Charlie Campbell· Sep 10, 2026
A college football/NFL draft preview of three Week 3 games that flags several prospects as early-round or first-round picks for the upcoming draft, including Alabama's Yhonzae Pierre, Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Texas' Cam Coleman going top-10.
“Both Smith and Coleman could go in the top-10 next April, and each of them looks like a future No. 1 receiver in the NFL.”
published in writing · Walter Football · read the original →
10 checkable claims — 10 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
10 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Mock Draft PicksYhonzae PierreSep 10, 2026
Yhonzae Pierre to be picked “first-rounder next April” (picks 1–32)
“Pierre leads a talented Alabama defense, and Pierre could be a first-rounder next April.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksJelani McDonaldSep 10, 2026
Jelani McDonald to be picked “first-round potential next April” (picks 1–32)
“Simmons and McDonald have first-round potential next April.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksZeke BerrySep 10, 2026
Zeke Berry to be picked “early-round picks”
“The Wolverines have good defensive talent, including Berry and Daley, who could be early-round picks.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksColin SimmonsSep 10, 2026
Colin Simmons to be picked “first-round potential next April” (picks 1–32)
“Simmons and McDonald have first-round potential next April.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksKeon SabbSep 10, 2026
Keon Sabb to be picked “early-round prospects”
“Brown, Sabb, and Hubbard could be early-round prospects.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksJohn Henry DaleySep 10, 2026
John Henry Daley to be picked “early-round picks”
“The Wolverines have good defensive talent, including Berry and Daley, who could be early-round picks.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksZabien BrownSep 10, 2026
Zabien Brown to be picked “early-round prospects”
“Brown, Sabb, and Hubbard could be early-round prospects.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksBray HubbardSep 10, 2026
Bray Hubbard to be picked “early-round prospects”
“Brown, Sabb, and Hubbard could be early-round prospects.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksJeremiah SmithSep 10, 2026
Jeremiah Smith to be picked “top-10 next April” (picks 1–10)
“Both Smith and Coleman could go in the top-10 next April”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksCam ColemanSep 10, 2026
Cam Coleman to be picked “top-10 next April” (picks 1–10)
“Both Smith and Coleman could go in the top-10 next April”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Rob RangMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0Rang ranks the four headline prospects from the Texas-Ohio State game in the order he'd draft them (Jeremiah Smith, Arch Manning, Cam Coleman, Julian Sayin) and assigns each a draft grade: Smith and Manning as top-5 picks, Coleman top 10, and Sayin a third-rounder.
- Rob BushkaMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0Buschka predicted Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith could be the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft, that Ty Simpson will sit as a clipboard-holding backup, that the receiver the Rams passed on (Lemon) will break out with a huge target share once AJ Brown is moved to New England, and he called Sean McVay the best coach in the NFL.
- Daniel WadeMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0In a trade-back mock draft, Wade has the Chargers deal pick 22 to Miami and select edge rusher Cassius Howell at 30, guard Keelan Rutledge at 55, cornerback Malik Muhammad at 86, wide receiver Brennan Thompson at 87, linebacker Keyshawn Elliott at 123, and offensive tackle Travis Burke at 151.
- Daire CarragherPosition Order Calls · Colin SimmonsPendingCarragher's Week 4 stock report holds Texas edge Collin Simmons as the top edge rusher in the 2027 class, keeps Jadan Baugh as the class's top running back and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa as its top linebacker, ranks Greg Johnson as the top interior offensive lineman for 2027, and pegs Penn State tight end Andrew Rappleyea as a mid-round draft option.
- Michael HaneyMock Draft Picks · Cam ColemanPendingHaney argues that Texas receiver Cam Coleman, if he performs well in the ranked matchup against Tennessee, will cement himself as a top-ten selection in next year's NFL Draft.
- Josh EdwardsMock Draft Picks · Colin SimmonsPendingA CBS Sports 2027 NFL mock draft projecting the full first round plus select second-round picks, headlined by Arch Manning going No. 1 overall to Miami and five quarterbacks in Round 1.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Ryan WilsonMock Draft Picks · J.J. McCarthyMiss · 37Recalling 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.
- Lance ZierleinMock Draft Picks · Jeremiyah LoveHit · 100Zierlein 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.
- Nick ShookMock Draft Picks · Max IheanachorHit · 88Shook 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.
- Gregg RosenthalMock Draft Picks · K.C. ConcepcionClose · 68Rosenthal 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.
- Daniel JeremiahMock Draft Picks · Keyron CrawfordHit · 81In 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.
- Daniel JeremiahMock Draft Picks · Carnell TateHit · 92Jeremiah 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.