# Mel Kiper: In his latest mock draft, Kiper has Ohio State safety Caleb Downs going No. 2 overall to the Jets.

**Claimed:** Feb 26, 2026
**Pundit:** Mel Kiper — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/mel-kiper
**Outlet:** The Dan Patrick Show (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-dan-patrick-show-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/the-dan-patrick-show/hour-1-arm-length-is-the-new-hand-size-nfl-combine

One 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.

> So he's got Caleb Downs, a safety, going number two to the Jets.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Caleb Downs to be picked at number 2**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Caleb Downs, New York Jets
  - Verdict: scored 67.71 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess

## Who this take is about

- Caleb Downs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/caleb-downs
- New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets

## What others said about the same people

- Kevin Wildes on New York Jets: For upset alert Wildes took the Broncos to beat the Rams straight up in Denver and added the Jets to beat the Lions straight up. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/35bc2cfa-9927-43ce-be97-5c73bb6517fd (scored 0)
- Devon Platana on Arian Smith: Platana projects the Jets' post-move wide receiver depth chart for 2026 — Garrett Wilson first, Adonai Mitchell second, rookie Omar Cooper Jr. third, Isaiah Williams fourth, Tim Patrick fifth and Jamaal Pritchett sixth — with Cam Camper, Quincy Skinner Jr. and Arian Smith landing on the practice squad. He also expects a bounce-back 1,000-yard season from Wilson. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/88d429eb-8655-49ad-9f90-54eef4c5e655 (scored 0)
- Nick Faria on Jelani Woods: Faria projects the Jets' depth chart entering the third week of training camp, naming starters, backups and bubble players across every position group, plus roster-spot calls on Jelani Woods, Xavier Newman, VJ Payne, Tre Brown and Samuel Womack III. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7e070750-0467-41ae-ba74-571f3e4fa56d (scored 100)
- Gregg Rosenthal on Davante Adams: Gregg Rosenthal predicted both Ohio State running backs go in the top 50, that Cam Ward has a decent chance to go No. 1 overall and won't fall past the first couple of picks, that Shedeur Sanders is a tier below him, that Jackson Dart won't be drafted much higher than Jalen Hurts' late-second slot, that Brady Cook won't be drafted, and that DeVante Adams is somewhat likely to be cut by the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/89637841-0be4-414d-9dd0-f380cb679557 (scored 100)
- Bradley Locker on Mazi Smith: Locker lists 10 players on the roster bubble entering 2026, suggesting Tyrone Tracy may not make the Giants' 53, Broderick Jones could be traded or cut by Pittsburgh, Dillon Gabriel may lose the Browns' QB3 job, Evan Neal's Giants tenure may end, and Will Levis will likely be traded or cut by Tennessee. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/538fc657-f762-4d98-84e1-b03c4bc14469 (scored 100)
- Kevin Wildes on New York Jets: Wildes made the Jets beating the Packers his upset alert pick, arguing Green Bay's road losing streak and Jordan Love's recent interceptions will catch up with them. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c804159d-ac3e-4af6-aab2-d709eed07b30 (scored 0)

## More mock draft picks

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 36.92)
- Lance Zierlein on Jeremiyah Love: Zierlein laid out his final mock draft: Jeremiah Love at No. 3 to Arizona, Sonny Styles at No. 4 to Robert Saleh's team, and Caleb Downs to the Giants at No. 5. He also called Styles the only first-round linebacker in the class and said Ty Simpson is a lock to be a first-round pick, most likely to Arizona. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cf600df8-87eb-492b-9d91-f7a2b39104ac (scored 100)
- Nick Shook on Max Iheanachor: 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 87.81)
- Gregg Rosenthal on K.C. Concepcion: Rosenthal disagrees most with Casey Concepcion being left out of the first round, arguing he could go as high as the top 15 and certainly won't last past receiver-needy teams in the late twenties. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8fae9a3a-7fd8-454c-99cc-0a8400c35d7d (scored 67.71)
- Daniel Jeremiah on Keyron Crawford: In discussing teams without first-round picks, Jeremiah projected specific Day 2 picks: Clemson WR Antonio Williams to the Falcons at 48, Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez to the Colts in the second round, Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas to the Packers at 52, and Auburn edge Keiroon Crawford to the Broncos at 62. He also expects Riley Leonard to open as the Colts' starting QB and Travis Hunter to play cornerback full time in Jacksonville. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f60c916c-1b5f-4252-8733-1770c7809577 (scored 80.52)
- Daniel Jeremiah on Carnell Tate: Jeremiah says Denver, not Kansas City, will be the clear favorite in the AFC West this season; he also puts Carnell Tate sixth and Monroe Freeling twentieth on his prospect board, mocks Tate to Cleveland at No. 6, and expects Georgia receiver Branch to be a Day 2 pick after a strong pro day. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/48a1d189-dc0f-4250-aa3b-0e27119c733a (scored 91.7)

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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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