Joe Marino#2 of 87 NFL pundits · Apr 8, 2026

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.

Said on air, transcribed by us · Locked On Bills (podcast)Hear the original

8 of 11calls landed8 hits · 1 close call · 2 misses · 8 waiting

79Average accuracyout of 100, across 11 calls

44A naive guessthe same calls, no knowledge

11 of 19Settled8 still waiting

#2Joe Marino’s rankof 87 ranked NFL pundits

What Joe Marino said

If the Bills took one at 26, let it be Anthony Hill.

Joe Marino, the lead quote

Where it was said: Locked On Bills (podcast)
The episode: LB RANKINGS: Should the Buffalo Bills TARGET Texas LB Anthony Hill at 26? Full 2026 LB Grades
The original: Hear the original
Read it wrong?: Tell us and we will look

SaidApr 8
GradedAug 14–Oct 1

Box score, by kind

HitCloseMissWaiting

Group	Hits	Close	Misses	Waiting
Position Order Calls	1	1	0	0
Mock Draft Picks	7	0	2	5
Top Player Lists	0	0	0	1
Sleeper Calls	0	0	0	1
Depth Chart Calls	0	0	0	1
All	8	1	2	8

How each call scored

19 checkable claims — 14 mock draft picks, 2 position order calls, 1 depth chart call, 1 sleeper call and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 16 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

11 of 19 have settled so far, averaging 79 out of 100, against 44 for a naive guess at the same calls.

Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below 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

Dorian Williams · 2026 season

Joe Marino — 1the room — 3 calls from 3 punditsmedian 1

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.

Their call against what happened

positional finish

2They said

2What happened

Their call against what actually happened.

Position Order Calls1 hit · 1 close callShow ▸

Arvell Reese to be 2nd linebacker off the board
“Arval Reese would be my linebacker too.”
Arvell Reese
100Hit
100 − 15.85 naive = 84.15 × 1 difficulty = +84.15 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
naming one of the 26 at random averages 15.85
skill:
84.15
player:
Arvell Reese
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
credit halves every two places
accuracy:
100
baseline:
15.85
position:
linebacker
class size:
26
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
actual order:
2
predicted order:
2
weeks left when called:
0
Think this is wrong?
Sonny Styles to be 1st linebacker off the board
“Sonny Styles is number one. Sonny Styles is probably gonna be my number one overall prospect in this class.”
Sonny Styles
50Close
50 − 17.77 naive = 32.23 × 1 difficulty = +32.23 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
naming one of the 26 at random averages 17.77
skill:
32.23
player:
Sonny Styles
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
credit halves every two places
accuracy:
50
baseline:
17.77
position:
linebacker
class size:
26
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
actual order:
3
predicted order:
1
weeks left when called:
0
Think this is wrong?

Mock Draft Picks7 hits · 2 misses · 5 waitingShow ▸

Sonny Styles to be picked “top 10 grade” (picks 1–10)
“So he has a first round grade, but he also has a top 10 grade.”
Sonny Styles
Went 7
100Hit
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Sonny Styles
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
7
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
top 10 grade (picks 1–10)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
C.J. Allen to be picked “second round grade” (picks 33–64)
“My linebacker four is CJ Allen out of Georgia, second round grade.”
C.J. Allen
Went 53
100Hit
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
C.J. Allen
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
53
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
second round grade (picks 33–64)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Kyle Louis to be picked “third round grade” (picks 65–100)
“Number eight is Kyle Lewis out of Pittsburgh. He's a third round grade.”
Kyle Louis
Went 138
19.28Miss
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Kyle Louis
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
32
accuracy:
19.28
baseline:
50
actual pick:
138
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
19.28
predicted pick:
third round grade (picks 65–100)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Anthony Hill to be picked “late first, early second round grade” (picks 1–64)
“My third linebacker is Anthony Hill out of Texas, late first, early second round grade.”
Anthony Hill
Went 60
100Hit
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Anthony Hill
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
60
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
late first, early second round grade (picks 1–64)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Arvell Reese to be picked “first round grade” (picks 1–32)
“Arval Reese would be my linebacker too. Out of Ohio State, he has a first round grade.”
Arvell Reese
Went 5
100Hit
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Arvell Reese
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
5
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
first round grade (picks 1–32)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Deontae Lawson to be picked “fourth to early fifth round range” (picks 101–181)
“I grade him in that that fourth probably that fourth to early fifth round range... Deontay Lawson out of Alabama is linebacker 11. He's a fourth round grade.”
Deontae Lawson
Went undrafted
0Miss
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Deontae Lawson
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
undrafted
outcome:
went undrafted in 2026; later signed with PHI
accuracy:
0
baseline:
50
actual pick:
undrafted
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
0
predicted pick:
fourth to early fifth round range (picks 101–181)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Jacob Rodriguez to be picked “second round” (picks 33–64)
“My linebacker five is Jacob Rodriguez out of Texas Tech, second round grade. ... I value him in the second round.”
Jacob Rodriguez
Went 43
100Hit
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Jacob Rodriguez
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
43
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
second round (picks 33–64)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Jimmy Rolder to be picked “fourth round grade” (picks 101–140)
“Jimmy Roeder, number 10 out of Michigan, that's a fourth round grade.”
Jimmy Rolder
Went 118
100Hit
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Jimmy Rolder
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
118
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
fourth round grade (picks 101–140)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Kaleb Elarms-Orr to be picked “fourth round grade” (picks 101–140)
“Number nine is Caleb Elarms Orr out of TCU, have a fourth round grade there.”
Kaleb Elarms-Orr
Went 126
100Hit
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Kaleb Elarms-Orr
season:
2026
zero credit this far off:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
126
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
fourth round grade (picks 101–140)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Josiah Trotter to be picked “late two, early three”
“Josiah Trotter is number seven out of Missouri, late two, early three.”
Josiah Trotter
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Keyshaun Elliott to be picked “late five, early six”
“Keyshawn Elliott is number 13, the linebacker out of Arizona State. He's a late five, early six.”
Keyshaun Elliott
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Bryce Boettcher to be picked “late five, early six”
“Bryce Botcher is number 12 out of Oregon. He's a late five, early six.”
Bryce Boettcher
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Jake Galdi to be picked “late two, early three”
“Number six is Jake Galdi or Galdi out of Cincinnati. That's a late two, early three.”
Jake Galdi
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
Red Murdock to be picked “late six, early seven”
“And then Red Murdoch is number 14 out of Buffalo, late six, early seven in terms of where I value him.”
Red Murdock Buffalo Bills
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?

Top Player Lists1 waitingShow ▸

“Sonny Styles is number one... And then Red Murdoch is number 14 out of Buffalo, late six, early seven in terms of where I value him.”
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?

Sleeper Calls1 waitingShow ▸

Jimmy Rolder to outplay his draft cost (fourth round grade)
“My favorite sleeper at linebacker in this class is Jimmy Rolder out of Michigan... I have a fourth round grade on him”
Jimmy Rolder
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?

Depth Chart Calls1 waitingShow ▸

Dorian Williams to be 1st on the depth chart
“Dorian Williams, is he ready to be a full time starter? I think so, but I don't know.”
Dorian Williams Buffalo Bills
—Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?