Daniel Wade

Daniel Wade hosts the Locked On Chargers podcast, covering Los Angeles with the kind of episodic commitment the format demands. His predictions range from draft positioning to fantasy sleepers, with a particular focus on Chargers roster battles and breakout candidates like Jamaree Caldwell and Omarion Hampton.

Writes at Locked On Chargers (podcast)

Every take from Daniel Wade, including the ones still waiting →

Is Daniel Wade accurate? Across 21 graded calls in 7 articles, Daniel Wade scores 77.24% accuracy and a MissedTakes Score of 33.22, which means their calls were better than a naive guess on the same claims. That is a provisional record, fewer than ten graded articles, so the numbers are not yet meaningful and they are not ranked on the leaderboard.

77.24%

Accuracy

How often they were right.

33.22

MissedTakes Score

Versus a naive guess. 0 means no better.

Graded calls

across 7 articles. 31 more not yet settled.

Fewer than 10 graded articles. Treat this as provisional.

87.1% of their claims were specific enough to check. Most of what they said committed to something.

Every number here is computed from the published methodology, and every call below shows its own arithmetic.

What they call, and how it goes

The record split by kind of claim — five graded calls minimum before a kind shows here. A pundit can be sharp on drafts and ordinary on game picks, and averaging that away is how a number stops meaning anything.

Mock Draft Picks13 graded60.17 accuracy
Roster Spot Calls8 graded100 accuracy

Graded calls · 21

Wade expects tight end Charlie Kohler (Kolar) to easily double his career reception total of 10 in the Chargers' offense, and believes wide receiver Darius Davis is essentially assured of a roster spot while KOS has played his way into being un-releasable.Aug 17, 2026
- Derius Davis to make the roster
  “depending on where you put Darius Davis who does seem close to a lot to make this roster”
  Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skill
  How this was scored
  club:
  LAC
  skill:
  0
  player:
  Derius Davis
  season:
  2026
  claimed:
  he makes the 53
  accuracy:
  100
  baseline:
  100
  difficulty:
  2
  the naive guess:
  he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again

Handing out 2026 Chargers draft grades, Wade named seven offensive linemen he considers locks for the roster, including fourth-round pick Travis Burke.6 graded calls · Apr 28, 2026

Trey Pipkins to make the roster
“I'd say there's seven linemen that are pretty much locked in. Right? You have the tackles, Trey Pipkins.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skill
How this was scored
club:
LAC
skill:
0
player:
Trey Pipkins
season:
2026
claimed:
he makes the 53
accuracy:
100
baseline:
100
difficulty:
2
the naive guess:
he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
weeks in the season:
18
weeks on the53:
3
weeks left when called:
18
first week on the53:
1
weeks on the practice squad:
0
Think this grade is wrong?
Rashawn Slater to make the roster
“You have your, obviously, two starters, Joel, Rashawn Slater.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skill
How this was scored
club:
LAC
skill:
200
player:
Rashawn Slater
season:
2026
claimed:
he makes the 53
accuracy:
100
baseline:
0
difficulty:
2
the naive guess:
he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
weeks in the season:
18
weeks on the53:
3
weeks left when called:
18
first week on the53:
1
weeks on the practice squad:
0
Think this grade is wrong?
Travis Burke to make the roster
“You have Travis Burke who's going to make it now as being a fourth round pick.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skill
How this was scored
club:
LAC
skill:
200
player:
Travis Burke
season:
2026
claimed:
he makes the 53
accuracy:
100
baseline:
0
difficulty:
2
the naive guess:
he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
weeks in the season:
18
weeks on the53:
3
weeks left when called:
18
first week on the53:
1
weeks on the practice squad:
0
Think this grade is wrong?
Joe Alt to make the roster
“You have your, obviously, two starters, Joel, Rashawn Slater.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skill
How this was scored
club:
LAC
skill:
0
player:
Joe Alt
season:
2026
claimed:
he makes the 53
accuracy:
100
baseline:
100
difficulty:
2
the naive guess:
he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
weeks in the season:
18
weeks on the53:
3
weeks left when called:
18
first week on the53:
1
weeks on the practice squad:
0
Think this grade is wrong?
Cole Strange to make the roster
“You have Cole Strange. That's seven. Right? Those seven guys locked in.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skill
How this was scored
club:
LAC
skill:
0
player:
Cole Strange
season:
2026
claimed:
he makes the 53
accuracy:
100
baseline:
100
difficulty:
2
the naive guess:
he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
weeks in the season:
18
weeks on the53:
3
weeks left when called:
18
first week on the53:
1
weeks on the practice squad:
0
Think this grade is wrong?
Jake Slaughter to make the roster
“You have Cole Slaughter, obviously.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skill
How this was scored
club:
LAC
skill:
200
player:
Jake Slaughter
season:
2026
claimed:
he makes the 53
accuracy:
100
baseline:
0
difficulty:
2
the naive guess:
he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
weeks in the season:
18
weeks on the53:
3
weeks left when called:
18
first week on the53:
1
weeks on the practice squad:
0
Think this grade is wrong?

In a trade-back mock draft, Wade has the Chargers deal pick 22 to Miami and select edge rusher Cassius Howell at 30, guard Keelan Rutledge at 55, cornerback Malik Muhammad at 86, wide receiver Brennan Thompson at 87, linebacker Keyshawn Elliott at 123, and offensive tackle Travis Burke at 151.8 graded calls · Apr 13, 2026

Keylan Rutledge to be picked at number 55
“But round two, pick 55 is a guy that we've talked about before... One of my favorite players in the draft, Georgia Tech guard, Keelan Rutledge”
Miss · 28Scored 28.47 on this pickthis mock ordered the draft 82.86 against a shuffle’s 50+32.86 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
skill:
32.86
player:
Keylan Rutledge
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
28.47
baseline:
50
actual pick:
26
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
28.47
predicted pick:
55
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
82.86
Think this grade is wrong?
Cashius Howell to be picked at number 30
“And with pick 30, we ended up going with an edge rusher we haven't talked about yet. Cassius Howell, the explosive Texas a and m edge rusher.”
Close · 62Scored 62.09 on this pickthis mock ordered the draft 82.86 against a shuffle’s 50+32.86 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
skill:
32.86
player:
Cashius Howell
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
62.09
baseline:
50
actual pick:
41
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
62.09
predicted pick:
30
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
Keylan Rutledge to be picked “second round pick” (picks 33–64)
“it's the guy that was a a third round pick at one point. Now will likely be a second round pick”
Close · 74Scored 73.84 on this pickthis mock ordered the draft 82.86 against a shuffle’s 50+32.86 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
skill:
32.86
player:
Keylan Rutledge
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
73.84
baseline:
50
actual pick:
26
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
73.84
predicted pick:
second round pick (picks 33–64)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
Brenen Thompson to be picked at number 87
“we have the Dolphins eighty seventh overall pick in the third round... the guy I ended up landing on was Brennan Thompson. And this is a wide receiver from Mississippi State.”
Close · 46Scored 45.85 on this pickthis mock ordered the draft 82.86 against a shuffle’s 50+32.86 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
skill:
32.86
player:
Brenen Thompson
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
45.85
baseline:
50
actual pick:
105
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
45.85
predicted pick:
87
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
Keyshaun Elliott to be picked at number 123
“where I ended up going in round four with the chargers' hundred and twenty third pick was Arizona State linebacker key, Keyshawn Elliott”
Miss · 16Scored 15.52 on this pickthis mock ordered the draft 82.86 against a shuffle’s 50+32.86 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
skill:
32.86
player:
Keyshaun Elliott
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
15.52
baseline:
50
actual pick:
166
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
15.52
predicted pick:
123
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
Malik Muhammad to be picked at number 86
“Now at pick 86 for the Chargers... We ended up going with cornerback, and then we ended up going with Malik Muhammad, the cornerback from Texas”
Miss · 19Scored 19.28 on this pickthis mock ordered the draft 82.86 against a shuffle’s 50+32.86 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
skill:
32.86
player:
Malik Muhammad
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
19.28
baseline:
50
actual pick:
124
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
19.28
predicted pick:
86
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
Travis Burke to be picked at number 151
“But round five, pick one fifty one... I ended up going with the swing tackle... with Travis Burke, the Memphis OT”
Miss · 23Scored 22.93 on this pickthis mock ordered the draft 82.86 against a shuffle’s 50+32.86 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
skill:
32.86
player:
Travis Burke
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
22.93
baseline:
50
actual pick:
117
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
22.93
predicted pick:
151
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
Jeremiah Smith to be picked “top five pick” (picks 1–5)
“the one he was playing against Jeremiah Smith who was, you know, probably gonna be a top five pick next season”
Miss · 0Scored 0 on this pickthis mock ordered the draft 82.86 against a shuffle’s 50+32.86 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
skill:
32.86
player:
Jeremiah Smith
season:
2026
zero at:
undrafted
outcome:
went undrafted in 2026; has not appeared on an NFL roster
accuracy:
0
baseline:
50
actual pick:
undrafted
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
0
predicted pick:
top five pick (picks 1–5)
weeks left when called: