Ross Jackson#21 of 87 NFL pundits · Feb 27, 2026
Previewing the NFL Combine's defensive back and tight end workouts, Jackson projected draft ranges for several prospects — Caleb Downs as a top-10 (and deserving top-five) pick, Dylan Thieneman early Day 2, Mansoor Delane inside the top 15 and as the first cornerback off the board, and Colton Hood in the second round. They also said undersized Indiana corner D'Angelo Ponds could run in the 4.2s and become the first small corner in 20 years taken in the top 100.
Said on air, transcribed by us · Locked On Saints (podcast)Hear the original
What Ross Jackson said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromCaleb Downs is probably a top 10 pick, period. Should be a top five pick.
- Where it was said
- Locked On Saints (podcast)
- The episode
- SUPERSTARS: New Orleans Saints Can Eye Sonny Styles, David Bailey As IMPACT NFL Draft Picks At No. 8
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidFeb 27
- GradedAug 14–17
- 1Mansoor Delane to be 1st corner off the board“Should be the first corner off the board.”
- 2Colton Hood to be picked “a second round pick” (picks 33–64)“Colton Hood, probably a second round pick.”
- 3Caleb Downs to be picked “top 10 pick” (picks 1–10)“Caleb Downs is probably a top 10 pick, period. Should be a top five pick.”
- 4Mansoor Delane to be picked “top 15 pick” (picks 1–15)“Mansoor Delane's probably a top 15 pick.”
- 5D'Angelo Ponds to be picked “selected in the top 100” (picks 1–100)“if D'Angelo Ponds does one thing in this draft, he could become the first corner in twenty years with his measurable selected in the top 100”
- 6D'Angelo Ponds to post potential to run four three, and some people think he might run in the four twos at the combine“watch that 40 yard dash because he's got the potential to run four three, and some people think he might run-in the four twos”
- 7Dillon Thieneman to be picked “a day two early day two pick”“Dylan Thineman's probably a a day two early day two pick, period.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mansoor Delane to be 1st corner off the board1 | Position Order Calls | — | 100 | 12.64 | +87.36 | |
| Colton Hood to be picked “a second round pick” (picks 33–64)2 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 37 | 100 | 50 | — | |
| Caleb Downs to be picked “top 10 pick” (picks 1–10)3 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 11 | 95.76 | 50 | — | |
| Mansoor Delane to be picked “top 15 pick” (picks 1–15)4 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 6 | 100 | 50 | — | |
| D'Angelo Ponds to be picked “selected in the top 100” (picks 1–100)5 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 50 | 100 | 50 | — | |
| D'Angelo Ponds to post potential to run four three, and some people think he might run in the four twos at the combine6 | Combine Measurements | — | — | — | — | |
| Dillon Thieneman to be picked “a day two early day two pick”7 | Mock Draft Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 calls · 5 hits · 2 waiting | 99.2 | 42.5 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive7 checkable claims — 5 mock draft picks, 1 combine measurement and 1 position order call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
5 of 7 have settled so far, averaging 99.2 out of 100, against 42.5 for a naive guess at the same calls.
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 what happened
positional finishTheir call against what actually happened.
1Position Order CallsMansoor Delane
Mansoor Delane to be 1st corner off the board
VerdictHit100Hit · naive 12.64100this call−12.64a naive guess=87.36better than naive×1difficulty=+87.36skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- naming one of the 27 at random averages 12.64
- skill:
- 87.36
- player:
- Mansoor Delane
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- credit halves every two places
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 12.64
- position:
- corner
- class size:
- 27
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- actual order:
- 1
- predicted order:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 0
Colton Hood to be picked “a second round pick” (picks 33–64)
What happenedWent 37100Hit · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Colton Hood
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 37
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- a second round pick (picks 33–64)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
Caleb Downs to be picked “top 10 pick” (picks 1–10)
What happenedWent 1195.76Hit · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Caleb Downs
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 95.76
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 11
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 95.76
- predicted pick:
- top 10 pick (picks 1–10)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
4Mock Draft PicksMansoor Delane
Mansoor Delane to be picked “top 15 pick” (picks 1–15)
What happenedWent 6100Hit · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Mansoor Delane
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 6
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- top 15 pick (picks 1–15)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
5Mock Draft PicksD'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds to be picked “selected in the top 100” (picks 1–100)
What happenedWent 50100Hit · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- D'Angelo Ponds
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 50
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- selected in the top 100 (picks 1–100)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
6Combine MeasurementsD'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds to post potential to run four three, and some people think he might run in the four twos at the combine
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
7Mock Draft PicksDillon Thieneman
Dillon Thieneman to be picked “a day two early day two pick”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 5 settled calls, each counted once
99.2naive 42.5
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Lance Zierlein · Mock Draft Picks · Colton Hood · Close 48
Zuerlein describes their mock draft 3.0: Carnell Tate to the Giants at No. 5, Sonny Styles falling to the Cowboys at No. 12, and Colton Hood to Dallas at No. 20. They also expect runs on linebackers from the late twenties to about pick 45, defensive tackles from the early-mid twenties into the 40s, and says Ahvion Terrell's 4.65 forty knocks them out of first-round contention. They call Kenyon Saddiq and Mansoor Delaine the safest picks for Dallas, and thinks Delaine's tape is top-four caliber, while Jeremiah Smith could be a generational, Megatron-type receiver.Danny Parkins · Mock Draft Picks · Caleb Downs · Hit 92
Danny Parkins presented their one-and-only 2026 mock draft, including trades: Mendoza at 1 to the Raiders, David Bailey second to the Jets, the Cowboys trading up to No. 3 for Arvell Reese, the Bears trading up to 16 for Kadyn Proctor, and Ty Simpson going to Arizona at 32 at the end of round one.Nick Wright · Mock Draft Picks · Mansoor Delane · Hit 81
Nick Wright unveiled their full 32-pick 2026 NFL mock draft 4.0, starting with Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders at No. 1 and ending with Avion Terrell to the Seahawks at 32. They also called Carnell Tate the best/safest receiver in the class, projected Ty Simpson inside the top 45, said Mendoza profiles as a low-end top-15 NFL quarterback, and expected the Dolphins to lose 15 games.David Harrison · Mock Draft Picks · Dillon Thieneman · Close 65
Harrison delivers their only first-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft, projecting all 32 first-round picks (including several trades) plus the rest of Washington's projected class, while noting it is an exercise in what could happen rather than a firm forecast.Rich Eisen · Mock Draft Picks · Caleb Downs · Hit 96
Eisen laid out their "come at me" mock draft of the top 10 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, including a projected Chiefs trade up to No. 3 for Arvell Reese.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Chris Simms · Mock Draft Picks · Malachi Corley · Miss 11
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Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection.Blaine Grisak · Mock Draft Picks · Brian Thomas Jr. · Hit 84
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.Charlie Campbell · Mock Draft Picks · Xavier Williams · Miss 0
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.