# Tom Pelissero: Pelissero predicts Fernando Mendoza goes No. 1 overall to the Raiders and that Ty Simpson is the only other QB in the class seen as a possible early starter. **Claimed:** Feb 26, 2026 **Pundit:** Tom Pelissero — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/tom-pelissero **Outlet:** The Rich Eisen Show (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-rich-eisen-show-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ESP5487571126.mp3?updated=1772135985 2 checkable claims — 1 mock draft pick and 1 position order call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record. All 2 have settled, averaging 100 out of 100, against 44.9 for a naive guess at the same calls. > You have a draft where Fernando Mendoza, we all assume and believe he's going number one to the Raiders. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Ty Simpson to be 2nd quarterback off the board** - Kind: Position Order Calls · About: Ty Simpson - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 39.7 for a naive guess ## Who this take is about - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Ty Simpson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ty-simpson ## What others said about the same people - 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) - Richard Sherman on Las Vegas Raiders: Sherman kept their top five unchanged in concept but shuffled it to 49ers, Bills, Vikings, Chiefs, Bears, and made Week 8 picks across the slate, including Seattle over Chicago 27-17 and a begrudging Lions pick over Minnesota. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ab6b4f5f-1083-43b1-a29c-b30795ddf69f (scored 100) ## More position order calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Joe Marino on Arvell Reese: Marino stacks 14 inside linebackers in the 2026 NFL draft class and assigns each a round-value grade, with Sonny Styles first (top-10 grade) and Anthony Hill third; they say Hill would be their preferred pick if Buffalo takes a linebacker at No. 26. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/fa349c5e-12c5-4b82-84ad-aff5d3bba78b (scored 100) - Ian Rapoport on Tetairoa McMillan: Rapoport said Travis Hunter is likely the pick at No. 2 for the Browns, that Shedeur Sanders is in play at No. 3, and predicted Tetairoa McMillan would be the first receiver drafted. They also expected Brock Purdy's next deal to land around $50 million per year with Dak Prescott remaining the only quarterback above $60 million. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ab1b5fb3-d399-4b59-87fa-3e683b3cad77 (scored 70.71) - Peter Schrager on Tetairoa McMillan: Schrager laid out their top 10 prospects entering the 2025 combine, with Travis Hunter first, Abdul Carter second and Tyler Warren third, and attached draft-range calls to several of them — Will Johnson in the first round, Mason Graham a top-five pick, Ashton Jeanty a first-rounder, Tyler Warren not escaping the top ten, and Cam Ward a top-five to top-ten pick who will start as a rookie. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/6346ea38-e7e1-45a3-a146-5231338dd001 (scored 70.71) - Matty Lane on Spencer Fano: Maddie Lane said Spencer Fano is clearly the first tackle off the board, that the top four players in their mock will be four of the first five picks, that Malik Mohammed goes ahead of Igbunosin, and that Blake Miller would beat out Jalen Moore for the Chiefs' starting job. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/61fb26a0-be21-4ad0-bc4f-de49db439f63 (scored 100) - Nick Shook on Francis Mauigoa: Shook walks through their 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7d4209aa-2e2d-47a2-b6e5-791d16d209cb (scored 70.71) - Daniel Jeremiah on Spencer Fano: Jeremiah's Mock Draft 3.0, discussed pick by pick: Mendoza first overall, Arvell Reese to the Jets at 2, Francis Mauigoa to the Cardinals at 3, Jeremiyah Love to the Titans at 4, Sonny Styles to the Giants at 5, and on through the first round. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/81b98180-a971-4b4f-a610-5aa2906a1ea5 (scored 70.71) --- 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=tom-pelissero