# Ollie Connolly: Connolly agrees Shedeur Sanders likely lands in New Orleans, says Cam Ward goes first overall, projects Travis Hunter's floor as a top-three NFL cornerback, is out on Mason Graham as a top-10 pick, thinks Donovan Ezeiruaku slips to the second round, doesn't want James Pearce, and expects Malaki Starks to be taken around 25. **Claimed:** Apr 14, 2025 **Pundit:** Ollie Connolly — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/ollie-connolly **Outlet:** Around the NFL (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/around-the-nfl-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/nfl-daily/defensive-draft-questions-and-derek-carr-drama-with-ollie-connolly 7 checkable claims — 3 mock draft picks, 2 draft bust calls, 1 positional finish and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 9 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 3 of 7 have settled so far, averaging 33.3 out of 100, against 33.3 for a naive guess at the same calls. > the floor to me feels like the second or third best cornerback in the NFL *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Travis Hunter to finish top 3 at his position, by interceptions** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Travis Hunter - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Donovan Jeter to be picked “the second round” (picks 33–64)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Donovan Jeter - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Cam Ward to be picked at number 1** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Cam Ward - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **James Pearce Jr. to disappoint at the next level** - Kind: Draft Bust Calls · About: James Pearce Jr., Tennessee Titans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Mason Graham to disappoint at the next level** - Kind: Draft Bust Calls · About: Mason Graham - Verdict: not settled yet - **Shedeur Sanders to move to New Orleans Saints** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Shedeur Sanders, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Malaki Starks to be picked “somewhere in the twenty five range, maybe a little bit higher”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Malaki Starks - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Travis Hunter — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/travis-hunter - Donovan Jeter — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/donovan-jeter - Cam Ward — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/cam-ward - James Pearce Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/james-pearce-jr - Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/titans - Mason Graham — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/mason-graham - Shedeur Sanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/shedeur-sanders - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Malaki Starks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/malaki-starks ## 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) - Ross Jackson on Zamir White: Ross Jackson gives their final preseason 53-man roster projection for the New Orleans Saints, naming who makes the initial roster at every position group, who starts on injured reserve or the practice squad, and who the five starting offensive linemen and kicker will be. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b43691e9-1673-4236-ba12-7d60ad3b95f5 (scored 0) - Doug Joubert on Charlie Smyth: Joubert projects the Saints' 53-man roster ahead of the cutdown deadline, naming every player they expect to make the team by position group, plus several players they expect to receive PUP/IR designations, and predicting Torricelli Simpkins will later be moved to the practice squad. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/80c9bcdf-68ec-49a5-a1d1-e59f4bee2653 (scored 100) - Ross Jackson on Charlie Smyth: Ross Jackson lays out their early defensive 53-man roster projection for the 2026 Saints, naming five edge rushers, four interior defensive linemen, five cornerbacks, five linebackers and five safeties, plus their kicker, punter and long snapper, and sends Mike Heldman, Chris Rumph and Jackson Sirmon to the practice squad. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/43240125-25d4-4060-bbc1-fa62fe5cd6d9 (scored 100) - Ross Jackson on Jordyn Tyson: Ross Jackson projects the New Orleans Saints' offensive 53-man roster: three quarterbacks with Tyler Shough starting and Spencer Rattler as the backup, four running backs including Alvin Kamara, six wide receivers with Jalen Polk making it, three tight ends, ten offensive linemen with a set starting five, and Charlie Smith at kicker. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5f4d7215-b47b-478d-8a8e-3199f34273ef (scored 100) - Pete Prisco on New Orleans Saints: 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 95.24) ## 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 Fernando Mendoza: 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 100) --- 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=ollie-connolly