# Ollie Connolly: Connelly assesses the 2026 draft class: they see Jeremiah Love as a top-ten most productive player at running back with an Ezekiel Elliott-to-Bijan/McCaffrey range, projects Fernando Mendoza as a top-8-to-12 starting QB in the league, pegs Ty Simpson as a top-of-the-second-round pick they'd only be comfortable taking in the third, and slots various tight ends and late running backs into specific rounds. **Claimed:** Apr 17, 2026 **Pundit:** Ollie Connolly — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/ollie-connolly **Outlet:** Around the NFL (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/around-the-nfl-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/nfl-daily/ranking-the-2026-nfl-draft-quarterbacks-running-backs-and-tight-ends 9 checkable claims — 6 mock draft picks, 2 positional finishes and 1 position order 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. 4 of 9 have settled so far, averaging 27.8 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls. Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one. > I think you're getting someone where the benchmark is going to be top ten most productive play at his position. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Kyle Louis to be picked “second or third round pick” (picks 33–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kyle Louis - Verdict: scored 19.28 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Kaelon Black to be picked “potential sixth round pick types” (picks 182–216)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kaelon Black - Verdict: scored 1.86 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Demond Claiborne to be picked “fourth or fifth round” (picks 101–181)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Demond Claiborne - Verdict: scored 47.88 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Ty Simpson to be picked “top of the second round” (picks 33–64)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Ty Simpson - Verdict: scored 42.04 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Fernando Mendoza to finish top 12 at his position, by passing yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Will Kacmarek to be picked “an early day three”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Will Kacmarek - Verdict: not settled yet - **Sonny Styles to be the second or third best player of role in the class at his position off the board** - Kind: Position Order Calls · About: Sonny Styles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kenyon Sadiq to be picked “maybe it's mole down in the teens the twenties”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kenyon Sadiq - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jeremiyah Love to finish top 10 at his position, by rushing yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Jeremiyah Love - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Kyle Louis — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kyle-louis - Kaelon Black — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kaelon-black - Demond Claiborne — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/demond-claiborne - Ty Simpson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ty-simpson - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Will Kacmarek — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/will-kacmarek - Sonny Styles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/sonny-styles - Kenyon Sadiq — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kenyon-sadiq - Jeremiyah Love — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jeremiyah-love ## What others said about the same people - Adam Carlson on Demond Claiborne: Carlson argues that with DeeJay Dallas signed to the 53-man roster, the Vikings should release rookie running back Demond Claiborne, who has been inactive and losing snaps to Dallas, rather than cutting other inactive players. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cc7980ea-401e-48f5-9a37-737f23c60f4a (scored 0) - Chris Broussard on Las Vegas Raiders: Broussard picked the Ravens to beat the Bills in a shootout, 38-34, took the Raiders to upset the Jets, and said Detroit would beat the Vikings. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/69de6faa-8bec-4a79-9d86-5dbc5bae0573 (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on Las Vegas Raiders: Rogers picked straight-up winners across the Week 8 slate, siding with the Bills over the Ravens, the Lions, Steelers, Jaguars, Bengals, Falcons, Raiders, Broncos, Rams, Patriots, Commanders and the Bears in Seattle. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/14b3a81b-ba4d-4270-b122-8cfe7fc959b0 (scored 100) - John Breech on Las Vegas Raiders: Breech's Week 8 score predictions include Bengals over Titans, Raiders over Jets, Rams over Chargers and Patriots over Dolphins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a57cb0eb-708d-41aa-9bb8-dbc16f7d3ded (scored 95.24) - Tyler Sullivan on Las Vegas Raiders: Sullivan's Week 8 upset alert column flags five favorites they expect to lose: they pick the Falcons over the Buccaneers, the Raiders over the Jets, the undefeated Vikings over the Lions, the Ravens (with Lamar Jackson returning) over the Bills, and the Browns over the Steelers. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1ca06895-a1db-4f4e-b814-270f5ecea69c (scored 100) - Ezekiel Trezevant on Las Vegas Raiders: Trezevant argues that if the Raiders are as improved as they appeared at 3-0, they should beat the Jets in Week 8 on the road and end their four-game losing streak. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/132fd631-95ef-4af2-8836-d5281f3f9fc8 (scored 100) ## More mock draft picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Chris Simms on Malachi Corley: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c0fd4647-2de8-4a5f-bac2-950fed303ee9 (scored 11.46) - Todd McShay on Keelon Russell: While breaking down LSU's offense, McShay called receiver Jackson Harris a top-50 NFL draft prospect, and later said LSU's Sam Levitt and Alabama's Keelan Russell are potential top-10 picks in a future draft. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/15d40546-2ab9-4ab8-b5bd-ed0ef7f26ae5 (scored 0) - Philip Hughes on Kyle Kennard: Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/605a686a-b5f1-4611-82b4-961abf8de93e (scored 33.86) - Blaine Grisak on Brian Thomas Jr.: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/627bcf5d-9f1d-4a34-a1b7-53b8f0aebc40 (scored 84.09) - Charlie Campbell on Xavier Williams: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2dd4bf46-e5eb-4dff-8500-95d9fdbd2986 (scored 0) - Walt on Garrett Nussmeier: In a running series of coach/GM hiring and firing grades, Walt projects Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick of the Raiders in the 2026 draft and has LSU's Garrett Nussmeier going No. 2 overall in their 2026 mock draft. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/29bb2d31-fbe3-40db-b378-be5ba5d990b0 (scored 0) --- 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=ollie-connolly