# Bucky Brooks: Brooks laid out his NFL.com "All-Breakout Team" on defense, predicting big years for Abdul Carter, Walter Nolen, Darius Alexander, Jihaad Campbell, Cedric Gray, Travis Hunter, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Upton Stout, Kevin Winston Jr. and Craig Woodson. He also expects Dexter Lawrence to thrive in Cincinnati, Deshaun Watson to open as the Browns' starter, Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers receiving corps to be fine, and the Jets to improve with Geno Smith.

**Claimed:** Jul 19, 2026
**Pundit:** Bucky Brooks — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/bucky-brooks
**Outlet:** Fox Sports Radio (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fox-sports-radio-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/fox-sports-radio-weekends/andy-furman-bucky-brooks-talk-world-cup-lebron-james-next-destination-wnba-controversies-bucky-s-nfl-all-breakout-team-and-much-more

6 checkable claims — 4 depth chart calls, 1 positional finishe and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 11 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.

Of the 4 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 3.

> This is easy to say that Abdul Carter should break out.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **New York Jets to beat expectations**
  - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New York Jets
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Kool-Aid McKinstry to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kool-Aid McKinstry, New Orleans Saints
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Emeka Egbuka to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Walter Nolen to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Walter Nolen, Arizona Cardinals
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Deshaun Watson to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Jared Goff to finish top 9 at his position, by passing yards**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
  - Verdict: too vague to check

## Who this take is about

- New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets
- Kool-Aid McKinstry — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kool-aid-mckinstry
- New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints
- Emeka Egbuka — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/emeka-egbuka
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers
- Walter Nolen — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/walter-nolen
- Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals
- Deshaun Watson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/deshaun-watson
- Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/browns
- Jared Goff — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jared-goff
- Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions

## What others said about the same people

- Chris Simms on New Orleans Saints: 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 47.62)
- 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 Detroit Lions: 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 100)
- Nate Tice on Detroit Lions: 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)
- Steven Ruiz on Detroit Lions: 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 100)
- Marcus Ray on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus predicted a 30-13 Buccaneers win over Cleveland with three touchdowns and three field goals, and picked the Raiders to beat a Jim Harbaugh team to start 2-0. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/aa09b337-f1fa-49b0-bc4b-5e2bbaddb5df (scored 19.05)

## 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)

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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.

Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology

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