Nick Wright#49 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 23, 2025
Nick Wright gives their current top-nine quarterback ranking led by Patrick Mahomes, argues the Las Vegas Raiders will make the playoffs, warns the Lions could fall from the No. 1 seed to a 10-7 wild-card team, and predicts a bounce-back season for Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.
Said on air or in an interview · What's Wright? with Nick Wright (podcast)Hear the original
What Nick Wright said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromI would go one Patrick, two, Josh three, Lamar four, Joe five, Stafford six, Jalen Hurts seven with an asterisk of it's probably too early, but I give it to him, Jaden Daniels eight, Baker
- Where it was said
- What's Wright? with Nick Wright (podcast)
- The episode
- What’s Wright - Best Of - Jalen Hurts DISRESPECTED in QB Rankings, Nick ALL IN on Raiders to NFL Playoffs, Chiefs BIG CHANGES?
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 5, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
- SaidAug 23, 2025
- GradedAug 7–18, 2026
- 1Josh Simmons to be 1st on the depth chart“I think the Chiefs getting Josh Simmons at pick thirty two as a potential franchise left tackle is as big of an offseason move as any team made.”
- 2Detroit Lions to finish with 10 wins“could I see the Lions going from fifteen to two and the one seed to ten and seven in a wild card? Absolutely?”
- 3Las Vegas Raiders to finish with 9 wins“that team absolutely can get to nine or ten wins and sneak into the playoffs”
- 4Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs“the Browns are a team that I believe is going to make the play playoffs... And that is the Las Vegas Raiders... So the Raiders plus three point thirty to make the playoffs. That is my early first NFL season long Bet”
- 5Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations“there is one bet that I think the odds are going to shift because I think this team is going to become a popular sleeper pick... And that is the Las Vegas Raiders.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Simmons to be 1st on the depth chart1 | Depth Chart Calls | No. 3 | 83.33 | 91.67 | −16.67 | |
| Detroit Lions to finish with 10 wins2 | Season Win Totals | 9 | 80 | 45 | +70 | |
| Las Vegas Raiders to finish with 9 wins3 | Season Win Totals | 3 | 0 | 35 | −70 | |
| Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs4 | Playoff Picks | Missed the playoffs | 0 | 100 | −200 | |
| Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations5 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 calls · 2 hits · 2 misses · 1 waiting | 40.8 | 67.9 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naiveworse than naive5 checkable claims — 2 season win totals, 1 depth chart call, 1 playoff pick and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
4 of 5 have settled so far, averaging 40.8 out of 100, against 67.9 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.
Their call against what happened
Their call against what actually happened.
1Depth Chart CallsJosh SimmonsKansas City Chiefs
Josh Simmons to be 1st on the depth chart
What happenedNo. 3called No. 1 · by offensive snaps83.33Hit · naive 91.6783.33this call−91.67a naive guess=−8.34worse than naive×2difficulty=−16.67skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- KC
- skill:
- −16.67
- player:
- Josh Simmons
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 83.33
- baseline:
- 91.67
- position:
- T
- naive slot:
- 2
- actual slot:
- 3
- difficulty:
- 2
- measured by:
- offensive snaps
- the naive guess:
- no prior season — a rookie is assumed to start behind the incumbent
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- predicted slot:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
2Season Win TotalsDetroit Lions
Detroit Lions to finish with 10 wins
What happened9called 1080Hit · naive 4580this call−45a naive guess=35better than naive×2difficulty=+70skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- DET
- naive:
- 11.75
- skill:
- 70
- what happened:
- 9
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 5
- accuracy:
- 80
- baseline:
- 45
- they said:
- 10
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
3Season Win TotalsLas Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders to finish with 9 wins
What happened3called 90Miss · naive 350this call−35a naive guess=−35worse than naive×2difficulty=−70skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- LV
- naive:
- 6.25
- skill:
- −70
- what happened:
- 3
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 5
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 35
- they said:
- 9
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
4Playoff PicksLas Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs
What happenedMissed the playoffs0Miss · naive 1000this call−100a naive guess=−100worse than naive×2difficulty=−200skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- LV
- skill:
- −200
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive guess said:
- no
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- no
- weeks left when called:
- 18
5Surprise Team CallsLas Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 4 settled calls, each counted once
40.8naive 67.9
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.Gilberto Manzano · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Previewing the trade deadline, he expects Justin Herbert to stay in Los Angeles despite the Chargers' 0–7 start, thinks the Jets will keep Garrett Wilson and pair him with their young weapons, expects a receiver-hungry Kansas City to be aggressive with Josh Downs the likeliest target, and suggests expiring Eagles contracts Moro Ojomo and Riq Woolen could be dealt for mid-round picks.Joshua Poniatowski · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Poniatowski names several trade targets, predicting Malik Willis underperforms this week against New England, that Omarion Hampton could become a viable RB2 if Adam Gase takes over play-calling, that Josh Downs gets traded (ideally to Kansas City, where they'd be a top-24 WR), that Brian Thomas Jr. could be dealt to the Rams or 49ers, and that Travis Kelce remains a consistent weekly TE.Jordan Dajani · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
After reporting that Colts receiver Josh Downs requested a trade, they identify five clubs as plausible landing spots for them: the Rams, Patriots, Falcons, Chiefs and Raiders, and suggests Las Vegas could also give them a long-term extension.Mike Kadlick · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Kadlick names the Chiefs, Patriots and 49ers as the three best trade landing spots for Colts wide receiver Josh Downs ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.
More season win totals
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Damonza Byrd · Season Win Totals · Jacksonville Jaguars · Hit 100
Nick Wright's co-host picks the Jaguars over as their favorite of the six over bets and calls the Baltimore/Buffalo division-winner parlay a safe one.Gregg Rosenthal · Season Win Totals · Jacksonville Jaguars · Hit 100
Rosenthal's Week 1 picks: the Giants win at Washington, the Lions beat the Packers, and the Jaguars beat the Panthers; they also like the Jets over the Steelers and the Dolphins over the Colts, and expects Jacksonville to clear 7.5 wins.Gregg Rosenthal · Season Win Totals · Dallas Cowboys · Miss 0
Rosenthal expects a high-scoring Eagles-Cowboys kickoff game, guesses a scoreline around 41-27, still believes Dallas can clear its win total and reach the playoffs, likes the Giants to beat expectations with Jackson Dart taking over as starter early.Gregg Rosenthal · Season Win Totals · New Orleans Saints · Miss 0
Rosenthal's under picks and a few freebie leans: Colts under 7.5 (possibly the worst team), Commanders under 9.5, Saints under 5.5 (possibly 2-15), Bears under 8.5, plus stated likes on Dolphins under 8.5, Giants over 5.5 and Ravens over 11.5.Gregg Rosenthal · Season Win Totals · Minnesota Vikings · Hit 100
Rosenthal made a series of over/under win-total picks: Lions over 10.5, Colts under 7.5, Vikings over 8.5, Jets over 5.5, Cowboys over 7.5 (and over 8 in a side challenge), Commanders under 9.5, Saints under 5.5, Bears under 8.5. They also predicted the Cowboys win 10 games and make the playoffs, and the Jets go 7-10.Danny Parkins · Season Win Totals · Pittsburgh Steelers · Hit 100
Filling in for Colin Cowherd, Parkins gave over/under picks for all 32 NFL teams for the 2025 season, plus specific win-total projections for several clubs.