# Brady Quinn: Quinn argued the combine doesn't matter for draft stock and asserted that Fernando Mendoza will be the No. 1 overall pick regardless of how Ty Simpson performs at the combine.

**Claimed:** Feb 23, 2026
**Pundit:** Brady Quinn — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/brady-quinn
**Outlet:** 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/2-pros-and-a-cup-of-joe-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/2-pros-and-a-cup-of-joe/hour-2-jonas-brady-lavar-thick-meat-at-the-nfl-combine

2 checkable claims — 1 mock draft pick and 1 prospect vs prospect call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

All 2 have settled, averaging 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> Mendoz is gonna go number one.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Fernando Mendoza
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Fernando Mendoza to be drafted ahead of Ty Simpson**
  - Kind: Prospect vs Prospect Calls · About: Fernando Mendoza
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess

## Who this take is about

- Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza

## What others said about the same people

- 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)
- Nick Wright on Fernando Mendoza: 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 100)
- Danny Parkins on Fernando Mendoza: 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 100)
- David Harrison on Fernando Mendoza: 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 100)
- Daniel Jeremiah on Fernando Mendoza: 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 100)
- Rich Eisen on Fernando Mendoza: 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 100)

## More prospect vs prospect calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Mike Renner on Jordan Seaton: Renner ranks the top 10 offensive tackle prospects in the upcoming draft class and assigns each an early draft grade, with Trevor Goosby a top-10 pick, Jordan Seaton a first-rounder, and Cayden Green likely the first guard drafted; they also expect Seaton to be picked higher than Olu Fashanu's 11th-overall slot. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3dfdba17-f4e6-4b18-8af8-84b8f032ed3d (scored 0)
- Chad Rader on Akheem Mesidor: As read on the show, Reuter's three-round NFL.com mock has the same top four, then Delane to the Giants at five, Makai Lemmon to the Browns, Downs to Washington, Love to the Saints, Caden Proctor to the Chiefs at nine, Akeem Mesidore at 40 and Kaitlin Allen in round three. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e297fdd0-4829-4ae8-84b4-600ac0d5a7e5 (scored 100)
- Gregg Rosenthal on David Bailey: Rosenthal expects Ruben Bain to be drafted in the top 10-12 and believes they won't get past the Cowboys at No. 12, expects David Bailey to be taken early (hard to see them out of the top six) and to go before Bain, and pegs Kiante Scott as a late-second to third-round pick. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/212bbcc6-b935-43f8-b293-a6a12681dd41 (scored 100)
- Fran Duffy on Sonny Styles: Duffy expects Sonny Styles to be picked inside the top 10, believes short-armed Ruben Bain will still go inside the top 15 (possibly top 10 or top 5), thinks Styles will come off the board before Caleb Downs, ranks Avion Terrell as their top cornerback, and has Stukes graded as a second-round pick against industry consensus. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c1cb2cdd-665e-4c51-8ce2-34bc7cbeb0a3 (scored 100)
- Andrew Siciliano on Sonny Styles: Siciliano calls Caleb Downs the safest pick in the draft but doubts they go No. 2, and predicts Sonny Styles will dominate the combine and be drafted in the top seven, ahead of Downs. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0440706c-a112-4d3c-9640-db05e422ce69 (scored 100)
- Tucker Franklin on David Bailey: Tucker predicted edge David Bailey comes off the board before Ruben Bain Jr., that Peter Woods won't last until the Chiefs' pick at 40 (i.e. goes in round one), and that the Chiefs will cut Mike Danna and Jawaan Taylor. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d59b4be3-be4a-4fdd-9eec-3b68a9f18dfe (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

We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us:
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