Bradley LockerOct 28, 2026
Locker argues several underpaid standouts through seven games of 2026 are headed for recognition and raises: Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller as a potential All-Pro and extension candidate, Packers safety Williams and Jaguars receiver Parker Washington as new-contract candidates, and Bryce Young as a quarterback who could command more than $50 million per year.
Published in writing · Pro Football FocusRead the original
What Bradley Locker said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromIf his play extends throughout the second half of 2026, the 27-year-old looms as a potential All-Pro and likely extension candidate for the Jaguars this offseason.
- Where it was published
- Pro Football Focus
- The piece
- 10 NFL players outperforming their contracts to start the 2026 season
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Parker Washington to sign a new deal with Jacksonville Jaguars“His performance should come with a new contract in short order.”
- 2Ventrell Miller to make All-Pro“If his play extends throughout the second half of 2026, the 27-year-old looms as a potential All-Pro and likely extension candidate for the Jaguars this offseason after letting Devin Lloyd walk last spring.”
- 3Evan Williams: “could receive a top-of-market extension in due time if his play sustains”“The 25-year-old could receive a top-of-market extension in due time if his play sustains.”
- 4Bryce Young to sign for $50M+ a year with Carolina Panthers“the 25-year-old is playing well above his pay grade among quarterbacks, establishing himself as a franchise starter in Carolina — and one who could command over $50 million annually this spring.”
- 5Ventrell Miller to sign a new deal with Jacksonville Jaguars“the 27-year-old looms as a potential All-Pro and likely extension candidate for the Jaguars this offseason”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parker Washington to sign a new deal with Jacksonville Jaguars1 | Contract Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Ventrell Miller to make All-Pro2 | Pro Bowl and All-Pro Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Evan Williams: “could receive a top-of-market extension in due time if his play sustains”3 | Contract Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Bryce Young to sign for $50M+ a year with Carolina Panthers4 | Contract Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Ventrell Miller to sign a new deal with Jacksonville Jaguars5 | Contract Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 calls · 5 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
5 checkable claims — 4 contract calls and 1 pro bowl and all-pro call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 7 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
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.
1Contract CallsParker WashingtonJacksonville Jaguars
Parker Washington to sign a new deal with Jacksonville Jaguars
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Pro Bowl and All-Pro CallsVentrell MillerJacksonville Jaguars
Ventrell Miller to make All-Pro
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Contract CallsEvan WilliamsGreen Bay Packers
Evan Williams: “could receive a top-of-market extension in due time if his play sustains”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Contract CallsBryce YoungCarolina Panthers
Bryce Young to sign for $50M+ a year with Carolina Panthers
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Contract CallsVentrell MillerJacksonville Jaguars
Ventrell Miller to sign a new deal with Jacksonville Jaguars
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Bill Huber · Game Outcome Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
Huber argues Green Bay has no excuses left and will beat New England in Foxborough, and expects Christian Watson to play despite their rib injury. They also sketch the projected interior offensive line, with John Williams at center and Laken Tomlinson at right guard.Derek Brown · Game Outcome Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
Brown picked the Bengals to beat the Falcons in Madrid, the Packers to win outright in New England and the Bills to beat the Vikings on Monday night. They were bullish on Jonah Coleman's rest-of-season value, expected Jonathan Taylor to play for the Colts, floated a Breece Hall trade, and did not expect DJ Reed to play in Week 9.Danny Parkins · Game Outcome Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
Parkins named the seven AFC teams they believe are already set as the playoff field, expects Chicago, Buffalo and Kansas City to win this week, took Green Bay over New England and Atlanta over Cincinnati outright, and kept Bills–Bears as their Super Bowl matchup with the Giants still winning the NFC East.John Middlekauff · Game Outcome Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
Middlekauff declared the AFC South over and the Jaguars the division champs, while listing several clubs they expect in the playoffs and pegging the Jets for a top-five draft slot. They also leaned Packers and Bears in Week 9 games, predicted roughly five or six wins for Washington, said Brandon Aiyuk is not coming back, and called Tyson Bagent's current deal the biggest they'll ever sign.
More contract calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
John Middlekauff · Contract Calls · C.J. Stroud · Waiting
Middlekauff previewed Week 11, projecting the Commanders to finish with six or seven wins and the Giants with eight or nine, naming four AFC teams as playoff locks, and picking the Chiefs, Texans, Steelers and 49ers to win their games. Also predicted a top-15 draft slot for Charlie Becker and an eventual big contract for C.J. Stroud if the Texans finish strong.Tom Pelissero · Contract Calls · C.J. Stroud · Waiting
Pelissero picked the Jaguars as the AFC team to like most, said Lamar Jackson will not be cut or traded by Baltimore, and argued C.J. Stroud is heading for a contract that would make him the league's highest-paid quarterback at around $65 million per year.Nate Gosney · Contract Calls · Daiyan Henley · Waiting
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.Zack Kelberman · Contract Calls · Ja'Quan McMillian · Waiting
Kelberman expects Talanoa Hufanga to return from their ankle injury for Denver's post-bye home game against the Raiders, and predicts the Broncos will use their newly created cap space to sign slot cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian to an extension in the coming days.