# Chad Jensen: Jensen expects Denver's starting offensive line to rebound into top-five status now that the schedule eases, and he anticipates left guard Ben Powers leaving in free agency next offseason. He also frames five trade candidates — Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson, Bucky Irving, Vita Vea and Saquon Barkley — as realistic targets rather than moves he predicts will happen. **Claimed:** Oct 24, 2026 **Pundit:** Chad Jensen — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/chad-jensen **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/broncos/onsi/broncos-trade-deadline-5-realistic-targets-to-move-the-needle 2 checkable claims — 1 position group finish and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the rest of the room. > With the schedule easing up for the foreseeable future, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the starting five rubber-band back into the top-five status it had entering the 2026 season. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Denver Broncos offensive line to be top 5 in the league** - Kind: Position Group Finish · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet - **Ben Powers to move — “expected to depart in free agency next year”** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Ben Powers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Ben Powers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ben-powers ## What others said about the same people - Pete Prisco on Denver Broncos: Prisco gives score predictions for every Week 9 NFL game, picking the Bengals to rout the Falcons in Madrid, the Cowboys to rebound at Indianapolis, and the Jaguars to win in Baltimore without Lamar Jackson. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/dc43909b-bc7f-47aa-b208-5cf7c95844bc (scored 97.62) - Zack Kelberman on Denver Broncos: Kelberman predicts the Broncos will comfortably beat the Panthers in Week 9, with Denver's offensive line handling Carolina's weak pass rush. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f7810168-785f-4f00-aef8-968674880237 (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on Denver Broncos: Rogers picked straight-up winners in every Week 9 game, agreeing with Simms on all of them, and gave a 24-20 Bills score over the Vikings on Monday night. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/11646f69-18dd-4831-a7de-e4115ded875c (scored 100) - Chris Simms on Denver Broncos: Simms gave a predicted final score for every Week 9 game, picking the Bengals, Chiefs, Broncos, Lions, Giants, Rams, Cowboys, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Seahawks, Texans, Bears and Bills, and also said he wouldn't be shocked to see Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/17eb747a-90b1-472f-bb6d-e71c0c69133a (scored 97.62) - Matt Harmon on Denver Broncos: Harmon picked the Packers, Bears, Bills, 49ers and Broncos in Week 9, predicted Justin Jefferson would top 100 receiving yards with two touchdowns against Buffalo, and said Minnesota would lose and then trade for Jonathan Taylor. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f6e687e7-59f9-430a-90a5-b3c0da4e3e20 (scored 100) - Nate Tice on Denver Broncos: Tice picked the Patriots to beat the Packers and also took the Bears, Bills, 49ers and Broncos in their Week 9 matchups. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/05308b68-1723-49d2-aaa3-f9b5d958cd73 (scored 100) ## More trade and signing calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Parker Hurley on Jessie Bates: Hurley argues a Jessie Bates trade to San Francisco is unrealistic because Atlanta remains in the weak NFC South race and likely won't sell, and he expects 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown to depart in free agency after this season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7e8279a5-fad4-4c61-9646-0809bdcdaf40 (scored 0) - Doug Joubert on Kendre Miller: Joubert doubts Taysom Hill will return to the Saints for financial reasons and believes Hill has retired from the NFL. He also expects CJ Donaldson to get more carries while the Saints move on from Kendre Miller. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e8976cfe-44a7-4cd2-9f23-ff513d4b4833 (scored 100) - Randy Gurzi on Taylor Rapp: Gurzi argues that, given Brandon Beane's fondness for reunions, recently released safety Taylor Rapp is a realistic option to return to Buffalo for safety depth — though only if the Bills fail to land a starting-caliber safety at the trade deadline. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5fa74f1d-69bf-4aee-999a-17fe4b2b5175 (scored 0) - Joe Marino on Taylor Rapp: Marino argues the Bills should and almost certainly will release safety Taylor Rapp to save cap space, saying he'd be stunned if Buffalo kept him. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/6293af64-318f-43ba-b5be-7b2d42fabe29 (scored 100) - Albert Breer on Jacoby Brissett: Breer argues the Jaguars should be taken very seriously, seeing a path to 13 wins and the AFC's No. 1 seed with a first-round bye, and he expects the Jacoby Brissett trade to Baltimore to be completed within a day. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c51d9762-3ca3-4143-9372-bf508348053f (scored 100) - Nathan Jahnke on Jacoby Brissett: In a Week 9 recap, Jahnke expects Mark Andrews to remain Baltimore's lead tight end but says rookie Matt Hibner is more likely than Josh Cuevas to eventually overtake him, and he anticipates the Ravens acquiring Jacoby Brissett to start at quarterback. He also suggests Brian Thomas Jr. may have played his final game for Jacksonville ahead of the trade deadline. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/15c4c161-616c-4ed8-be6d-ad326cc50853 (scored 100) --- 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. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=chad-jensen