Grant CohnSep 3, 2026
Cohn expects Nick Bosa to start and play heavily at defensive end in the season opener against the Rams despite knee tendinitis, with Keion White also starting at defensive end (moving inside to tackle on third down), and predicts the 49ers will call up veteran Ogbo Okoronkwo from the practice squad for the game.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Grant Cohn said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromHe most likely will start at defensive end and then move to defensive tackle on third down.
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- The 49ers are Unusually Thin at Defensive End Heading into Week 1
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidSep 3
- GradedSep 25
- 1Ogbo Okoronkwo to land on the practice squad“Expect the 49ers to call up veteran defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo from the practice squad for this game.”
- 2Keion White to be 1st on the depth chart“He most likely will start at defensive end and then move to defensive tackle on third down.”
- 3Nick Bosa to be 1st on the depth chart“Assuming his patellar knee tendinitis doesn't flare up again, he will start and play lots of snaps against the Rams even if he's not quite ready, because the 49ers are desperate.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ogbo Okoronkwo to land on the practice squad1 | Roster Spot Calls | 3 weeks on a 53 | 0 | 100 | −200 | |
| Keion White to be 1st on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Nick Bosa to be 1st on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 3 calls · 1 miss · 2 waiting | 0 | 100 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naiveworse than naive3 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls and 1 roster spot call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 3 have settled so far, averaging 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
1Roster Spot CallsOgbo OkoronkwoSan Francisco 49ers
Ogbo Okoronkwo to land on the practice squad
What happened3 weeks on a 530Miss · naive 1000this call−100a naive guess=−100worse than naive×2difficulty=−200skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- SF
- skill:
- −200
- player:
- Ogbo Okoronkwo
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he lands on the practice squad
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
2Depth Chart CallsKeion WhiteSan Francisco 49ers
Keion White to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsNick BosaSan Francisco 49ers
Nick Bosa to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
AJ Hawk · Game Outcome Picks · San Francisco 49ers · Hit 100
Hawk said the Chiefs would beat the Jets, the Seahawks would beat the Cardinals, and the 49ers would beat the Raiders, even while taking the points with the underdogs in each case.Connor Rogers · Game Outcome Picks · San Francisco 49ers · Hit 100
Rogers picked straight-up winners in every Week 9 game, agreeing with Simms on all of them, and gave a 24-20 Bills score over the Vikings on Monday night.Chris Simms · Score Predictions · San Francisco 49ers · Hit 93
Simms gave a predicted final score for every Week 9 game, picking the Bengals, Chiefs, Broncos, Lions, Giants, Rams, Cowboys, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Seahawks, Texans, Bears and Bills, and also said they wouldn't be shocked to see Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game.Big Cat · Game Outcome Picks · San Francisco 49ers · Hit 100
Big Cat picked the Bengals to beat the Falcons in Madrid, the 49ers to handle the Raiders, the Seahawks to bounce back against the Cardinals, and the Bears to beat the Buccaneers by a projected 26-23.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Michael Moore · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. They also expect Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback.Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.