# Daniel Jeremiah: Jeremiah says Fernando Mendoza is the best player in the draft and a lock to be the first overall pick by the Raiders, grades them behind the 2024 trio of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, and outlines a mock draft with David Bailey to the Jets, Reese falling to seventh, Ruben Bain to the Titans, and Tate to the Giants at five. They also expect Ty Simpson to go outside the first round, names Brennan Thompson as the favorite for the fastest 40 at the combine, and expects Mendoza not to throw while Simpson does. **Claimed:** Feb 20, 2026 **Pundit:** Daniel Jeremiah — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/daniel-jeremiah **Outlet:** The Rich Eisen Show (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-rich-eisen-show-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ESP6893641979.mp3?updated=1771613094 10 checkable claims — 7 mock draft picks, 1 combine superlative, 1 position order call and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 12 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 7 of 10 have settled so far, averaging 83.9 out of 100, against 40.4 for a naive guess at the same calls. > In my opinion, I think he's the best football player in the draft. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Ty Simpson to be picked “outside the first round” (picks 1–32)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Ty Simpson - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Carnell Tate to be picked at number 5** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Carnell Tate, New York Giants - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Jeremiyah Love to be picked “lock first round grade” (picks 1–32)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jeremiyah Love - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Arvell Reese to be picked at number 7** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Arvell Reese - Verdict: scored 91.7 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Brenen Thompson to lead his drill at the combine** - Kind: Combine Superlatives · About: Brenen Thompson - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Fernando Mendoza to be 1st quarterback off the board** - Kind: Position Order Calls · About: Fernando Mendoza - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 33.08 for a naive guess - “You put out your, top 50 draft prospects ... you've got Fernando Mendoza one, and Jeremiah Love is your second best prospect ... Why do you have, Reese three and David Bailey four?” - Kind: Top Player Lists - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rueben Bain to be picked “to the Titans in mock draft”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Rueben Bain, Tennessee Titans - Verdict: not settled yet - **David Bailey to be picked “Jets pick (No. 2 area) in mock draft”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: David Bailey, New York Jets - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Ty Simpson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ty-simpson - Carnell Tate — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/carnell-tate - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/giants - Jeremiyah Love — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jeremiyah-love - Arvell Reese — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/arvell-reese - Brenen Thompson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/brenen-thompson - Rueben Bain — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/rueben-bain - Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/titans - David Bailey — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/david-bailey - New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets ## What others said about the same people - Sam Monson on New York Giants: Monson picked every Week 10 game, taking the Giants, Lions, Packers, Panthers, Colts, Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jaguars, Seahawks, Rams, Cowboys, Bengals and Ravens, and also suggested the Chargers' only likely wins the rest of the way come against the Jets and Dolphins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f4cb7a1e-1380-4f08-b39b-1432b97db846 (scored 0) - Pete Prisco on New York Giants: Prisco picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 23-14 on Thursday night and the Lions to beat the Patriots 30-24 in Munich. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e142b910-0967-4de9-9429-c342bc079205 (scored 35.71) - Jared Dubin on New York Giants: Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 20-14 on Thursday night and takes the Packers over the Vikings 17-14 in a low-scoring Week 10 game. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/04562aeb-eccf-4266-be8e-32a3aacfd6fc (scored 42.86) - Jared Dubin on New York Giants: Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders at home on Thursday night, projecting a 20-14 final score. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b6c19276-74df-4775-8a6e-f67c6d94b773 (scored 42.86) - Pete Prisco on New York Giants: Prisco picked the Giants to beat the Commanders at home in the Thursday night Week 10 game, 23-14, citing New York's dominant front seven containing Jayden Daniels. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/07b5aad4-57ad-4195-bc69-66b1abec33a0 (scored 35.71) - Jared Dubin on New York Giants: Dubin predicted final scores for seven Week 10 games, taking the Giants over the Commanders, the Lions, Chiefs, Packers, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens to win their respective matchups. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/08184feb-e542-42cf-8898-8074d73513d7 (scored 42.86) ## 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 Garrett Nussmeier: 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 0) --- 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 We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=daniel-jeremiah