Kent Swanson· Jun 25, 2026
Kent ranked his top 10 NFL defensive tackles heading into the 2026 season in tiers, topped by Jeffrey Simmons with Byron Murphy second, and predicted Simmons remains the best defensive tackle in football in 2026.
“Jeffrey Simmons is the best defensive tackle in football.”
said on air, transcribed by us · KC Sports Network (podcast) · read the original →
2 checkable claims — 1 positional finishe and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Their call against the record
positional finishTheir call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
2 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
Jeffery Simmons to finish top 1 at his position, by sacks
“He is the best defensive and tackle in football right now... I think that is the case for 2026 as well.”
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
- Top Player ListsJun 25, 2026
“Kobi Turner... give me him with the number 10... number nine, Leonard Williams... Quentin Williams is sitting at eight... it's Jalen Carter... Zach Allen is the stand alone tier for me... Old but still elite... Cameron Hayward... Dexter Lawrence... Chris Jones (I had him at three)... My number two player... is Byron Murphy... Jeffrey Simmons is the best defensive tackle in football.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
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- Lane MillsGame Outcome Picks · Tennessee TitansMiss · 0Mills predicts the Titans finish 2026 at 6-11 (2-4 in the AFC South), missing the playoffs, with specific wins over the Jets, Giants, Browns, Jaguars, Raiders and Colts, and names Wan'Dale Robinson team MVP with another 1,000-yard, seven-touchdown season as Cam Ward's top receiver.
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More positional finishes
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
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- Chris BrockmanPositional Finishes · Jaxon Smith-NjigbaHit · 100Brockman argued Jaxon Smith-Njigba is already the best receiver in the NFL and deserves to be the highest paid, called his shot that three quarterbacks (Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck) go in the first round with Mendoza first overall, and suggested New England is headed for a 7-10 season.
- Ryan TracyPositional Finishes · Bryan CookMiss · 0Tracy argues the Chiefs should address edge rusher and defensive tackle via the draft and use free agency on running back and wide receiver; he names Brian Robinson as his target, expects Kenneth Walker III to re-sign with Seattle, thinks Nick Bolton-style veterans like Jerry Tillery, Derek Nnadi and Mike Pennel shouldn't return, believes Bryan Cook is a top-10 safety the Chiefs can't afford, and predicts a quarterback (Trinidad Chambliss) will rocket up boards so more than one QB goes in the top 10.
- Pat GustavsonPositional Finishes · Bijan RobinsonClose · 75Gustafson picks the Patriots, Bills, Seahawks and Bears in the divisional round with a Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl, predicts Mike Tomlin and Matt LaFleur stay, Aaron Rodgers returns to Pittsburgh, and lays out his own coaching landing spots.
- JP AcostaPositional Finishes · Bijan RobinsonClose · 75JP picked the Eagles to beat the 49ers in a low-scoring game and the Jaguars to beat the Bills, called Bijan Robinson the best running back in the league, and named his own first-team All-Pro roster.
- Rich EisenPositional Finishes · George PickensHit · 100Eisen called the Rams-winning-it-all take an overreaction but expects Los Angeles to win the NFC West, said he doesn't see how Myles Garrett fails to win Defensive Player of the Year, and called George Pickens perhaps the third-best receiver in the NFL this season.