John Middlekauff

John Middlekauff is a former NFL scout and former contributor to The Athletic Bay Area who now appears regularly on The Colin Cowherd Podcast and The Herd with Colin Cowherd. His predictions span the NFL calendar — draft positioning, win totals, playoff berths, Super Bowl picks — with particular attention to teams like the 49ers, Chiefs, and Bears. He digs into roster construction and coaching decisions, whether it's evaluating quarterback prospects like Jaxson Dart and Ty Simpson or debating whether the Steelers are headed for disaster. The scouting background shows in how he frames things: fit, scheme, and where a player lands on the depth chart.

Writes at The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast)

Every take from John Middlekauff, including the ones still waiting →

Is John Middlekauff accurate? Across 113 graded calls in 35 articles, John Middlekauff scores 60.95% accuracy and a MissedTakes Score of 12.23, which means their calls were better than a naive guess on the same claims. That is an established record: thirty or more graded articles.

60.95%

Accuracy

How often they were right.

12.23

MissedTakes Score

Versus a naive guess. 0 means no better.

113

Graded calls

across 35 articles. 172 more not yet settled.

96.01% 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.

Awards

Computed, never chosen: the best article-weighted record among eligible pundits over a completed period. Eligibility follows the leaderboard’s bar — provisional records cannot win.

Pundit of the Week · AccuracyWeek 39, 2026Accuracy 88.89 · 6 graded takes across 3 articles
Pundit of the Week · MissedTakes ScoreWeek 37, 2026MissedTakes Score 66.67 · 3 graded takes across 3 articles
Pundit of the Week · AccuracyWeek 37, 2026Accuracy 100 · 3 graded takes across 3 articles

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.

Game Outcome Picks22 graded67.42 accuracy
Mock Draft Picks19 graded76.12 accuracy
Season Win Totals16 graded52.96 accuracy

Form

Rolling accuracy over their last fifteen graded calls, in the order the claims were made. The dashed line is their career average — the question this answers is whether the number above is who they are or who they were.

Graded calls · 113

16 of 35 graded articles on this page, newest first — page 1 of 3.

Middlekauff expects blowout wins for Seattle over Washington and Kansas City over Miami in Week 3, picks Cincinnati to beat Pittsburgh in the AFC North matchup, and takes Tennessee over the Giants if Jameis Winston is taking snaps.4 graded calls · Sep 26, 2026
- Seattle Seahawks to beat Washington
  “Seattle, Washington, Chiefs, Miami... if Seattle maintains the same edge that they had on defense against the Patriots... Mariota doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell... those got blowout written all over them”
  Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-189 skill
  How this was scored
  won:
  WAS
  score:
  31-33
  skill:
  -189
  they picked:
  SEA
  season:
  2026
  accuracy:
  0
  baseline:
  100
  the naive pick:

On his Three and Out podcast, Middlekauff gave ten bold predictions for the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft: Fernando Mendoza first overall as the only first-round quarterback, Ty Simpson falling out of round one, Jeremiah Love sliding out of the top five, Sonny Styles to the Titans at four, Omar Cooper as the second receiver drafted, the Lions trading up for a tackle, and Aaron Rodgers' return being announced around draft week.5 graded calls · Apr 23, 2026

Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1
“I think we see one quarterback get drafted and That's Fernando mendez at number one... So fernando goes one”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Fernando Mendoza
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
1
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
1
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this grade is wrong?
Ty Simpson to be picked “does not go in the first round” (picks 1–32)
“I do not think That Ty simpson goes in the first round... SO i do not think Ty simpson's off the board On thursday night”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Ty Simpson
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
0
baseline:
50
actual pick:
13
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
0
predicted pick:
does not go in the first round (NOT picks 1–32)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this grade is wrong?
Jeremiyah Love to be picked “does not go in the top five” (picks 1–5)
“so my bold prediction Is Jeremiah love does not go in the top five”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Jeremiyah Love
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
0
baseline:
50
actual pick:
3
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
0
predicted pick:
does not go in the top five (NOT picks 1–5)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this grade is wrong?
Sonny Styles to be picked at number 4
“I do think The titans can Go Sony styles because everyone's telling me they're gonna Ta jeremiah... so you Go mendoza the two pass Rushers. Styles”
Hit · 88Scored 87.81 on this pickthis mock ordered the draft 100 against a shuffle’s 50+50 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
skill:
50
player:
Sonny Styles
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
87.81
baseline:
50
actual pick:
7
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
87.81
predicted pick:
4
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
Omar Cooper to be 2nd wide receiver off the board
“So Omar Cooper, second wide receiver off the board.”
Miss · 35Scored 35.36a naive guess scored 14.51+20.84 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
naming one of the 36 at random averages 14.51
skill:
20.84
player:
Omar Cooper
season:
2026
zero at:
credit halves every two places
accuracy:
35.36
baseline:
14.51
position:
wide receiver
class size:
36
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
actual order:
5
predicted order:
2
weeks left when called:
0

After the NFL Combine, Middlekauff predicted Fernando Mendoza goes No. 1 overall, that Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love won't fall out of the top 10 (as high as No. 4 to the Giants, no further than the Saints at No. 8), plus top-10/top-20 landing spots for Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate and Oregon's tight end. He also forecast quarterback movement: Tua and Kyler Murray being cut, Kyler as a backup, someone trading for Tyson Bagent, and the Saints becoming a sleeper playoff team if they land Love.5 graded calls · Mar 2, 2026

Kenyon Sadiq to be picked “top ten” (picks 1–10)
“Sadik. I mean that's I don't know if he's gonna go top five, but he's going in the top ten.”
Close · 77Scored 77.11a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Kenyon Sadiq
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
77.11
baseline:
50
actual pick:
16
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
77.11
predicted pick:
top ten (picks 1–10)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this grade is wrong?
Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1
“The only thing we know for certain is for Mendoza is going number one.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Fernando Mendoza
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
1
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
1
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this grade is wrong?
Carnell Tate to be picked “top twenty” (picks 1–20)
“And Carnel Tate same thing. He's gonna go in the top twenty.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Carnell Tate
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
4
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
top twenty (picks 1–20)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this grade is wrong?
Caleb Downs to be picked “lock top ten pick” (picks 1–10)
“Caleb Downs I didn't even think did that much at the combine. Don't blame him, He's a lock top ten pick”
Hit · 96Scored 95.76a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Caleb Downs
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
95.76
baseline:
50
actual pick:
11
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
95.76
predicted pick:
lock top ten pick (picks 1–10)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this grade is wrong?
Jeremiyah Love to be picked “not sniffing falling out of the top ten; goes as high as four with the Giants, farthest fall would be the Saints at eight” (picks 1–10)
“So I think the I think Jeremiah lovkick goes high as four with the Titans, I mean the Giants... I think the farthest key word of quote unquote fall would be the Saints at eight... he's not sniffing falling out of the of the top ten.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Jeremiyah Love
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
3
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
not sniffing falling out of the top ten; goes as high as four with the Giants, farthest fall would be the Saints at eight (picks 1–10)
weeks left when called:

Middlekauff expects either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to win this year's MVP, calling them the two best players in the league. He is pessimistic on the Bears, forecasting six or seven wins and saying he'd bet Caleb Williams doesn't work out as a franchise quarterback. He also sees Oklahoma's John Mattier as a first-round pick who'll be in the Heisman mix.5 graded calls · Sep 10, 2025

Lamar Jackson to win MVP
“Josh all and Lamar Jackson are gonna continue to rack up MVPs. I would be stunned if one of those two guys doesn't win the MVP this year.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 0+0 skill
How this was scored
award:
mvp
naive:
the naive pick was Josh Allen, who won it the year before
skill:
0
player:
Lamar Jackson
season:
2025
winner:
Matthew Stafford
correct:
no
accuracy:
0
baseline:
0
difficulty:
1.94
weeks in the season:
18
weeks left when called:
17
Think this grade is wrong?
Josh Allen to win MVP
“Josh all and Lamar Jackson are gonna continue to rack up MVPs. I would be stunned if one of those two guys doesn't win the MVP this year.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 0+0 skill
How this was scored
award:
mvp
naive:
the naive pick was Josh Allen, who won it the year before
skill:
0
player:
Josh Allen
season:
2025
winner:
Matthew Stafford
correct:
no
accuracy:
0
baseline:
0
difficulty:
1.94
weeks in the season:
18
weeks left when called:
17
Think this grade is wrong?
John Mateer to be picked “first round pick” (picks 1–32)
“And John Mattier is going to be a first round pick.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
John Mateer
season:
2025
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:
first round pick (picks 1–32)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
John Mateer to be picked “top fifteen to twenty pick” (picks 1–15)
“He will be in the Heisman mix, and he will be discussed as a top fifteen to twenty pick.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
John Mateer
season:
2025
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 fifteen to twenty pick (picks 1–15)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
Caleb Williams to disappoint at the next level
“if I was a betting man right now, I would say this is not gonna work. I don't think Caleb is good... you would put money on Caleb Williams not working out... worst case scenario, Kayleb Williams is a bust, which is a tough word to say when you draft a guy number one overall”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-194 skill
How this was scored
pick:
1
draft:
2024
naive:
the pick returned what picks at that cost typically return
skill:
-194
player:
Caleb Williams
season:
2025
correct:
no
accuracy:
0
baseline:
100
position:
QB
best finish:
QB5 in 2025
difficulty:
1.94
had to reach:
QB9
weeks in the season:
18