Mel KiperFeb 26, 2026
In their latest mock draft, Kiper has Ohio State safety Caleb Downs going No. 2 overall to the Jets.
Said on air or in an interview · The Dan Patrick Show (podcast)Hear the original
What Mel Kiper said
So he's got Caleb Downs, a safety, going number two to the Jets.
- Where it was said
- The Dan Patrick Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Hour 1 – “Arm Length” Is the New “Hand Size,” NFL Combine
- 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.
- SaidFeb 26
- GradedAug 5
How the call scored
a naive guessbetter than naiveOne checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.
It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
The call scored 67.7 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.
The 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 call; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Their call against what happened
overall pickTheir call against what actually happened.
Mock Draft PicksCaleb DownsNew York Jets
Caleb Downs to be picked at number 2
What happenedWent 11mocked at 267.71Close · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Caleb Downs
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 67.71
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 11
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 67.71
- predicted pick:
- 2
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
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Faria says rookie edge rusher David Bailey, now at five sacks, is on track to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and that Garrett Wilson is headed for a 100-catch, 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown season. They also map out a path where the Jets beat the Dolphins and Raiders to reach 4-4 at midseason.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Chris Simms · Mock Draft Picks · Malachi Corley · Miss 11
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.Philip Hughes · Mock Draft Picks · Kyle Kennard · Miss 34
Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection.Blaine Grisak · Mock Draft Picks · Brian Thomas Jr. · Hit 84
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.Charlie Campbell · Mock Draft Picks · Xavier Williams · Miss 0
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.