# Mike Moraitis: Moraitis argues Echoles could be the first defensive lineman drafted in 2027 and that he will be a first-round pick, and that the Bears should prioritize him in Round 1. **Claimed:** Sep 3, 2026 **Pundit:** Mike Moraitis — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/mike-moraitis **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/onsi/bears-predicted-to-continue-dl-overhaul-after-gervon-dexter-trade-by-drafting-ole-miss-prospect 2 checkable claims — 1 mock draft pick and 1 position order call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room. > Echoles has an opportunity to be the first defensive lineman off the board in 2027, assuming he declares after his junior year. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Will Echoles to be 1st defensive lineman off the board** - Kind: Position Order Calls · About: Will Echoles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Will Echoles to be picked “Round 1”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Will Echoles - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Will Echoles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/will-echoles ## What others said about the same people - Charlie Campbell on Will Echoles: Campbell ranks the top defensive tackle prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft, giving each a projected draft round range and a projected 40-yard dash time. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/11c7aaca-a69e-42c7-820e-a66696d78fde (not settled) - Charlie Campbell on Will Echoles: Campbell ranks the top nose tackle prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft, with Will Echoles of Ole Miss first, and assigns each a projected draft round range and a projected 40-yard dash time. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2e93d29e-56b0-4524-a7e9-1a2c6f39f025 (not settled) - Charlie Campbell on Will Echoles: Campbell ranks the top 3-4 defensive end prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft, with Ole Miss's Will Echoles first, and attaches a projected draft round and a projected 40-yard dash time to each prospect. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/34e553b2-a9a6-463f-8bb2-af2ca99c30d5 (not settled) - Justin Melo on Will Echoles: Melo argues Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is building toward first-round status, and that Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles is the early favorite to be the first DT taken in the 2027 draft. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/214bb369-4ded-4549-8264-3ba6e276a405 (not settled) - Michael Haney on Will Echoles: Haney previews four college prospects for the Giants ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft, projecting Arkansas edge Quincy Rhodes Jr. as a Day 2 pick, suggesting Texas A&M's Mario Craver could run in the 4.2 range at the 2026 NFL Combine, and saying Ole Miss DT Will Echoles could push into the top ten of the 2027 draft with a strong showing. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/24886a26-4033-4bc8-b444-226f16ae7a64 (not settled) - Charlie Campbell on Will Echoles: A college-to-NFL draft preview assesses prospects in three Week 4 games, naming several as potential first-rounders in the next draft and others as mid-round or Day 2 prospects. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/329924c0-61c7-40ec-8c48-456fae4d280e (not settled) ## More position order calls 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 100) - Nick Shook on Olaivavega Ioane: 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 35.36) - Rhett Lewis on Tyler Shough: Lewis names Louisville's Tyler Shough as the new QB3 of the class — the third quarterback off the board — and views Milroe as a second-round selection. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d116ab63-5271-4b18-838b-29bb93d58530 (scored 100) - Nick Wright on Carnell Tate: Nick Wright laid out his full mock draft 3.0 for the 2026 NFL Draft, pick by pick through the first round, and also predicted AJ Brown would finish top five in the NFL in receiving yards with the Patriots. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/77faa345-d736-4a90-8185-b1b92c789e5a (scored 100) - Todd McShay on K.C. Concepcion: McShay's mock draft 4.0 has Fernando Mendoza and David Bailey going 1-2 to the Raiders and Jets, the Saints trading up to No. 3 for Arvell Reese, the Titans taking Jeremiah Love at 4, the Giants taking Francis Mauigoa at 5 (though he'd now switch to Sonny Styles), the Cowboys trading up to 6, the Jets trading up to 7 for Carnell Tate, and Arizona trading up to 30 for Ty Simpson. He also predicts seven offensive tackles go in the first round and that Love, Styles, Downs and Reese all go in the top seven. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cd11036a-b55c-47a9-92e8-5b088260ca47 (scored 100) - Keith Sanchez on Jordyn Tyson: As relayed by Harrison, Sanchez's latest mock draft has Carnell Tate going to Washington, Jordan Tyson as the first receiver off the board at No. 5 to the Giants, Makai Lemmon at 11 and Chris Brasel at 30 to Miami, Sonny Styles at No. 8 to New Orleans, and Caleb Downs at No. 13 to the Rams. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/226ec0b5-6535-45ba-8b77-609e3e51ca6e (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=mike-moraitis