# Ralph Vacchiano: Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams' skill position groups (RB/WR/TE) for the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. Along the way he makes several claims about individual players' roles, including depth-chart placements. **Claimed:** Aug 24, 2026 **Pundit:** Ralph Vacchiano — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/ralph-vacchiano **Outlet:** Fox Sports — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fox-sports **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/which-nfl-teams-have-best-skill-position-players-ranking-all-32-groups 27 checkable claims — 24 depth chart calls and 3 positional finishes — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 43 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 27 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 5 and below it on 22. > So, which NFL teams have the best skill players this season? We ranked all 32 groups across the league. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **DeVonta Smith to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Devaughn Vele to be 4th on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jahmyr Gibbs to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Ja'Marr Chase to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: too vague to check - **Andrei Iosivas to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Andrei Iosivas, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jaylin Noel to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brian Robinson to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Brian Robinson, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chris Olave to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Zay Flowers to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Nico Collins to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Nico Collins, Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jadarian Price to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Josh Downs to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts - Verdict: not settled yet - **Bucky Irving to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Khalil Shakir to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **Michael Wilson to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Isiah Pacheco to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Isiah Pacheco, Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **A.J. Brown to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: A.J. Brown, New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet - **Troy Franklin to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet - **Isaac TeSlaa to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Isaac TeSlaa, Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Bijan Robinson to finish top 1 at his position, by rushing yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: too vague to check - **Stefon Diggs to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Stefon Diggs, Washington Commanders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tee Higgins to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rashod Bateman to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Trey McBride to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Malik Washington to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins - Verdict: not settled yet - **Romeo Doubs to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Romeo Doubs, New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet - **Alec Pierce to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - DeVonta Smith — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/devonta-smith - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/eagles - Devaughn Vele — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/devaughn-vele - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Jahmyr Gibbs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jahmyr-gibbs - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - Ja'Marr Chase — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ja-marr-chase - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Andrei Iosivas — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/andrei-iosivas - Jaylin Noel — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jaylin-noel - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/texans - Brian Robinson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/brian-robinson - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/falcons - Chris Olave — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/chris-olave - Zay Flowers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/zay-flowers - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Nico Collins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/nico-collins - Jadarian Price — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jadarian-price - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Josh Downs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/josh-downs - Indianapolis Colts — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/colts - Bucky Irving — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/bucky-irving - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers - Khalil Shakir — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/khalil-shakir - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills - Michael Wilson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/michael-wilson - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - Isiah Pacheco — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/isiah-pacheco - A.J. Brown — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/a-j-brown - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots - Troy Franklin — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/troy-franklin - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Isaac TeSlaa — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/isaac-teslaa - Bijan Robinson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/bijan-robinson - Stefon Diggs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/stefon-diggs - Washington Commanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/commanders - Tee Higgins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tee-higgins - Rashod Bateman — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/rashod-bateman - Trey McBride — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/trey-mcbride - Malik Washington — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/malik-washington - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Romeo Doubs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/romeo-doubs - Alec Pierce — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/alec-pierce ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Baltimore Ravens: 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 97.62) - 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 Houston Texans: 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 0) - 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 depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Pat Fitzmaurice on Aaron Jones: In previewing the 10 most intriguing fantasy performers of Week 2, Fitzmaurice expects Atlanta's quarterback problems to persist with Tua Tagovailoa unlikely to play and Michael Penix Jr. not ready to return, flags Falcons slot corner Billy Bowman Jr. as a possible Week 2 returnee, and describes Aaron Jones as Minnesota's lead back and Kaelon Black as the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/31adc8bb-8f15-453f-bbcf-cab44e29b8b3 (scored 100) - Matt Severance on Deshaun Watson: The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/944568ce-7205-409f-8354-a392016fd8bf (scored 100) - Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d7d7e0a2-61e0-4525-970b-b01a2356f11b (scored 100) - Bradley Locker on Carson Wentz: PFF's unsigned adjusted power rankings after Week 1 of the 2026 season place the Bills first, the Rams second and the Dolphins last, with notes on quarterback situations in Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a3716f21-0488-4fc8-a414-c25c2d781a6e (scored 100) - Bill Huber on Chris McClellan: Huber's first Packers rookie progress report projects second-round cornerback Brandon Cisse to hold onto his spot with the No. 1 defense, third-round defensive tackle Chris McClellan to start in Week 1, and fifth-round lineman Jager Burton to be the team's top interior backup rather than a starter. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/dcf9daae-b511-490c-b438-173cf91e8597 (scored 0) - Tyler Sullivan on Deshaun Watson: An unsigned CBS Sports preseason review grading all 32 teams, which along the way stakes out a number of depth-chart calls for Week 1 and beyond — including Deshaun Watson opening as Cleveland's starter, Fernando Mendoza taking over as Las Vegas' QB1 by season's end, and Minnesota's Murray-Wentz-McCarthy quarterback order. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/054d7c3e-baca-4414-b3dd-72c4eced2725 (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=ralph-vacchiano