# Mel Kiper: Kiper's latest mock draft, as described on the show, had Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 to Las Vegas, safety Caleb Downs No. 2 to the Jets, Arbel Reese No. 4 to Tennessee, and edge rusher Ruben Behn to Cincinnati in the first round.

**Claimed:** Feb 25, 2026
**Pundit:** Mel Kiper — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/mel-kiper
**Outlet:** NFL Live (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/nfl-live-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us
**Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ESP1825422470.mp3?updated=1772057649

4 checkable claims — 4 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

3 of 4 have settled so far, averaging 87.8 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> Zero surprise at the top. Fernando Mendoza can start house hunting in Vegas.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Arvell Reese to be picked at number 4**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Arvell Reese, Tennessee Titans
  - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Caleb Downs to be picked at number 2**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Caleb Downs, New York Jets
  - Verdict: scored 67.71 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **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
- **Ruben Behn to be picked “round one”**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Ruben Behn, Cincinnati Bengals
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Arvell Reese — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/arvell-reese
- Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/titans
- Caleb Downs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/caleb-downs
- New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets
- Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza
- Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders
- Ruben Behn — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ruben-behn
- Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals

## What others said about the same people

- Shaun Calderon on Jeffery Simmons: Calderon argues the 0-5 Titans won't turn their season around, that Cam Ward won't be benched soon, and that Jeffery Simmons stays in Tennessee while Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley are likely trade candidates with modest returns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/fcfebcd7-04de-406f-aa74-4c404a9f8b0e (scored 0)
- Rich Eisen on Aaron Rodgers: Eisen ranked their top five most impressive Pro Bowl campaigns of the season, topped by Sam Darnold, and predicted that Sunday would be Aaron Rodgers' last game with the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/55a977f9-9670-42fa-ba2f-141be02f583c (scored 0)
- Pete Prisco on Cincinnati Bengals: Prisco gives score predictions for every Week 9 NFL game, picking the Bengals to rout the Falcons in Madrid, the Cowboys to rebound at Indianapolis, and the Jaguars to win in Baltimore without Lamar Jackson. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/dc43909b-bc7f-47aa-b208-5cf7c95844bc (scored 88.1)
- Derek Brown on Cincinnati Bengals: Brown picked the Bengals to beat the Falcons in Madrid, the Packers to win outright in New England and the Bills to beat the Vikings on Monday night. They were bullish on Jonah Coleman's rest-of-season value, expected Jonathan Taylor to play for the Colts, floated a Breece Hall trade, and did not expect DJ Reed to play in Week 9. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b4014405-6764-427e-9708-679baf6b06de (scored 100)
- Eric Mangini on Cincinnati Bengals: Mangini picked New England to beat Green Bay by more than a field goal, flagged Tampa Bay as their upset alert over Chicago, expects Kansas City to handle the Jets, took Buffalo over Minnesota, backed Cincinnati over Atlanta in Madrid, and updated their Super Bowl to Rams–Bengals. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/af0819c3-4662-44a2-a451-a08fa3b7e59a (scored 100)
- Rich Eisen on Cincinnati Bengals: Previewing the Bengals-Falcons game in Madrid, Eisen expects Cincinnati to fall behind by two scores before Joe Burrow brings them back to win. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1814997c-9222-4ccd-85dc-fb144339b45f (scored 100)

## More mock draft picks

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Chris Simms on Malachi Corley: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c0fd4647-2de8-4a5f-bac2-950fed303ee9 (scored 11.46)
- Todd McShay on Keelon Russell: While breaking down LSU's offense, McShay called receiver Jackson Harris a top-50 NFL draft prospect, and later said LSU's Sam Levitt and Alabama's Keelan Russell are potential top-10 picks in a future draft. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/15d40546-2ab9-4ab8-b5bd-ed0ef7f26ae5 (scored 0)
- Philip Hughes on Kyle Kennard: Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/605a686a-b5f1-4611-82b4-961abf8de93e (scored 33.86)
- Blaine Grisak on Brian Thomas Jr.: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/627bcf5d-9f1d-4a34-a1b7-53b8f0aebc40 (scored 84.09)
- Charlie Campbell on Xavier Williams: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2dd4bf46-e5eb-4dff-8500-95d9fdbd2986 (scored 0)
- Walt on Garrett Nussmeier: In a running series of coach/GM hiring and firing grades, Walt projects Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick of the Raiders in the 2026 draft and has LSU's Garrett Nussmeier going No. 2 overall in their 2026 mock draft. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/29bb2d31-fbe3-40db-b378-be5ba5d990b0 (scored 0)

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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.

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