# Mel Kiper: Kiper's first mock draft has Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 overall to the Raiders, Arvell Reese second to the Jets, a third pick to Arizona, Carnell Tate fifth to the Giants, Jeremiah Love ninth to Kansas City, Caleb Downs 10th to Cincinnati, Sonny Styles to Dallas, and Ty Simpson at 16 to the Jets. They also say Dante Moore will be in the No. 1 pick conversation with Arch Manning next year. **Claimed:** Feb 18, 2026 **Pundit:** Mel Kiper — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/mel-kiper **Outlet:** The Rich Eisen Show (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-rich-eisen-show-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ESP3565752781.mp3?updated=1771444964 11 checkable claims — 11 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 17 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 9 of 11 have settled so far, averaging 90 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls. > So Jeremiah Love is gonna be in that top nine somewhere. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Jeremiyah Love to be picked “in that top nine somewhere” (picks 1–9)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jeremiyah Love - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Arvell Reese to be picked at number 2** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Arvell Reese, New York Jets - Verdict: scored 87.81 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Ty Simpson to be picked at number 16** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Ty Simpson, New York Jets - Verdict: scored 87.81 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Jeremiyah Love to be picked at number 9** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jeremiyah Love, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: scored 77.11 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Carnell Tate to be picked at number 5** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Carnell Tate, New York Giants - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Francis Mauigoa to be picked at number 3** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Francis Mauigoa, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: scored 73.84 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Akheem Mesidor to be picked at number 20** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Akheem Mesidor, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: scored 91.7 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Caleb Downs to be picked at number 10** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Caleb Downs, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Sonny Styles to be picked “your next 10”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Sonny Styles, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Matt Moore to be picked “right there with Arch as the number one pick next year”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Matt Moore - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Jeremiyah Love — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jeremiyah-love - Arvell Reese — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/arvell-reese - New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets - Ty Simpson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ty-simpson - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Carnell Tate — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/carnell-tate - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/giants - Francis Mauigoa — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/francis-mauigoa - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Akheem Mesidor — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/akheem-mesidor - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Caleb Downs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/caleb-downs - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Sonny Styles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/sonny-styles - Matt Moore — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/matt-moore ## What others said about the same people - Chris Clark on Nikko Remigio: Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/99521265-d5c0-4db1-b2a0-fe77908ea0b3 (scored 0) - Sam Monson on New York Giants: Monson picked every Week 10 game, taking the Giants, Lions, Packers, Panthers, Colts, Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jaguars, Seahawks, Rams, Cowboys, Bengals and Ravens, and also suggested the Chargers' only likely wins the rest of the way come against the Jets and Dolphins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f4cb7a1e-1380-4f08-b39b-1432b97db846 (scored 0) - Pete Prisco on New York Giants: Prisco picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 23-14 on Thursday night and the Lions to beat the Patriots 30-24 in Munich. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e142b910-0967-4de9-9429-c342bc079205 (scored 35.71) - Jared Dubin on New York Giants: Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 20-14 on Thursday night and takes the Packers over the Vikings 17-14 in a low-scoring Week 10 game. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/04562aeb-eccf-4266-be8e-32a3aacfd6fc (scored 42.86) - Jared Dubin on New York Giants: Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders at home on Thursday night, projecting a 20-14 final score. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b6c19276-74df-4775-8a6e-f67c6d94b773 (scored 42.86) - Pete Prisco on New York Giants: Prisco picked the Giants to beat the Commanders at home in the Thursday night Week 10 game, 23-14, citing New York's dominant front seven containing Jayden Daniels. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/07b5aad4-57ad-4195-bc69-66b1abec33a0 (scored 35.71) ## 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 Garrett Nussmeier: 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 0) --- 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=mel-kiper