# Matt Verderame: Matty says Mekhi Lemmon and Carnell Tate will both be drafted before pick 29, and pegs Penn State edge Dani Dennis-Sutton around pick 74. **Claimed:** Mar 26, 2026 **Pundit:** Matt Verderame — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/matt-verderame **Outlet:** KC Sports Network (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/kc-sports-network-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://pdrl.fm/8d7cde/mgln.ai/e/256/pscrb.fm/rss/p/clrtpod.com/m/bluewire.simplecastaudio.com/8bf45406-115f-47da-8dc8-dcc5713f4a83/episodes/63f29ff2-d936-42e1-b889-4bc495ab3161/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=8bf45406-115f-47da-8dc8-dcc5713f4a83&awEpisodeId=63f29ff2-d936-42e1-b889-4bc495ab3161&feed=BJf5DYgc 3 checkable claims — 3 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 1 of 3 have settled so far, averaging 0 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls. > ...two guys that are clearly going before pick 29 in this draft with Lemon and Tate... *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Deny Dennis Sutton to be picked at number 74** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Deny Dennis Sutton - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Makai Lemon to be picked “going before pick 29”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Makai Lemon - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carnell Tate to be picked “going before pick 29”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Carnell Tate - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Deny Dennis Sutton — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/deny-dennis-sutton - Makai Lemon — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/makai-lemon - Carnell Tate — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/carnell-tate ## What others said about the same people - Lance Zierlein on Carnell Tate: Zuerlein describes their mock draft 3.0: Carnell Tate to the Giants at No. 5, Sonny Styles falling to the Cowboys at No. 12, and Colton Hood to Dallas at No. 20. They also expect runs on linebackers from the late twenties to about pick 45, defensive tackles from the early-mid twenties into the 40s, and says Ahvion Terrell's 4.65 forty knocks them out of first-round contention. They call Kenyon Saddiq and Mansoor Delaine the safest picks for Dallas, and thinks Delaine's tape is top-four caliber, while Jeremiah Smith could be a generational, Megatron-type receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3f8e6478-8ee7-441e-b2d1-d0a10233c34a (scored 95.76) - Danny Parkins on Carnell Tate: Danny Parkins presented their one-and-only 2026 mock draft, including trades: Mendoza at 1 to the Raiders, David Bailey second to the Jets, the Cowboys trading up to No. 3 for Arvell Reese, the Bears trading up to 16 for Kadyn Proctor, and Ty Simpson going to Arizona at 32 at the end of round one. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d98bca2f-5fc3-4f68-8389-30f9a2cb906f (scored 87.81) - Nick Wright on Carnell Tate: Nick Wright unveiled their full 32-pick 2026 NFL mock draft 4.0, starting with Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders at No. 1 and ending with Avion Terrell to the Seahawks at 32. They also called Carnell Tate the best/safest receiver in the class, projected Ty Simpson inside the top 45, said Mendoza profiles as a low-end top-15 NFL quarterback, and expected the Dolphins to lose 15 games. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3c5ad8a4-034f-4abb-8806-20dd9e44b5c6 (scored 91.7) - David Harrison on Makai Lemon: Harrison delivers their only first-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft, projecting all 32 first-round picks (including several trades) plus the rest of Washington's projected class, while noting it is an exercise in what could happen rather than a firm forecast. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5cc44fc1-4ff9-447a-9c32-5f715fa6e9ba (scored 67.71) - Daniel Jeremiah on Carnell Tate: Daniel Jeremiah's final 2026 NFL mock draft, projecting the first round pick by pick (including mock trades), starting with Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders at No. 1 and ending with Peter Woods to the Ravens via a trade with Seattle. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0fbc7597-86ee-4037-a1e6-4b062ff9f12c (scored 77.11) - Rich Eisen on Carnell Tate: Eisen laid out their "come at me" mock draft of the top 10 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, including a projected Chiefs trade up to No. 3 for Arvell Reese. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3c03180a-672b-4155-81b3-9f02d050bf72 (scored 95.76) ## More mock draft picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Chris Simms on Malachi Corley: Simms named the Bears the NFL's best overall offense and best rushing offense, the Bengals the best passing offense, Seattle the best total defense, Minnesota the best pass defense and Tampa Bay the best run defense; they also called Tristan Wirfs the league's best offensive lineman, projected Miami's Malachi Toney as a top-15 pick, and predicted a 30-14 Jaguars win in Baltimore. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c0fd4647-2de8-4a5f-bac2-950fed303ee9 (scored 11.46) - Todd McShay on Keelon Russell: While breaking down LSU's offense, McShay called receiver Jackson Harris a top-50 NFL draft prospect, and later said LSU's Sam Levitt and Alabama's Keelan Russell are potential top-10 picks in a future draft. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/15d40546-2ab9-4ab8-b5bd-ed0ef7f26ae5 (scored 0) - Philip Hughes on Kyle Kennard: Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/605a686a-b5f1-4611-82b4-961abf8de93e (scored 33.86) - Blaine Grisak on Brian Thomas Jr.: Grisak argues the Rams should not trade a second-round pick for Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr., calling it too great a risk and too high a cost. In an embedded tweet of their own from the 2024 pre-draft period, they suggested the Rams could select Thomas at pick No. 19. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/627bcf5d-9f1d-4a34-a1b7-53b8f0aebc40 (scored 84.09) - Charlie Campbell on Xavier Williams: Campbell's draft stock report projects Indiana WR Charlie Becker as a top-10 pick in 2027, Mississippi State CB Kelley Jones as a first-rounder, Tennessee DT Xavier Gilliam as a top-15 pick, and Texas OT Trevor Goosby as a top-10 pick, while suggesting Arch Manning could still be a first-rounder if they declare. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2dd4bf46-e5eb-4dff-8500-95d9fdbd2986 (scored 0) - Walt on Fernando Mendoza: In a running series of coach/GM hiring and firing grades, Walt projects Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick of the Raiders in the 2026 draft and has LSU's Garrett Nussmeier going No. 2 overall in their 2026 mock draft. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/29bb2d31-fbe3-40db-b378-be5ba5d990b0 (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=matt-verderame