Nick Wright#49 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 7, 2026
Nick Wright argues Patrick Mahomes should be the All-Decade first-team quarterback of the 2020s, defends the Chiefs as playoff-caliber, expects the Bills to win the AFC East again, thinks Caleb Williams will surpass Jared Goff as the division's top QB by year's end, and talks themselves into the Vikings winning the NFC North.
Said on air, transcribed by us · First Things First (podcast)Hear the original
What Nick Wright said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromTo me, step forward means they get back to where they had been as division champs. I think they will.
- Where it was said
- First Things First (podcast)
- The episode
- Jaylen Brown introduced with 76ers, Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott ranked 31st
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Top Player Lists“I agree that he deserves to be the highest ranked going into this year, and I personally would have it in the exact order they have it... Goff's 33. Caleb's 51. Jordan Love's 72.”
- 2Buffalo Bills to win the division“To me, step forward means they get back to where they had been as division champs. I think they will. I I am not guaranteeing it.”
- 3New England Patriots to finish with 11 wins“An eleven eleven win season that it would be, I think, a really good season for the Pats this year”
- 4Minnesota Vikings to win the division“Turns out, bro, I just talked to myself into the Vikings winning the NFC North on action.”
- 5Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs“I would be I would be absolutely shocked, shocked if the Chiefs and the Ravens don't take a step forward from last year.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “I agree that he deserves to be the highest ranked going into…”1 | Top Player Lists | — | — | — | — | |
| Buffalo Bills to win the division2 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| New England Patriots to finish with 11 wins3 | Season Win Totals | — | — | — | — | |
| Minnesota Vikings to win the division4 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs5 | Playoff Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 calls · 5 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
5 checkable claims — 2 division winners, 1 playoff pick, 1 season win total and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 4 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.
Where this call stands in the room
New England Patriots · 2026 season · wins13 calls from 8 pundits between 9 wins and 14 wins. Nick Wright said 11 wins. the room's median is 9.7 wins. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
“I agree that he deserves to be the highest ranked going into this year, and I personally would have it in the exact order they have it... Goff's 33. Caleb's 51. Jordan Love's 72.”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Division WinnersBuffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Season Win TotalsNew England Patriots
New England Patriots to finish with 11 wins
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Division WinnersMinnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Playoff PicksKansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
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.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.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.Gilberto Manzano · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Previewing the trade deadline, he expects Justin Herbert to stay in Los Angeles despite the Chargers' 0–7 start, thinks the Jets will keep Garrett Wilson and pair him with their young weapons, expects a receiver-hungry Kansas City to be aggressive with Josh Downs the likeliest target, and suggests expiring Eagles contracts Moro Ojomo and Riq Woolen could be dealt for mid-round picks.
More division winners
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Daniel DiBerardinis · Division Winners · Atlanta Falcons · Miss 0
Danny D predicts Sonny Styles goes in the top ten (maybe top five), doesn't think Ty Simpson goes before late first round, says Kenyon Sadiq lands with the Rams at 13, and picks the Falcons to win the NFC South while naming the Bengals an AFC bounce-back team. They also give a Final Four of Michigan, Florida, Purdue and Arizona with Michigan winning.Colin Cowherd · Division Winners · New York Giants · Miss 0
Cowherd projects the NFC East with the Giants winning the division ahead of Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas, pegging the Cowboys as a six- or seven-win team. They also expect Malik Willis to land a big free-agent deal, Kayvon Thibodeaux to be moved, and Baltimore to lose Isaiah Likely, and they float the Rams reaching on Ty Simpson late in round one.Colin Cowherd · Division Winners · Los Angeles Chargers · Miss 0
Cowherd unveiled their top 10 NFL teams entering next season, with Seattle first, the Rams second and the Chiefs tenth, and separately picked the Chargers to win the AFC West.Colin Cowherd · Division Winners · Baltimore Ravens · Miss 0
Cowherd likes Jacksonville, Chicago and Pittsburgh (with DK Metcalf back) in the wild-card round, ranks the league's head coaches with McVay first and Ben Johnson seventh, and predicts Lamar Jackson has about two strong years left. They also name the Rams as a possible team to draft a receiver and floats next year's draft having seven first-round quarterbacks.Rich Eisen · Division Winners · Jacksonville Jaguars · Hit 100
Eisen forecast the Week 18 results and the entire wild-card field: Buccaneers over Panthers but Carolina still gets in as the 5 seed when Atlanta beats New Orleans, 49ers over Seahawks, Ravens over Steelers, Jaguars beating Tennessee to win the AFC South, and six wild-card matchups (Seahawks-Panthers, Bills-Jaguars, Texans-Ravens, Packers-Bears, Chargers-Patriots, Rams-Eagles), with Houston upsetting Baltimore. They also tabbed Saints rookie Tyler Shough as a possible Offensive Rookie of the Year.