John Middlekauff#48 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 24, 2026
Middlekauff predicts Shedeur Sanders will be named the Browns' starter, says JJ McCarthy won't even be Minnesota's backup quarterback, forecasts Dexter Lawrence as a first-team All-Pro, says the Falcons will be terrible, and expects Seattle to be a top three or four team while saying the Bengals have no excuse not to win their division.
Said on air or in an interview · The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast)Hear the original
What John Middlekauff said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromSo my guess is Shador is named
- Where it was said
- The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast)
- The episode
- Browns Should Start Shedeur, From The NFL Back To…College? JJ McCarthy Is A Bust, Seahawks Underrated?
- The original
- Hear the original
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- 1Dexter Lawrence to make first team All-Pro“his sack numbers won't be high enough to be like Defensive Player of the Year, but like first team All Pro”
- 2Shedeur Sanders to be 1st on the depth chart“But on Monday, my kid said he's gonna name a starter. So my guess is Shador is named”
- 3Power Rankings“They're a lock top three or four team going into the”
- 4Cincinnati Bengals to win the division“their team on paper, Colin has no excuse not to win the division.”
- 5J.J. McCarthy to be 3rd on the depth chart“my guess is here on August twenty third, he's not even gonna be the backup quarterback”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexter Lawrence to make first team All-Pro1 | Pro Bowl and All-Pro Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Shedeur Sanders to be 1st on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “They're a lock top three or four team going into the”3 | Power Rankings | — | — | — | — | |
| Cincinnati Bengals to win the division4 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| J.J. McCarthy to be 3rd on the depth chart5 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 calls · 5 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
5 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls, 1 division winner, 1 power ranking and 1 pro bowl and all-pro call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 1.
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
Shedeur Sanders · 2026 season50 calls from 35 pundits between 1 and 2. John Middlekauff said 1. the room's median is 1. 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.
1Pro Bowl and All-Pro CallsDexter LawrenceCincinnati Bengals
Dexter Lawrence to make first team All-Pro
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Depth Chart CallsShedeur SandersCleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“They're a lock top three or four team going into the”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Division WinnersCincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Depth Chart CallsJ.J. McCarthyMinnesota Vikings
J.J. McCarthy to be 3rd 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
Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Ahead of the trade deadline, they float three Raiders moves: shipping Kirk Cousins to Minnesota if the Vikings offer a second-round pick, selling Maxx Crosby to Dallas for a first-rounder plus, and acquiring Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a second- or third-round pick.Patricia Traina · Trade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthy · Hit 100
Traina expects defensive tackle to be a top need for the Giants in next year's draft, and suggests the Giants could trade J.J. McCarthy next offseason — or keep both them and Jaxson Dart if the return isn't good enough. They also expect Dart to make a full recovery.Charean Williams · Roster Spot Calls · Odell Beckham Jr. · Miss 0
Williams writes that after releasing Odell Beckham Jr. to open a roster spot for Kirk Cousins, the Vikings will bring them back on the practice squad.Justin Penik · Trade and Signing Calls · Aaron Jones · Hit 100
Pennock predicted Sam Darnold to Pittsburgh, Zach Baun re-signing in Philadelphia, Charvarius Ward and Jamien Sherwood to Washington, Cam Robinson to Chicago as left tackle, Cam Bynum to the Jets, Darius Slayton to the Chargers, Aaron Jones back to Minnesota and Aaron Rodgers to the Giants.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
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.Jordan Dajani · Depth Chart Calls · Drew Kendall · Miss 0
Dajani expects Cam Jurgens to move back to center as the Ravens' starter after the trade, and projects a rebuilt Eagles offensive line for Week 5 with Jordan Mailata, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, Tyler Steen and Markel Bell starting from left tackle to right tackle.