# Ross Jackson: 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.

**Claimed:** Feb 27, 2026
**Pundit:** Ross Jackson — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/ross-jackson
**Outlet:** Locked On Saints (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/locked-on-saints-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us
**Original:** https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdrl.fm/83ac39/lockedon.simplecastaudio.com/26a658f6-15f1-4878-ab5f-d78d7d886aa9/episodes/4eba4909-19f6-408f-86ee-867eb8c2cb82/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=26a658f6-15f1-4878-ab5f-d78d7d886aa9&awEpisodeId=4eba4909-19f6-408f-86ee-867eb8c2cb82&feed=aKgoC4uX

7 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.

> Caleb Downs is probably a top 10 pick, period. Should be a top five pick.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Mansoor Delane to be 1st corner off the board**
  - Kind: Position Order Calls · About: Mansoor Delane
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 12.64 for a naive guess
- **Colton Hood to be picked “a second round pick” (picks 33–64)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Colton Hood
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Caleb Downs to be picked “top 10 pick” (picks 1–10)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Caleb Downs
  - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Mansoor Delane to be picked “top 15 pick” (picks 1–15)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Mansoor Delane
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **D'Angelo Ponds to be picked “selected in the top 100” (picks 1–100)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: D'Angelo Ponds
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **D'Angelo Ponds to post potential to run four three, and some people think he might run in the four twos at the combine**
  - Kind: Combine Measurements · About: D'Angelo Ponds
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Dillon Thieneman to be picked “a day two early day two pick”**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Dillon Thieneman
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Mansoor Delane — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/mansoor-delane
- Colton Hood — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/colton-hood
- Caleb Downs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/caleb-downs
- D'Angelo Ponds — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/d-angelo-ponds
- Dillon Thieneman — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/dillon-thieneman

## What others said about the same people

- Lance Zierlein on Colton Hood: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3f8e6478-8ee7-441e-b2d1-d0a10233c34a (scored 47.88)
- Danny Parkins on Caleb Downs: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d98bca2f-5fc3-4f68-8389-30f9a2cb906f (scored 91.7)
- Nick Wright on Mansoor Delane: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3c5ad8a4-034f-4abb-8806-20dd9e44b5c6 (scored 80.52)
- David Harrison on Dillon Thieneman: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5cc44fc1-4ff9-447a-9c32-5f715fa6e9ba (scored 64.84)
- Daniel Jeremiah on Caleb Downs: Daniel Jeremiah's final 2026 NFL mock draft, projecting the first round pick by pick (including mock trades), starting with Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders at No. 1 and ending with Peter Woods to the Ravens via a trade with Seattle. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0fbc7597-86ee-4037-a1e6-4b062ff9f12c (scored 95.76)
- Rich Eisen on Caleb Downs: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3c03180a-672b-4155-81b3-9f02d050bf72 (scored 95.76)

## 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 Fernando Mendoza: 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 100)

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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

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