# JP Acosta: 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. **Claimed:** Apr 20, 2026 **Pundit:** JP Acosta — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/jp-acosta **Outlet:** Pushing the Pile (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/pushing-the-pile-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/serve.castfire.com/audio/8174627/8174627_2026-04-12-052627.192.mp3?rssID=6037 16 checkable claims — 16 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. 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. > It is Fernando Mendoza, quarterback from Indiana. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Akheem Mesidor to be picked at number 15** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Akheem Mesidor, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: scored 73.84 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Sonny Styles to be picked at number 5** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Sonny Styles, New York Giants - Verdict: scored 91.7 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Blake Miller to be picked at number 31** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Blake Miller, New England Patriots - Verdict: scored 54.53 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **David Bailey to be picked at number 3** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: David Bailey, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Omar Cooper to be picked at number 23** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Omar Cooper, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: scored 73.84 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Makai Lemon to be picked at number 21** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Makai Lemon, Pittsburgh Steelers - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Monroe Freeling to be picked at number 13** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Monroe Freeling, Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: scored 77.11 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **K.C. Concepcion to be picked at number 19** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: K.C. Concepcion, Carolina Panthers - Verdict: scored 80.52 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Kadyn Proctor to be picked at number 17** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kadyn Proctor, Detroit Lions - Verdict: scored 80.52 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Malachi Lawrence to be picked at number 27** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Malachi Lawrence, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: scored 84.09 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Keldric Faulk to be picked at number 25** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Keldric Faulk, Chicago Bears - Verdict: scored 77.11 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Avieon Terrell to be picked at number 29** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Avieon Terrell, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: scored 43.91 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Spencer Fano to be picked at number 9** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Spencer Fano, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Francis Mauigoa to be picked at number 11** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Francis Mauigoa, Miami Dolphins - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Caleb Downs to be picked at number 7** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Caleb Downs, Washington Commanders - Verdict: scored 84.09 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess ## Who this take is about - Akheem Mesidor — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/akheem-mesidor - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers - Sonny Styles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/sonny-styles - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/giants - Blake Miller — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/blake-miller - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots - David Bailey — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/david-bailey - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - Omar Cooper — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/omar-cooper - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/eagles - Makai Lemon — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/makai-lemon - Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/steelers - Monroe Freeling — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/monroe-freeling - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/rams - K.C. Concepcion — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/k-c-concepcion - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/panthers - Kadyn Proctor — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kadyn-proctor - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - Malachi Lawrence — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/malachi-lawrence - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Keldric Faulk — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/keldric-faulk - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Avieon Terrell — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/avieon-terrell - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Spencer Fano — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/spencer-fano - Francis Mauigoa — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/francis-mauigoa - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Caleb Downs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/caleb-downs - Washington Commanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/commanders - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Kansas City Chiefs: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on New York Giants: Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Chris Long on Los Angeles Rams: Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3df9ea25-e57f-4fd7-b20c-c910a1c3633a (scored 0) - Steven Ruiz on Las Vegas Raiders: Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a30ff469-4972-4c48-855b-ba984e4de9d0 (scored 100) - Nate Tice on Detroit Lions: Tice matched his guest on every Week 3 game, picking the Ravens over the Cowboys, the Jaguars over the Patriots in a close game, the Broncos to upset the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears and the Lions over the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b8378e16-ea5c-4107-a883-28aaf0e71134 (scored 100) - Jake Arthur on Kansas City Chiefs: Arthur expects a close Chiefs win on Sunday Night Football at Arrowhead, predicting a final score of 27-23 for Kansas City. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ca7ab74e-ab34-4ed6-a77f-2c7e9f8c8c4d (scored 97.62) ## More mock draft picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Ryan Wilson on J.J. McCarthy: Recalling his pre-draft evaluation, Wilson notes he had ranked J.J. McCarthy as the fifth quarterback in the 2024 class and given him a second-round grade rather than a first-round one, citing the gap between Michigan's system and NFL demands. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/44cc5859-8b2b-4fbf-b5c0-62c635f2e357 (scored 36.92) - Nick Shook on Max Iheanachor: Shook walks through his full first-round mock draft, assigning a prospect to every pick from No. 1 to No. 32, headlined by Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, David Bailey to the Jets and Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals in the top three. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7d4209aa-2e2d-47a2-b6e5-791d16d209cb (scored 87.81) - Daniel Jeremiah on Keyron Crawford: In discussing teams without first-round picks, Jeremiah projected specific Day 2 picks: Clemson WR Antonio Williams to the Falcons at 48, Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez to the Colts in the second round, Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas to the Packers at 52, and Auburn edge Keiroon Crawford to the Broncos at 62. He also expects Riley Leonard to open as the Colts' starting QB and Travis Hunter to play cornerback full time in Jacksonville. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f60c916c-1b5f-4252-8733-1770c7809577 (scored 80.52) - Daniel Jeremiah on Carnell Tate: Jeremiah says Denver, not Kansas City, will be the clear favorite in the AFC West this season; he also puts Carnell Tate sixth and Monroe Freeling twentieth on his prospect board, mocks Tate to Cleveland at No. 6, and expects Georgia receiver Branch to be a Day 2 pick after a strong pro day. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/48a1d189-dc0f-4250-aa3b-0e27119c733a (scored 91.7) - Jeff Cavanaugh on Lorenzo Styles: Streaming from the NFL Combine, Jeff pegged safety Dylan Thienemann's draft range at roughly picks 20-35, said LSU safety AJ Halsey would cost a second- or third-round pick, and insisted Sonny Styles' brother would not be a top-50 selection despite a fast 40. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f1f48cc1-f9d5-44ca-b130-2c6447b49bc6 (scored 0.51) - Scott Bogman on Olaivavega Ioane: He gave David Bailey to Tennessee at 4, Sonny Styles to Washington at 7, Caleb Downs to Cincinnati at 10, Carnell Tate to the Rams at 13, Denzel Boston to the Jets at 16, Kayden McDonald to Carolina at 19, Vega Ioane to the Chargers at 22, Peter Woods to Chicago at 25, Emmanuel Pregnon to Houston at 28 and Romello Height to Denver at 31, and insisted both Bailey and Downs are top-10 locks. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0b0cd1a9-31f7-40d9-9b9e-f52957c10494 (scored 70.71) --- 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=jp-acosta