# Mike Renner: Renner ranks the top 10 running backs in the 2027 NFL Draft class, calling it a special group in which the top three are future first-rounders, and assigns each an early draft grade ranging from Round 1 to early Day 3. **Claimed:** Aug 18, 2026 **Pundit:** Mike Renner — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/mike-renner **Outlet:** CBS Sports — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/cbs-sports **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/top-2027-nfl-draft-running-backs-ahmad-hardy/ 12 checkable claims — 11 mock draft picks and 1 top player list — 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. > The top three backs in this class all look like future first-rounders, so there's no shame in coming in third on this list. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Hollywood Smothers to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Hollywood Smothers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rushawn Baker to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Rushawn Baker - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rushawn Baker to be picked “top-100 pick” (picks 1–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Rushawn Baker - Verdict: not settled yet - **Aneyas Williams to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Aneyas Williams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Ahmad Hardy to be picked “Round 1”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Ahmad Hardy - Verdict: not settled yet - **Nate Carter to be picked “Day 2” (picks 33–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Nate Carter - Verdict: not settled yet - **Positional rankings ... RB ... Ahmad Hardy ... Jadan Baugh ... Kewan Lacy ... Isaac Brown ... Nate Frazier ... Mark Fletcher Jr. ... Wayshawn Parker ... Aneyas Williams ... Hollywood Smothers ... Waymond Jordan** - Kind: Top Player Lists - Verdict: not settled yet - **Isaac Brown to be picked “Day 2” (picks 33–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Isaac Brown - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jadan Baugh to be picked “Round 1”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jadan Baugh - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kewan Lacy to be picked “Round 1”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kewan Lacy - Verdict: not settled yet - **LaMont Jordan to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: LaMont Jordan - Verdict: not settled yet - **Mark Fletcher Jr. to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami Dolphins - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Hollywood Smothers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/hollywood-smothers - Rushawn Baker — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/rushawn-baker - Aneyas Williams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/aneyas-williams - Ahmad Hardy — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ahmad-hardy - Nate Carter — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/nate-carter - Isaac Brown — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/isaac-brown - Jadan Baugh — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jadan-baugh - Kewan Lacy — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kewan-lacy - LaMont Jordan — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/lamont-jordan - Mark Fletcher Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/mark-fletcher-jr - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/dolphins ## What others said about the same people - Tyler DeSena on Kevin Coleman: DeSena expects Chris Bell to function as Miami's X-receiver, with Caleb Douglas as the deep-threat Z and Malik Washington in the slot, and considers Bell, Douglas, Washington and fifth-round rookie Kevin Coleman locks to make the 53-man roster. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cdf88974-3b99-4342-b7eb-bcf15f82379c (scored 100) - Alain Poupart on Keith Cooper Jr.: Poupart's third 53-man roster projection of 2026 for the Dolphins names which players make the roster and which are cut at each position group. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/af1013eb-d6fa-476c-b1d9-bc977dff22a5 (scored 0) - Mike Moraitis on Andre Jones Jr.: Moraitis expects Andre Jones Jr. to hold a spot on Miami's 53-man roster after being signed off Buffalo's practice squad, with a significant special teams role under coordinator Chris Tabor. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/aada599b-129d-4866-bc24-0562e28b735c (scored 100) - Alain Poupart on Jalen Tolbert: Previewing the Dolphins' preseason finale and roster cutdown, Poupart states Malik Willis is locked in as the starting quarterback, Mark Gronowski is effectively gone, and identifies Greg Dulcich and Will Kacmarek as the only certainties at tight end while treating several receivers as settled roster locks. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ea9d4107-0a88-42a5-8300-186c4a38bef3 (scored 100) - Alain Poupart on Chris Johnson: Poupart sorts the Dolphins roster into tiers ahead of the 53-man cutdown, naming 28 players as locks to make the roster and eight more as borderline locks who more than likely make it. He also expects Quinn Ewers to be the No. 2 quarterback behind Malik Willis, and says Darrell Baker Jr. and Storm Duck will start the season on PUP. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8d4c251a-feb0-423c-ab57-3c49236782c0 (scored 100) - Nick Shook on Olaivavega Ioane: Shook walks through his 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 35.36) ## More mock draft picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Ryan Wilson on J.J. McCarthy: Recalling his pre-draft evaluation, Wilson notes he had ranked J.J. McCarthy as the fifth quarterback in the 2024 class and given him a second-round grade rather than a first-round one, citing the gap between Michigan's system and NFL demands. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/44cc5859-8b2b-4fbf-b5c0-62c635f2e357 (scored 36.92) - Lance Zierlein on Jeremiyah Love: Zierlein laid out his final mock draft: Jeremiah Love at No. 3 to Arizona, Sonny Styles at No. 4 to Robert Saleh's team, and Caleb Downs to the Giants at No. 5. He also called Styles the only first-round linebacker in the class and said Ty Simpson is a lock to be a first-round pick, most likely to Arizona. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cf600df8-87eb-492b-9d91-f7a2b39104ac (scored 100) - Nick Shook on Max Iheanachor: Shook walks through his 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 87.81) - Gregg Rosenthal on K.C. Concepcion: Rosenthal disagrees most with Casey Concepcion being left out of the first round, arguing he could go as high as the top 15 and certainly won't last past receiver-needy teams in the late twenties. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8fae9a3a-7fd8-454c-99cc-0a8400c35d7d (scored 67.71) - Daniel Jeremiah on Keyron Crawford: In discussing teams without first-round picks, Jeremiah projected specific Day 2 picks: Clemson WR Antonio Williams to the Falcons at 48, Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez to the Colts in the second round, Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas to the Packers at 52, and Auburn edge Keiroon Crawford to the Broncos at 62. He also expects Riley Leonard to open as the Colts' starting QB and Travis Hunter to play cornerback full time in Jacksonville. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f60c916c-1b5f-4252-8733-1770c7809577 (scored 80.52) - Daniel Jeremiah on Carnell Tate: Jeremiah says Denver, not Kansas City, will be the clear favorite in the AFC West this season; he also puts Carnell Tate sixth and Monroe Freeling twentieth on his prospect board, mocks Tate to Cleveland at No. 6, and expects Georgia receiver Branch to be a Day 2 pick after a strong pro day. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/48a1d189-dc0f-4250-aa3b-0e27119c733a (scored 91.7) --- 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=mike-renner