# Pat Gustavson: Gustafson drafted Jeremiah Love first overall in their instant-impact rookie draft, predicted Buffalo, Denver, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Detroit, the Rams and Tampa Bay as division winners, and named Puka Nacua OPOY, Myles Garrett DPOY and Ruben Bain Defensive Rookie of the Year. **Claimed:** May 5, 2026 **Pundit:** Pat Gustavson — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/pat-gustavson **Outlet:** Bran Coverage with BenchwarmerBran (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/bran-coverage-with-benchwarmerbran-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.buzzsprout.com/2182919/episodes/19128823-best-rookies-for-fantasy-way-too-early-nfl-predictions-for-2026-podcast-for-5-5.mp3 26 checkable claims — 7 division winners, 6 playoff picks, 5 award picks, 3 depth chart calls, 2 season win totals, 1 coach award pick, 1 fantasy ranking and 1 positional finishe — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 27 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 6 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 5. > he's gonna be my defensive rookie of the year, spoiler alert *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Detroit Lions to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Rams to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Puka Nacua to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: too vague to check - **Jeremiyah Love to win Offensive Rookie of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jeremiyah Love to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Chargers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Cincinnati Bengals to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Cowboys to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jacksonville Jaguars to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Jacksonville Jaguars - Verdict: not settled yet - **Denver Broncos to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rueben Bain to win Defensive Rookie of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Rueben Bain, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: not settled yet - **New England Patriots to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet - **Puka Nacua to win Offensive Player of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Buffalo Bills to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **Pittsburgh Steelers to finish with 9 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Pittsburgh Steelers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Myles Garrett to win Defensive Player of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Pat's got Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiah Love, Jadarian Price, Denzel Boston, Skyler Bell, Antonio Williams, Omar Cooper Junior, and Kenyon Saddiq.** - Kind: Fantasy Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Liam Cohen to win Coach of the Year** - Kind: Coach Award Picks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Omar Cooper to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Omar Cooper, New York Jets - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chicago Bears to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Baltimore Ravens to finish with 9 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jayden Daniels to win Comeback Player of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/rams - Puka Nacua — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/puka-nacua - Jeremiyah Love — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jeremiyah-love - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Jacksonville Jaguars — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jaguars - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Rueben Bain — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/rueben-bain - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills - Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/steelers - Myles Garrett — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/myles-garrett - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/browns - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Omar Cooper — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/omar-cooper - New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Jayden Daniels — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jayden-daniels - Washington Commanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/commanders ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Kansas City Chiefs: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on Detroit Lions: Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Chris Long on Cincinnati Bengals: Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3df9ea25-e57f-4fd7-b20c-c910a1c3633a (scored 0) - Steven Ruiz on Las Vegas Raiders: Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a30ff469-4972-4c48-855b-ba984e4de9d0 (scored 100) - Nate Tice on Baltimore Ravens: Tice matched his guest on every Week 3 game, picking the Ravens over the Cowboys, the Jaguars over the Patriots in a close game, the Broncos to upset the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears and the Lions over the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b8378e16-ea5c-4107-a883-28aaf0e71134 (scored 100) - Sam Monson on Seattle Seahawks: Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0b810ffd-fd93-4ea2-a208-b1353dea5fb0 (scored 0) ## More division winners The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Daniel DiBerardinis on Atlanta Falcons: Danny D predicts Sonny Styles goes in the top ten (maybe top five), doesn't think Ty Simpson goes before late first round, says Kenyon Sadiq lands with the Rams at 13, and picks the Falcons to win the NFC South while naming the Bengals an AFC bounce-back team. He also gives a Final Four of Michigan, Florida, Purdue and Arizona with Michigan winning. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8a8e0b7c-9f1c-4c13-8138-1332d73b9b02 (scored 0) - Colin Cowherd on New York Giants: Cowherd projects the NFC East with the Giants winning the division ahead of Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas, pegging the Cowboys as a six- or seven-win team. He also expects Malik Willis to land a big free-agent deal, Kayvon Thibodeaux to be moved, and Baltimore to lose Isaiah Likely, and he floats the Rams reaching on Ty Simpson late in round one. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cd243624-9451-4824-a8a4-7b468d681c8f (scored 0) - Cynthia Frelund on Houston Texans: Freeland's model has the Chargers winning straight up in Dallas, the Texans winning big over the Raiders and going on to win the AFC South, the Lions beating the Steelers by six, the Saints beating the Jets, and the Packers beating the Bears; she also sees the AFC's Super Bowl representative being either Denver or Houston. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/adb6791d-7a19-4d22-b3da-f9d30b419aa2 (scored 0) - Chris Brockman on Philadelphia Eagles: Brockman called the Broncos-Packers game the best of the day, said Denver looks poised to lock up the AFC's No. 1 seed and reach the AFC Championship Game, predicted the Bears win the NFC North and the Eagles win their division (though he thinks they lose to a five seed from the NFC West), and said Philip Rivers will be in the NFL in 2026. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e86c9e4d-7802-432a-a26c-4edefb3b6aee (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on Philadelphia Eagles: Eisen said the Patriots are still likely to win the AFC East and won't be one-and-done, that the Chargers will end Dallas' season next week, that TreVeyon Henderson should out-snap Rhamondre Stevenson, that the NFC East race is over in Philadelphia's favor, and that the winner of the NFC West will be the NFC's No. 1 seed. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ae722f6b-44e2-42bb-a847-4435f539db5b (scored 100) - Chris Brockman on Carolina Panthers: Brockman argued the Texans will reach the AFC Championship Game, declared the Chiefs dynasty over, said the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Lambeau Field, that Josh Allen is still the most dangerous QB and the Bills will win a playoff game (with the AFC East runner-up as the 5 seed winning in Pittsburgh or Baltimore), that Carolina will win the NFC South, that Baltimore finishes under .500 with Lamar no longer a top-five QB, that the Colts should trade for Mac Jones, and that Marcus Freeman will be in the NFL next year. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c06d1a3a-78d8-4aec-8574-159821b42aab (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. 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