# Ralph Vacchiano: Vacchiano names one breakout candidate for each of the 16 NFC teams for 2026, including Abdul Carter reaching double-digit sacks, Colston Loveland becoming the NFL's best tight end, and Zach Charbonnet taking over as Seattle's unquestioned lead back. **Claimed:** Aug 6, 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/breakout-candidates-one-player-from-each-nfc-team-poised-star-turn 8 checkable claims — 6 depth chart calls, 1 player season number and 1 positional finishe — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 13 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 7 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 5. > Double digits in sacks wouldn't be a shock for Carter. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Makai Lemon to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Makai Lemon, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Colston Loveland to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears - Verdict: too vague to check - **Abdul Carter to record 10 sacks** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Abdul Carter, New York Giants - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jalen Coker to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Colston Loveland to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **DeVonta Smith to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Turner to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Dallas Turner, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Zach Charbonnet to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Makai Lemon — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/makai-lemon - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/eagles - Colston Loveland — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/colston-loveland - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Abdul Carter — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/abdul-carter - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/giants - Jalen Coker — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jalen-coker - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/panthers - DeVonta Smith — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/devonta-smith - Dallas Turner — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/dallas-turner - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Zach Charbonnet — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/zach-charbonnet - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/seahawks ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Minnesota Vikings: 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 90.48) - Connor Rogers on New York Giants: 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) - Nate Tice on Philadelphia Eagles: 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 0) - Steven Ruiz on Philadelphia Eagles: 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) - 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) - Nate Tice on Chicago Bears: Tice picked the Bengals over the Texans in a low-scoring game, the Jaguars at Denver, the Bears over the Vikings, the Patriots over the Steelers and the Rams to edge the Giants, and his Hail Mary was the Cowboys scoring 40 on Washington. He also floated Abdul Carter as a possible All-Pro. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b6211c80-3d1c-46b8-8a0c-151fc0ba92de (scored 0) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Pat Fitzmaurice on Jonah Coleman: In his Week 3 waiver column, Fitzmaurice makes several depth-chart calls around injuries: Jonah Coleman leading Denver's backfield, Marcus Mariota taking over in Washington, Michael Penix Jr. starting once healthy, and Malik Washington serving as Miami's top receiver, plus availability expectations for Detroit's injured safeties. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2cbd48f6-15ea-4aa5-84bc-bcc50d94d09a (scored 0) - Fox Sports on Michael Penix Jr.: Fox Sports states that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa will serve as Atlanta's backup quarterback in Week 3, with Michael Penix Jr. handling the starting duties against Green Bay. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a90e69a8-707f-43e9-a63e-cdb3e7bd0829 (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) - Rich Hribar on Tua Tagovailoa: Hribar expects Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta's starting quarterback for Week 2 while Michael Penix stays out, with Penix's return closer to Week 4. He is unenthusiastic about the Falcons' offense either way and treats Bryce Young as a fringe fantasy starter. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/124ac755-a942-4382-8bad-177da7f8170d (scored 0) - Tyler Sullivan on Michael Penix Jr.: In a Week 1 recap with no named byline, CBS Sports suggested Michael Penix Jr. would take over as Atlanta's Week 2 starter if healthy, called Ashton Jeanty's sophomore breakout imminent, and warned readers not to overlook San Francisco as NFC West winners. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1000d8d0-5de1-405e-b8ce-255cde75a32d (scored 0) --- 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