Mike Renner· Aug 11, 2026
Renner ranks his top 10 interior offensive line prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft class and assigns each an early draft grade, with Iowa's Kade Pieper as the No. 1 player who he believes can become the first center taken in the first round since Tyler Linderbaum in 2022.
“With athleticism at a premium in today's NFL, Pieper could very easily end up a first-rounder.”
published in writing · CBS Sports · read the original →
11 checkable claims — 10 mock draft picks and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 14 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
11 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Mock Draft PicksAnthonie KnappAug 11, 2026
Anthonie Knapp to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Versatile guard / Early grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksLuke MontgomeryAug 11, 2026
Luke Montgomery to be picked “Day 2” (picks 33–100)
“Player type: Versatile guard/center / Early grade: Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Evan Tengesdahl to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Gap-scheme guard / Early grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksJesse PerryTennessee TitansAug 11, 2026
Jesse Perry to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Gap-scheme Guard / Early grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksBraelin MooreAug 11, 2026
Braelin Moore to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Reliable center / Early grade: Early Day 3”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksGreg JohnsonMinnesota VikingsAug 11, 2026
Greg Johnson to be picked “Late Round 1”
“Player type: All-around guard / Early grade: Late Round 1”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksAustin SiereveldAug 11, 2026
Austin Siereveld to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Zone guard / Early grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksIapani LalouluAug 11, 2026
Iapani Laloulu to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Gap-scheme center / Early grade: Early Day 3”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksAnthony BoswellHouston TexansAug 11, 2026
Anthony Boswell to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Zone center / Early Grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksKade PieperAug 11, 2026
Kade Pieper to be picked “Late Round 1”
“Player type: Moveable Center / Early grade: Late Round 1 ... He has a good chance of becoming the 1st C drafted in R1 since former Hawkeye Tyler Linderbaum in 2022”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Top Player ListsAug 11, 2026
“my top 10 prospects ... Kade Pieper ... Greg Johnson ... Luke Montgomery ... Jesse Perry ... Anthony Boswell ... Austin Siereveld ... Evan Tengesdahl ... Anthonie Knapp ... Iapani Laloulu ... Braelin Moore”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Chris SimmsScore Predictions · Minnesota VikingsHit · 90Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver.
- Chris LongGame Outcome Picks · Cincinnati BengalsMiss · 0Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North.
- Steven RuizGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns.
- Sam MonsonGame Outcome Picks · Minnesota VikingsHit · 100Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South.
- Matt HarmonGame Outcome Picks · Cincinnati BengalsHit · 100Harmon picked the Bengals to beat the Texans in Week 2, expecting Nico Collins to miss the game with a hamstring injury, and also predicted the Titans would be shut out by the Eagles. He took the Rams over the Giants, the Bears over the Vikings, and the Jaguars at Denver.
- Nate TiceScore Predictions · Cincinnati BengalsClose · 74Tice picked the Bengals over the Texans in a low-scoring game, the Jaguars at Denver, the Bears over the Vikings, the Patriots over the Steelers and the Rams to edge the Giants, and his Hail Mary was the Cowboys scoring 40 on Washington. He also floated Abdul Carter as a possible All-Pro.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Ryan WilsonMock Draft Picks · J.J. McCarthyMiss · 37Recalling his pre-draft evaluation, Wilson notes he had ranked J.J. McCarthy as the fifth quarterback in the 2024 class and given him a second-round grade rather than a first-round one, citing the gap between Michigan's system and NFL demands.
- Lance ZierleinMock Draft Picks · Jeremiyah LoveHit · 100Zierlein laid out his final mock draft: Jeremiah Love at No. 3 to Arizona, Sonny Styles at No. 4 to Robert Saleh's team, and Caleb Downs to the Giants at No. 5. He also called Styles the only first-round linebacker in the class and said Ty Simpson is a lock to be a first-round pick, most likely to Arizona.
- Nick ShookMock Draft Picks · Max IheanachorHit · 88Shook walks through his full first-round mock draft, assigning a prospect to every pick from No. 1 to No. 32, headlined by Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, David Bailey to the Jets and Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals in the top three.
- Gregg RosenthalMock Draft Picks · K.C. ConcepcionClose · 68Rosenthal disagrees most with Casey Concepcion being left out of the first round, arguing he could go as high as the top 15 and certainly won't last past receiver-needy teams in the late twenties.
- Daniel JeremiahMock Draft Picks · Keyron CrawfordHit · 81In discussing teams without first-round picks, Jeremiah projected specific Day 2 picks: Clemson WR Antonio Williams to the Falcons at 48, Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez to the Colts in the second round, Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas to the Packers at 52, and Auburn edge Keiroon Crawford to the Broncos at 62. He also expects Riley Leonard to open as the Colts' starting QB and Travis Hunter to play cornerback full time in Jacksonville.
- Daniel JeremiahMock Draft Picks · Carnell TateHit · 92Jeremiah says Denver, not Kansas City, will be the clear favorite in the AFC West this season; he also puts Carnell Tate sixth and Monroe Freeling twentieth on his prospect board, mocks Tate to Cleveland at No. 6, and expects Georgia receiver Branch to be a Day 2 pick after a strong pro day.