TJ Jefferson#66 of 87 NFL pundits · Jul 23, 2026

TJ Jefferson named the Dallas Cowboys as their final sleeper team and predicted they will win the Super Bowl, crediting the new defensive coordinator and draft additions. Their earlier sleeper picks were the Saints and Vikings.

Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original

Waiting4 calls, none settled yet

—Average accuracynothing settled yet

—A naive guessthe same calls, no knowledge

0 of 4Settled4 still waiting

#66TJ Jefferson’s rankof 87 ranked NFL pundits

What TJ Jefferson said

our reading, beside the words we read it from

But the sleeper team, the team that will hoist the Lombardi trophy this year... You're mine, our Dallas Cowboys.

TJ Jefferson, the lead quote · each call’s own words are below

Where it was said: The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
The episode: Hour 3: NFL Network’s Stacey Dales In-Studio, NFL Sleeper Teams Draft: Round 3, and More
The original: Hear the original
Read it wrong?: Tell us and we will look

The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 12, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.

1Dallas Cowboys to win the Super Bowl“But the sleeper team, the team that will hoist the Lombardi trophy this year. Oh, back by popular demand, You're mine, our Dallas Cowboys.”
2Minnesota Vikings to beat expectations“TJ went with the Vikings, which I'm disgusted by”
3Dallas Cowboys to beat expectations“My sleeper team... our Dallas Cowboys. We are a sleeper because no one thinks we could do it.”
4New Orleans Saints to beat expectations“TJ goes New Orleans and the Saints and Tyler Shuck.”

Box score

HitCloseMissWaiting

Call	Kind	What happened	Score	Naive	Skill
Dallas Cowboys to win the Super Bowl¹	Super Bowl Picks	—	—	—	—
Minnesota Vikings to beat expectations²	Surprise Team Calls	—	—	—	—
Dallas Cowboys to beat expectations³	Surprise Team Calls	—	—	—	—
New Orleans Saints to beat expectations⁴	Surprise Team Calls	—	—	—	—
4 calls · 4 waiting			—	—

How each call scored

4 checkable claims — 3 surprise team calls and 1 super bowl pick — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.

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.

Their call against the record

Wins the Super BowlThey said

Did not win it2025

Their call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.

1Super Bowl Picks Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys to win the Super Bowl
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
2Surprise Team Calls Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings to beat expectations
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
3Surprise Team Calls Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys to beat expectations
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
4Surprise Team Calls New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints to beat expectations
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?

Who this take is about

Where do you stand on this one?Pick every open claim on Picks →

Others on the same people

Jason Harmon · Roster Spot Calls · Max Brosmer · Miss 0
Harmon expects the Vikings' quarterback room to stay intact while Kyler Murray is hurt, and predicts Max Brosmer will be released and re-signed to the practice squad since Minnesota won't carry four QBs.
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.
Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Lazarczyk expects the Raiders to be sellers before the trade deadline, suggesting Kirk Cousins could be dealt back to the Vikings and that benched interior lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson is a prime candidate to be traded somewhere.
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.
Rich Eisen · Trade and Signing Calls · Micah Parsons · Miss 0
Eisen expects Myles Garrett to be traded before the draft and says the Browns will then take Abdul Carter with their early first-round pick; they also predict Buffalo will end up paying James Cook and that Micah Parsons will remain a Cowboy and get their money from Dallas, likely late in the process.

More surprise team calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

Nick Wright · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Wright expects the 49ers to handle Dallas, the Lions to beat New England, the Packers to beat Minnesota and the Chiefs to win in Atlanta, while naming the Texans again as the league's second-half surge team, picking Joe Burrow for MVP and saying Kansas City still makes the playoffs.
Dan Orlovsky · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Named Houston and Detroit as the underrated teams in each conference, said the Texans could reach 11-6 and the playoffs, and predicted CJ Stroud's next contract will start with a seven annually, with Caleb Williams getting even more afterward.
Bill Simmons · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
Simmons named the Houston Texans as the AFC's second-half surge team and, reluctantly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFC's, arguing both clubs sitting at or below.500 will make a run down the stretch.
Danny Kelly · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
Kelly argued the Buccaneers are the one NFC South club capable of a second-half surge, citing a soft remaining schedule and the league's top defensive EPA.
Logan Lazarczyk · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Lazarczyk argues the Raiders can still contend for the AFC's final wild-card spot, naming the Bills, Broncos, Jaguars, Steelers, Chiefs and Bengals as locks for the top six seeds, calling Houston a sleeper, and predicting Las Vegas can beat the Chargers, Titans and Cardinals down the stretch.
Jordan Dajani · Surprise Team Calls · Pittsburgh Steelers · Waiting
Halfway through the season, Dajani sorts the playoff field into contenders and pretenders: they suggest Joe Burrow could win MVP this year, and while they dismiss Pittsburgh as a true Super Bowl threat, they expect the Steelers to be a playoff team and a possible sleeper.