# Brandon Deutsch: Brandon Deutsch calls USC receiver Makai Lemon the best receiver in the draft class, says they won't get past pick 13 to the Rams, and expects them to top 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie.

**Claimed:** Feb 8, 2026
**Pundit:** Brandon Deutsch — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/brandon-deutsch
**Outlet:** Fox Sports Radio (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fox-sports-radio-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/fox-sports-radio-weekends/bernie-fratto-previews-super-bowl-sunday-gives-his-pick-and-is-joined-by-scott-pritchard-and-mark-medina

3 checkable claims — 1 mock draft pick, 1 player season number and 1 position order call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

1 of 3 have settled so far, averaging 50 out of 100, against 12.8 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> I don't think he gets past pick thirteen to the Rams.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Makai Lemon to be 1st wide receiver off the board**
  - Kind: Position Order Calls · About: Makai Lemon
  - Verdict: scored 50 out of 100, against 12.84 for a naive guess
- **Makai Lemon to record 1,000 receiving yards**
  - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Makai Lemon
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Makai Lemon to be picked “doesn't get past pick thirteen”**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Makai Lemon
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Makai Lemon — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/makai-lemon

## What others said about the same people

- Nick Wright on Makai Lemon: Nick Wright unveiled their full 32-pick 2026 NFL mock draft 4.0, starting with Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders at No. 1 and ending with Avion Terrell to the Seahawks at 32. They also called Carnell Tate the best/safest receiver in the class, projected Ty Simpson inside the top 45, said Mendoza profiles as a low-end top-15 NFL quarterback, and expected the Dolphins to lose 15 games. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3c5ad8a4-034f-4abb-8806-20dd9e44b5c6 (scored 73.84)
- Danny Parkins on Makai Lemon: Danny Parkins presented their one-and-only 2026 mock draft, including trades: Mendoza at 1 to the Raiders, David Bailey second to the Jets, the Cowboys trading up to No. 3 for Arvell Reese, the Bears trading up to 16 for Kadyn Proctor, and Ty Simpson going to Arizona at 32 at the end of round one. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d98bca2f-5fc3-4f68-8389-30f9a2cb906f (scored 95.76)
- David Harrison on Makai Lemon: Harrison delivers their only first-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft, projecting all 32 first-round picks (including several trades) plus the rest of Washington's projected class, while noting it is an exercise in what could happen rather than a firm forecast. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5cc44fc1-4ff9-447a-9c32-5f715fa6e9ba (scored 67.71)
- Daniel Jeremiah on Makai Lemon: Daniel Jeremiah's final 2026 NFL mock draft, projecting the first round pick by pick (including mock trades), starting with Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders at No. 1 and ending with Peter Woods to the Ravens via a trade with Seattle. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0fbc7597-86ee-4037-a1e6-4b062ff9f12c (scored 73.84)
- Brandon Carney on Makai Lemon: Co-hosting a mock draft, Carney made the odd-numbered picks: Fernando Mendoza No. 1 to the Raiders, Arvell Reese No. 3 to the Cardinals, Sonny Styles No. 5 to the Giants, Mekhi Lemon No. 7 to the Commanders, Caleb Downs No. 9 to the Chiefs, and more. They also predicted AJ Brown will be a Patriot, said Kenyan Saddiq will be the first-round bust, and picked the Bengals to finish ahead of the Ravens in the AFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7184a8b6-1036-4304-a147-3b8889e3f86b (scored 56.94)
- Gregg Rosenthal on Makai Lemon: Rosenthal delivered a solo first-round mock draft (a "will happen" mock, no trades), naming a specific player at each of the first 32 picks. They also predicted they'd hit more than 4.5 picks correctly, and suggested George Pickens could be traded by Dallas next year. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e0b75c16-85ff-4257-8b56-d51a668d725c (scored 84.09)

## More position order calls

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

- Joe Marino on Arvell Reese: Marino stacks 14 inside linebackers in the 2026 NFL draft class and assigns each a round-value grade, with Sonny Styles first (top-10 grade) and Anthony Hill third; they say Hill would be their preferred pick if Buffalo takes a linebacker at No. 26. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/fa349c5e-12c5-4b82-84ad-aff5d3bba78b (scored 100)
- Ian Rapoport on Tetairoa McMillan: Rapoport said Travis Hunter is likely the pick at No. 2 for the Browns, that Shedeur Sanders is in play at No. 3, and predicted Tetairoa McMillan would be the first receiver drafted. They also expected Brock Purdy's next deal to land around $50 million per year with Dak Prescott remaining the only quarterback above $60 million. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ab1b5fb3-d399-4b59-87fa-3e683b3cad77 (scored 70.71)
- Peter Schrager on Tetairoa McMillan: Schrager laid out their top 10 prospects entering the 2025 combine, with Travis Hunter first, Abdul Carter second and Tyler Warren third, and attached draft-range calls to several of them — Will Johnson in the first round, Mason Graham a top-five pick, Ashton Jeanty a first-rounder, Tyler Warren not escaping the top ten, and Cam Ward a top-five to top-ten pick who will start as a rookie. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/6346ea38-e7e1-45a3-a146-5231338dd001 (scored 70.71)
- Matty Lane on Spencer Fano: Maddie Lane said Spencer Fano is clearly the first tackle off the board, that the top four players in their mock will be four of the first five picks, that Malik Mohammed goes ahead of Igbunosin, and that Blake Miller would beat out Jalen Moore for the Chiefs' starting job. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/61fb26a0-be21-4ad0-bc4f-de49db439f63 (scored 100)
- Nick Shook on Francis Mauigoa: Shook walks through their 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 70.71)
- Daniel Jeremiah on Spencer Fano: Jeremiah's Mock Draft 3.0, discussed pick by pick: Mendoza first overall, Arvell Reese to the Jets at 2, Francis Mauigoa to the Cardinals at 3, Jeremiyah Love to the Titans at 4, Sonny Styles to the Giants at 5, and on through the first round. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/81b98180-a971-4b4f-a610-5aa2906a1ea5 (scored 70.71)

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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.

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