Mike ClayMay 11, 2026
Clay's 2026 statistical projections for the 49ers, as read on air: modest rookie production, a healthy but slightly reduced Christian McCaffrey workload, and Mike Evans falling short of 1,000 receiving yards.
Said on air, transcribed by us · Locked On 49ers (podcast)Hear the original
What Mike Clay said
Mike Clay has Dajon Stripling projected to get 34 targets as the the fourth wide receiver on the 40 niners offense next year. 22 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns.
- Where it was said
- Locked On 49ers (podcast)
- The episode
- 49ers Rookie Minicamp UPDATES and ESPN Projections for 2026
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player Season Numbers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
How each call scored
20 checkable claims — 20 player season numbers — 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.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 10 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 8.
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.
Where this call stands in the room
Mike Evans · 2026 season · receiving tds3 calls from 3 pundits between 6 receiving tds and 10 receiving tds. Mike Clay said 6 receiving tds. the room's median is 10 receiving tds. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the record
receptionsTheir call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
Player Season Numbers20 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Christian McCaffrey to record 78 receptions
“78 catches, six eighty six yards, and five more, receiving touchdowns for Christian McCaffrey”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Christian McCaffrey to record 5 receiving tds
“five more, receiving touchdowns for Christian McCaffrey”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Christian Kirk to record 2 receiving tds
“24 catches for 337 yards and two touchdowns”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Mike Evans to record 57 receptions
“99 targets, 57 catches for 911 yards, and six touchdowns for Mike Evans.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
De'Zhaun Stribling to record 22 receptions
“Mike Clay has Dajon Stripling projected to get 34 targets as the the fourth wide receiver on the 40 niners offense next year. 22 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
De'Zhaun Stribling to record 2 receiving tds
“22 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
De'Zhaun Stribling to record 322 receiving yards
“22 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Mike Evans to record 6 receiving tds
“57 catches for 911 yards, and six touchdowns for Mike Evans.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Romello Height to record 0.9 sacks
“maybe one sack. 0.9 sacks is the projection here on a 106 snaps.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Christian Kirk to record 337 receiving yards
“24 catches for 337 yards and two touchdowns”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Mike Evans to record 911 receiving yards
“57 catches for 911 yards, and six touchdowns for Mike Evans. So, not getting back on his thousand yard streak, according to these projections from ESPN's Mike Blay.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Christian McCaffrey to record 1,161 rushing yards
“281 rushing attempts, 1,161 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 78 catches, six eighty six yards, and five more, receiving touchdowns for Christian McCaffrey”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Christian McCaffrey to record 686 receiving yards
“78 catches, six eighty six yards”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Brock Purdy to record 14 passing interceptions
“27 to 14 touchdown to interception ratio there”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Kaelon Black to record 185 rushing yards
“Kaitlyn Black, the third rounder, only 45 rushing attempts and a 185 rushing yards”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Brock Purdy to record 27 passing tds
“27 to 14 touchdown to interception ratio there”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Brock Purdy to record 4,125 passing yards
“4,125 passing yards for Brock Purdey, 27 to 14 touchdown to interception ratio there, as part of the projections.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Jordan James to record 344 rushing yards
“the number two running back here as projected is Jordan James with only 80 rushing attempts and 344 yards”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Christian McCaffrey to record 10 rushing tds
“1,161 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Christian Kirk to record 24 receptions
“Christian Kirk's barely more than dribbling in these projections as the the number three kinda slot receiver. 24 catches for 337 yards and two touchdowns.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Brandon Carney · Trade and Signing Calls · Mike Evans · Miss 0
Carney predicts Geno Smith signs with the Vikings and starts for them, that at least four of the fringe veteran quarterbacks (Tua, Kyler, Cousins, Fields, Geno) will be starters next season, and that Mike Evans stays with Tampa Bay. They also rank their top fantasy wide receivers and comments on running back landing spots and trade values.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.
More player season numbers
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Andrew Erickson · Player Season Numbers · James Cook · Close 67
Erickson is targeting Chase Brown, Javonte Williams, Trey Benson, Ray Davis, MarShawn Lloyd, Will Shipley, Braelon Allen and Rishard Smith while fading Tyrone Tracy, Tank Bigsby and Kyren Williams, and they expect James Cook's touchdown total to settle in the eight-to-ten range.Ross Jackson · Player Season Numbers · Tyler Shough · Miss 4
Jackson projects a big sophomore jump for Saints QB Tyler Shuck, laying out a Drake May-style stat line (17 starts, 72% completions, ~4,601 passing yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs) or a Bo Nix-style consistency line (over 4,000 yards, over 20 TDs, ~10 INTs), and says either path means a playoff season for New Orleans in 2026.Chris Broussard · Player Season Numbers · Myles Garrett · Hit 92
Broussard expects Lamar Jackson to play well but not vintage — two touchdown passes and no picks — while Derrick Henry carries the load with over 100 rushing yards. They also take the Browns to upset the Bengals and believes Myles Garrett gets at least two sacks to break the single-season record.Nick Wright · Player Season Numbers · Myles Garrett · Hit 100
Wright picks the Steelers to beat the Ravens outright in Pittsburgh, takes Seattle over San Francisco, and thinks the Browns lose to Cincinnati even as Myles Garrett gets the sack record.Nick Wright · Player Season Numbers · Myles Garrett · Hit 84
Nick Wright says Myles Garrett is playing at an all-time level and might reach 25 sacks this season, and among their weekly picks they expect the Bears to beat the Steelers in an ugly low-margin home win and Seattle to win comfortably at Tennessee.Rich Eisen · Player Season Numbers · Micah Parsons · Close 56
Eisen made a series of picks: Micah Parsons will out-sack any two Cowboys combined (after initially leaning the other way), the NFC North is more likely to produce a Super Bowl team than the NFC East, Eagles wins will outnumber Cowboys losses, Bo Nix/Courtland Sutton will out-touchdown Cam Ward/Calvin Ridley, and Marvin Harrison Jr./James Conner will beat Kamara/Olave in yards and TDs. They also picked the AFC West order and said Deion Sanders is more likely than Bill Belichick to have a winning record.