Rich Eisen#38 of 87 NFL pundits · Feb 27, 2026
Eisen argues Ohio State will produce multiple top-10 picks — Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs — becoming the first school with three defensive players in the top 10, and that Styles will not be available at No. 12 to the Cowboys. He also thinks Fernando Mendoza is worthy of the No. 1 overall pick and expects the Raiders to draft him, and picks Trey Lance over Anthony Richardson to start a game first, Micah Parsons to fetch a bigger trade return than Maxx Crosby, Kirk Cousins as the released QB most likely to reach the playoffs, and J.J. McCarthy as the Vikings' Week 1 starter.
Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original
What Rich Eisen said
How do you look at Sonny Styles and Arvel Rees and tonight Caleb Downs and not think that's three top 10 picks.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Hour 1: Live from the NFL Combine with NFL Network’s Stacey Dales, plus What’s More Likely
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidFeb 27
- GradedAug 13–Oct 1
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mock Draft Picks | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Position Order Calls | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Playoff Picks | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Depth Chart Calls | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Trade and Signing Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| All | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
How each call scored
9 checkable claims — 5 mock draft picks, 1 depth chart call, 1 playoff pick, 1 position order call and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
7 of 9 have settled so far, averaging 85.1 out of 100, against 43 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
overall pickTheir call against what actually happened.
Mock Draft Picks4 hits · 1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Caleb Downs to be picked “top 10 picks” (picks 1–10)
“How do you look at Sonny Styles and Arvel Rees and tonight Caleb Downs and not think that's three top 10 picks.”
Went 1195.76HitThink 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:
- 95.76
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 11
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 95.76
- predicted pick:
- top 10 picks (picks 1–10)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
Arvell Reese to be picked “top 10 picks” (picks 1–10)
“How do you look at Sonny Styles and Arvel Rees and tonight Caleb Downs and not think that's three top 10 picks.”
Went 5100HitThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Arvell Reese
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 5
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- top 10 picks (picks 1–10)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
Sonny Styles to be picked “top 10 picks” (picks 1–10)
“How do you look at Sonny Styles and Arvel Rees and tonight Caleb Downs and not think that's three top 10 picks.”
Went 7100HitThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Sonny Styles
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 7
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- top 10 picks (picks 1–10)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
Francis Mauigoa to be picked “top 10” (picks 1–10)
“Mau and Noah, Miami is going top 10.”
Went 10100HitThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Francis Mauigoa
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 10
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- top 10 (picks 1–10)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
Mansoor Delane to be picked “a top top pick”
“But, like and he's awesome. He's such a great dude, and he's gonna be a top top pick.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Position Order Calls1 hitShow ▸Hide ▾
Carnell Tate to be 1st wide receiver off the board
“And then Tate might be the first wide receiver taken.”
100Hit100 − 9.48 naive = 90.52 × 1 difficulty = +90.52 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- naming one of the 36 at random averages 9.48
- skill:
- 90.52
- player:
- Carnell Tate
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- credit halves every two places
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 9.48
- position:
- wide receiver
- class size:
- 36
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- actual order:
- 1
- predicted order:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 0
Playoff Picks1 missShow ▸Hide ▾
Minnesota Vikings to make the playoffs
“I'll go Kirk Cousins... Because he might stay somehow, stay in in Atlanta. So you're saying the Vikings are making the playoffs next year.”
Missed the playoffs0Miss0 − 0 naive = 0 × 1 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- MIN
- skill:
- 0
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive guess said:
- yes
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- no
- weeks left when called:
- 0
Depth Chart Calls1 hitShow ▸Hide ▾
J.J. McCarthy to be 1st on the depth chart
“But it's gonna be JJ McCarthy's gig... JJ McCarthy starting week one onward.”
No. 1called No. 1 · by passing yards100Hit100 − 91.67 naive = 8.33 × 1 difficulty = +8.33 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- MIN
- skill:
- 8.33
- player:
- J.J. McCarthy
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 91.67
- position:
- QB
- naive slot:
- 2
- actual slot:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 1
- measured by:
- passing yards
- 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:
- 0
Trade and Signing Calls1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Fernando Mendoza to move to Las Vegas Raiders
“And I think any team that drafts him, and I think the Vegas Raiders will know, he's gonna have, like, a following when he goes around the country.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Ahead of the trade deadline, they float three Raiders moves: shipping Kirk Cousins to Minnesota if the Vikings offer a second-round pick, selling Maxx Crosby to Dallas for a first-rounder plus, and acquiring Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a second- or third-round pick.Patricia Traina · Trade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthy · Hit 100
Traina expects defensive tackle to be a top need for the Giants in next year's draft, and suggests the Giants could trade J.J. McCarthy next offseason — or keep both them and Jaxson Dart if the return isn't good enough. They also expect Dart to make a full recovery.Charean Williams · Roster Spot Calls · Odell Beckham Jr. · Miss 0
Williams writes that after releasing Odell Beckham Jr. to open a roster spot for Kirk Cousins, the Vikings will bring them back on the practice squad.Justin Penik · Trade and Signing Calls · Aaron Jones · Hit 100
Pennock predicted Sam Darnold to Pittsburgh, Zach Baun re-signing in Philadelphia, Charvarius Ward and Jamien Sherwood to Washington, Cam Robinson to Chicago as left tackle, Cam Bynum to the Jets, Darius Slayton to the Chargers, Aaron Jones back to Minnesota and Aaron Rodgers to the Giants.
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.