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JP Acosta#40 of 87 NFL pundits · Apr 20, 2026

In the show's first-round mock draft, JP Acosta made the odd-numbered picks, starting with Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 overall to Vegas and running through Blake Miller to the Patriots at 31.

Said on air, transcribed by us · Pushing the Pile (podcast)Hear the original

10 of 16picks landed10 hits · 6 close calls · all settled

91.91The orderagainst a shuffled mock’s 50

+41.91Skillthe mock as a whole

81.8Per pickaverage, out of 100

#40JP Acosta’s rankof 87 ranked NFL pundits

What JP Acosta said

It is Fernando Mendoza, quarterback from Indiana.

JP Acosta, the lead quote

Where it was said: Pushing the Pile (podcast)
The episode: FINAL 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Full 1st Round | How We Think ALL 32 Picks Will Go
The original: Hear the original
Read it wrong?: Tell us and we will look

SaidApr 20
GradedOct 1

Box score, round by round

HitCloseMissWaiting

Group	Hits	Close	Misses	Waiting	Calls
Round 1	10	6	0	0
All	10	6	0	0

How the mock scored

16 checkable claims — 16 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 31 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

All 16 have settled, averaging 81.8 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.

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.

Mock against the draft

Across: where the mock put each player. Down: where the player went. The shaded band is where a pick earns credit, within 32 picks. Squares landed, half-squares were close and slashes missed.

The mock as a whole

91.91this mock’s order50a shuffled mock41.91better than naive1difficulty+41.91skill

The skill comes from how well the whole mock ordered the draft, so it is not any one pick’s score minus 50.

Every pick’s score

0a pick’s naive guess: 50100

Think a pick here is graded wrong? Tell us which.

Draft board

HitCloseMissWaiting

Round 1 · picks 1–3210 hits · 6 close callsShow ▸

Pick	Team	Player	Pos	Went	Verdict	Score
1	LV	Fernando Mendoza	quarterback	1		100
3	ARI	David Bailey	edge	2		96
5	NYG	Sonny Styles	linebacker	7		92
7	WAS	Caleb Downs	safety	11		84
9	KC	Spencer Fano	tackle	9		100
11	MIA	Francis Mauigoa	offensive line	10		96
13	LAR	Monroe Freeling	tackle	19		77
15	TB	Akheem Mesidor	edge	22		74
17	DET	Kadyn Proctor	tackle	12		81
19	CAR	K.C. Concepcion	wide receiver	24		81
21	PIT	Makai Lemon	wide receiver	20		96
23	PHI	Omar Cooper	wide receiver	30		74
25	CHI	Keldric Faulk	edge	31		77
27	SF	Malachi Lawrence	edge	23		84
29	KC	Avieon Terrell	cornerback	48		44
31	NE	Blake Miller	tackle	17		55

Who this take is about

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions

Make your own calls.Pick every open claim on Picks →

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More mock draft picks

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

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Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection.
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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.
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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.
Charlie Campbell · Mock Draft Picks · Xavier Williams · Miss 0
Reviewing Week 7 college games, Campbell projects a slate of draft outcomes: Tennessee's Xavier Gilliam as a top-15 pick in 2026, Alabama's Bray Hubbard as a Day 2 pick and Yhonzae Pierre as a potential first-rounder, Jeremiah Smith as one of the very first players drafted, Charlie Becker as a top-10 pick in the 2027 draft, Colin Simmons and Trevor Goosby as top-10 picks, and Jadan Baugh as a first-round pick.

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