# Daniel Wade: In a trade-back mock draft, Wade has the Chargers deal pick 22 to Miami and select edge rusher Cassius Howell at 30, guard Keelan Rutledge at 55, cornerback Malik Muhammad at 86, wide receiver Brennan Thompson at 87, linebacker Keyshawn Elliott at 123, and offensive tackle Travis Burke at 151.

**Claimed:** Apr 13, 2026
**Pundit:** Daniel Wade — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/daniel-wade
**Outlet:** Locked On Chargers (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/locked-on-chargers-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us
**Original:** https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdrl.fm/d1cedf/lockedon.simplecastaudio.com/709e5c37-556a-46ea-9cab-c0d0267c4589/episodes/20bf4783-0a87-49ab-aeaf-c3d647457006/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=709e5c37-556a-46ea-9cab-c0d0267c4589&awEpisodeId=20bf4783-0a87-49ab-aeaf-c3d647457006&feed=A8M6ytRb

8 checkable claims — 8 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

All 8 have settled, averaging 33.5 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> And with pick 30, we ended up going with an edge rusher we haven't talked about yet. Cassius Howell, the explosive Texas a and m edge rusher.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Keylan Rutledge to be picked at number 55**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Keylan Rutledge, Los Angeles Chargers
  - Verdict: scored 28.47 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Cashius Howell to be picked at number 30**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Cashius Howell, Los Angeles Chargers
  - Verdict: scored 62.09 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Malik Muhammad to be picked at number 86**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Malik Muhammad, Los Angeles Chargers
  - Verdict: scored 19.28 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Keylan Rutledge to be picked “second round pick” (picks 33–64)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Keylan Rutledge
  - Verdict: scored 73.84 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Travis Burke to be picked at number 151**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Travis Burke, Los Angeles Chargers
  - Verdict: scored 22.93 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Brenen Thompson to be picked at number 87**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Brenen Thompson, Los Angeles Chargers
  - Verdict: scored 45.85 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Jeremiah Smith to be picked “top five pick” (picks 1–5)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jeremiah Smith
  - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Keyshaun Elliott to be picked at number 123**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Keyshaun Elliott, Los Angeles Chargers
  - Verdict: scored 15.52 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess

## Who this take is about

- Keylan Rutledge — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/keylan-rutledge
- Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chargers
- Cashius Howell — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/cashius-howell
- Malik Muhammad — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/malik-muhammad
- Travis Burke — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/travis-burke
- Brenen Thompson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/brenen-thompson
- Jeremiah Smith — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jeremiah-smith
- Keyshaun Elliott — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/keyshaun-elliott

## What others said about the same people

- Nate Gosney on Daiyan Henley: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/60272861-4ad0-4749-b36a-dcdf09b9213f (scored 0)
- Tyler Sullivan on Los Angeles Chargers: Sullivan flags five Week 9 underdogs they expect to pull upsets: the Packers at New England, the Vikings over Buffalo, the winless Chargers over Houston, the Panthers over Denver, and the Falcons over Cincinnati in Madrid. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b01bc807-6ff9-460f-8ab3-c7506b54effb (scored 0)
- Kevin Wildes on Los Angeles Chargers: Wildes used their upset alert on the winless Chargers to beat the Rams. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4a6e4641-36d3-4a34-9929-9d1fdab93cbb (scored 0)
- Greg Auman on Los Angeles Chargers: Auman predicts an all-Los Angeles Super Bowl with the Chargers beating the Rams 24-21. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b529264d-fbdd-4b2c-88aa-4c15848659a6 (scored 21.43)
- Nick Wright on Los Angeles Chargers: Nick Wright ran through their projected 2025 records for all 16 AFC teams, calling Baltimore a 13-win regular-season juggernaut, Houston a 12-win team with the league's best defense, and going under on the Jets, Bengals, Steelers and Chargers; they also picked the Chiefs' game-by-game schedule to 12-5 and said Buffalo wins the AFC East. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d726dad7-b84e-421c-8274-380142c4ff2e (scored 0)
- Eric Mangini on Los Angeles Chargers: Mangini took the Titans to upset the Texans, and in the chips segment backed the Chargers to upset Denver, the Patriots over the Raiders, and the Rams over the Bills. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/af6364dd-ba73-40cb-95fa-a9fa3ddf962b (scored 0)

## 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)

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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

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