Jeff CavanaughFeb 25, 2026
Broadcasting from the NFL Scouting Combine, Jeff calls Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles a guaranteed top-12 pick with a good chance of going top seven, expects them to run around a 4.5 forty, pegs Arvell Reese as the favorite to go No. 2 overall behind Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, and says Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods will be a first-round pick.
Said on air, transcribed by us · DLLS Dallas Cowboys (podcast)Hear the original
What Jeff Cavanaugh said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromI think Arbel Reese is probably the favorite to be the number two overall pick behind Fernando Mendoza.
- Where it was said
- DLLS Dallas Cowboys (podcast)
- The episode
- Can Sonny Styles Be An EFFECTIVE Pass Rusher? | DLLS Cowboys At The NFL Combine
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidFeb 25
- GradedOct 1
- 1Sonny Styles to be picked “guaranteed top 12 pick” (picks 1–12)“the Ohio State linebacker, probable to I'll say guaranteed top 12 pick”
- 2Peter Woods to be picked “first round pick” (picks 1–32)“you had Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at one podium. He'll be a first round pick.”
- 3Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1“the favorite to be the number two overall pick behind Fernando Mendoza”
- 4Arvell Reese to be picked at number 2“And I think Arbel Reese is probably the favorite to be the number two overall pick behind Fernando Mendoza.”
- 5Sonny Styles to be picked “a top seven or so pick” (picks 1–7)“Starting to seem like he is a pretty good chance he's a top seven or so pick.”
- 6Combine Measurements“He's a cyborg, six foot four, two hundred and forty pounds. He's gonna go run a four five or whatever.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonny Styles to be picked “guaranteed top 12 pick” (picks 1–12)1 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 7 | 100 | 50 | +50 | |
| Peter Woods to be picked “first round pick” (picks 1–32)2 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 29 | 100 | 50 | +50 | |
| Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 13 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 1 | 100 | 50 | +50 | |
| Arvell Reese to be picked at number 24 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 5 | 87.81 | 50 | +50 | |
| Sonny Styles to be picked “a top seven or so pick” (picks 1–7)5 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 7 | 100 | 50 | +50 | |
| “He's a cyborg, six foot four, two hundred and forty pounds.…”6 | Combine Measurements | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 calls · 5 hits · 1 waiting | 97.6 | 50 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive6 checkable claims — 5 mock draft picks and 1 combine measurement — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
5 of 6 have settled so far, averaging 97.6 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the rest of the room.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Fernando Mendoza · 2025 season · overall pick17 calls from 13 pundits between 1 overall pick and 1 overall pick. Jeff Cavanaugh said 1 overall pick. the room's median is 1 overall pick. what happened: 1 overall pick
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question, before the answer existed. The bar is what actually happened. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against what happened
overall pickTheir call against what actually happened.
Sonny Styles to be picked “guaranteed top 12 pick” (picks 1–12)
What happenedWent 7100Hit · naive 50100this mock’s order−50a shuffled mock=50better than naive×1difficulty=+50skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- skill:
- 50
- player:
- Sonny Styles
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 7
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- guaranteed top 12 pick (picks 1–12)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- 100
Peter Woods to be picked “first round pick” (picks 1–32)
What happenedWent 29100Hit · naive 50100this mock’s order−50a shuffled mock=50better than naive×1difficulty=+50skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- skill:
- 50
- player:
- Peter Woods
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 29
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- first round pick (picks 1–32)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- 100
3Mock Draft PicksFernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1
What happenedWent 1mocked at 1100Hit · naive 50100this mock’s order−50a shuffled mock=50better than naive×1difficulty=+50skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- skill:
- 50
- player:
- Fernando Mendoza
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- 100
Arvell Reese to be picked at number 2
What happenedWent 5mocked at 287.81Hit · naive 50100this mock’s order−50a shuffled mock=50better than naive×1difficulty=+50skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- skill:
- 50
- player:
- Arvell Reese
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 87.81
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 5
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 87.81
- predicted pick:
- 2
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- 100
Sonny Styles to be picked “a top seven or so pick” (picks 1–7)
What happenedWent 7100Hit · naive 50100this mock’s order−50a shuffled mock=50better than naive×1difficulty=+50skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- skill:
- 50
- player:
- Sonny Styles
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 7
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- a top seven or so pick (picks 1–7)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- 100
6Combine MeasurementsSonny Styles
“He's a cyborg, six foot four, two hundred and forty pounds. He's gonna go run a four five or whatever.”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 5 settled calls, each counted once
97.6naive 50
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Lance Zierlein · Mock Draft Picks · Sonny Styles · Hit 81
Zuerlein describes their mock draft 3.0: Carnell Tate to the Giants at No. 5, Sonny Styles falling to the Cowboys at No. 12, and Colton Hood to Dallas at No. 20. They also expect runs on linebackers from the late twenties to about pick 45, defensive tackles from the early-mid twenties into the 40s, and says Ahvion Terrell's 4.65 forty knocks them out of first-round contention. They call Kenyon Saddiq and Mansoor Delaine the safest picks for Dallas, and thinks Delaine's tape is top-four caliber, while Jeremiah Smith could be a generational, Megatron-type receiver.Jaime Eisner · Mock Draft Picks · Arvell Reese · Hit 88
A seven-round Jets mock draft projecting New York to take Ohio State's Arvell Reese at No. 2 and Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 16, followed by Ty Simpson, Brandon Cisse, Jalon Kilgore, Tyreak Sapp, Kaelon Black, Fernando Carmona and Trebor Pena.Danny Parkins · Mock Draft Picks · Peter Woods · Hit 88
Danny Parkins presented their one-and-only 2026 mock draft, including trades: Mendoza at 1 to the Raiders, David Bailey second to the Jets, the Cowboys trading up to No. 3 for Arvell Reese, the Bears trading up to 16 for Kadyn Proctor, and Ty Simpson going to Arizona at 32 at the end of round one.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Chris Simms · Mock Draft Picks · Malachi Corley · Miss 11
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.Philip Hughes · Mock Draft Picks · Kyle Kennard · Miss 34
Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection.Blaine Grisak · Mock Draft Picks · Brian Thomas Jr. · Hit 84
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.Charlie Campbell · Mock Draft Picks · Xavier Williams · Miss 0
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.