# Rich Eisen: Eisen expects Fernando Mendoza to be the No. 1 overall pick and predicts four Ohio State players — Cornell Tate, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Arvel Reese — will be selected inside the top 10.

**Claimed:** Feb 27, 2026
**Pundit:** Rich Eisen — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/rich-eisen
**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/ESP3164295814.mp3?updated=1772221230

5 checkable claims — 5 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

All 5 have settled, averaging 99.2 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> That there's gonna be four Buckeyes in the top 10.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Arvell Reese to be picked “top 10” (picks 1–10)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Arvell Reese
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Carnell Tate to be picked “top 10” (picks 1–10)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Carnell Tate
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **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
- **Sonny Styles to be picked “top 10” (picks 1–10)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Sonny Styles
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Caleb Downs to be picked “top 10” (picks 1–10)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Caleb Downs
  - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess

## Who this take is about

- Arvell Reese — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/arvell-reese
- Carnell Tate — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/carnell-tate
- Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza
- Sonny Styles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/sonny-styles
- Caleb Downs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/caleb-downs

## 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)
- Ross Jackson on Caleb Downs: Jackson predicts the Saints will stay put and pick at No. 8 overall rather than trading up, and after Mickey Loomis' press conference they now lean toward New Orleans taking a defensive back there — either LSU cornerback Mansoor Delaine or Ohio State safety Caleb Downs — while still viewing Miami edge rusher Ruben Bain Jr. as a likely selection. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5e323d7a-8d67-43cc-a9f9-a18904a22a18 (scored 87.81)
- Lance Zierlein on Sonny Styles: Zuerlein describes their mock draft 3.0: Carnell Tate to the Giants at No. 5, Sonny Styles falling to the Cowboys at No. 12, and Colton Hood to Dallas at No. 20. They also expect runs on linebackers from the late twenties to about pick 45, defensive tackles from the early-mid twenties into the 40s, and says Ahvion Terrell's 4.65 forty knocks them out of first-round contention. They call Kenyon Saddiq and Mansoor Delaine the safest picks for Dallas, and thinks Delaine's tape is top-four caliber, while Jeremiah Smith could be a generational, Megatron-type receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3f8e6478-8ee7-441e-b2d1-d0a10233c34a (scored 80.52)
- Jaime Eisner on Arvell Reese: A seven-round Jets mock draft projecting New York to take Ohio State's Arvell Reese at No. 2 and Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 16, followed by Ty Simpson, Brandon Cisse, Jalon Kilgore, Tyreak Sapp, Kaelon Black, Fernando Carmona and Trebor Pena. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ab0fb4f4-96ef-49b5-95af-ce16ddebe50c (scored 87.81)
- Aaron Ladd on Arvell Reese: Before the Chiefs' pick at No. 6, Ladd predicted Kansas City had traded up to take edge rusher Arvel Reese. After the pick, they framed Mansour Delaine as the immediate replacement for Trent McDuffie as the Chiefs' No. 1 cornerback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f2d2b760-c7eb-48c2-b5f5-2235ff6868cf (scored 95.76)
- JC Pearson on Arvell Reese: Pearson also expected the Chiefs' trade up to No. 6 to be for Arvel Reese, and after the pick said Delaine would step in as Kansas City's day-one No. 1 cornerback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cb64f2a7-5bc0-4a4e-8651-4458a3cc4eb5 (scored 95.76)

## 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)

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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.

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