Calls · Jacoby Brissett · Hit 100
Following the Cardinals' decision not to make staff or lineup changes, Druin states that Jacoby Brissett will remain Arizona's starting quarterback for another week, with rookie Carson Beck staying behind them.
Jordan Dajani · Depth Chart Calls · Drew Kendall · Miss 0
Dajani expects Cam Jurgens to move back to center as the Ravens' starter after the trade, and projects a rebuilt Eagles offensive line for Week 5 with Jordan Mailata, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, Tyler Steen and Markel Bell starting from left tackle to right tackle.