Greg AumanAug 31, 2026
In defining success for all 32 teams in 2026, Auman predicts the Cardinals end up picking in the top five and taking a quarterback, suggests Jeremiah Smith may be the first non-quarterback drafted, restates their spring Super Bowl pick of the Chargers, and forecasts Josh Allen returning to 30-plus passing touchdowns.
Published in writing · Fox SportsRead the original
What Greg Auman said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromBut realistically, the Cardinals are picking in the top five and taking a quarterback.
- Where it was published
- Fox Sports
- The piece
- Which Teams Need To Win The Super Bowl? Defining Success For All 32 Teams In 2026
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Josh Allen to record 30 passing tds“His passing touchdowns in the last six years are 37-36-35-29-28-25, but we'll say that downward trend ends and he's back at 30-plus touchdown passes.”
- 2Arizona Cardinals to pick “picking in the top five” (picks 1–5)“But realistically, the Cardinals are picking in the top five and taking a quarterback.”
- 3Los Angeles Chargers to win the Super Bowl“I picked the Chargers to win the Super Bowl this spring, so they need to win a playoff game or two just to make that pick not look embarrassing.”
- 4Jeremiah Smith to be the first non-QB off the board non-QB off the board“There's a void at receiver, so if you can land Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith as a No. 1 target for Willis, that's great. But he might be the first non-QB off the board, so even six wins could take him off the board.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen to record 30 passing tds1 | Player Season Numbers | — | — | — | — | |
| Arizona Cardinals to pick “picking in the top five” (picks 1–5)2 | Team Draft Slot Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Los Angeles Chargers to win the Super Bowl3 | Super Bowl Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| Jeremiah Smith to be the first non-QB off the board non-QB off the board4 | Position Order Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 4 calls · 4 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
4 checkable claims — 1 player season number, 1 position order call, 1 super bowl pick and 1 team draft slot 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.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the rest of the room.
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
passing tdsTheir call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
1Player Season NumbersJosh AllenBuffalo Bills
Josh Allen to record 30 passing tds
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Team Draft Slot CallsArizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals to pick “picking in the top five” (picks 1–5)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Super Bowl PicksLos Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers to win the Super Bowl
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Position Order CallsJeremiah Smith
Jeremiah Smith to be the first non-QB off the board non-QB off the board
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 76
Prisco picked the Bills to win 21-14 at Minnesota.John Breech · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 76
Breech picked the Bills to beat the Vikings on Monday night by a score of 24-17.Jordan Dajani · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 62
Dajani picked the Bills to edge the Vikings 24-23.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 74
Dubin picked Buffalo to win a low-scoring Monday night game in Minnesota, 20-14.Tyler Sullivan · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 76
Sullivan picked the Bills to beat the Vikings 24-17.
More position order calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Joe Marino · Position Order Calls · Arvell Reese · Hit 100
Marino stacks 14 inside linebackers in the 2026 NFL draft class and assigns each a round-value grade, with Sonny Styles first (top-10 grade) and Anthony Hill third; they say Hill would be their preferred pick if Buffalo takes a linebacker at No. 26.Ian Rapoport · Position Order Calls · Tetairoa McMillan · Close 71
Rapoport said Travis Hunter is likely the pick at No. 2 for the Browns, that Shedeur Sanders is in play at No. 3, and predicted Tetairoa McMillan would be the first receiver drafted. They also expected Brock Purdy's next deal to land around $50 million per year with Dak Prescott remaining the only quarterback above $60 million.Peter Schrager · Position Order Calls · Tetairoa McMillan · Close 71
Schrager laid out their top 10 prospects entering the 2025 combine, with Travis Hunter first, Abdul Carter second and Tyler Warren third, and attached draft-range calls to several of them — Will Johnson in the first round, Mason Graham a top-five pick, Ashton Jeanty a first-rounder, Tyler Warren not escaping the top ten, and Cam Ward a top-five to top-ten pick who will start as a rookie.Matty Lane · Position Order Calls · Spencer Fano · Hit 100
Maddie Lane said Spencer Fano is clearly the first tackle off the board, that the top four players in their mock will be four of the first five picks, that Malik Mohammed goes ahead of Igbunosin, and that Blake Miller would beat out Jalen Moore for the Chiefs' starting job.Daniel Jeremiah · Position Order Calls · Spencer Fano · Close 71
Jeremiah's Mock Draft 3.0, discussed pick by pick: Mendoza first overall, Arvell Reese to the Jets at 2, Francis Mauigoa to the Cardinals at 3, Jeremiyah Love to the Titans at 4, Sonny Styles to the Giants at 5, and on through the first round.