# Tyler Sullivan: An unsigned CBS Sports preseason review grading all 32 teams, which along the way stakes out a number of depth-chart calls for Week 1 and beyond — including Deshaun Watson opening as Cleveland's starter, Fernando Mendoza taking over as Las Vegas' QB1 by season's end, and Minnesota's Murray-Wentz-McCarthy quarterback order. **Claimed:** Sep 1, 2026 **Pundit:** Tyler Sullivan — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/tyler-sullivan **Outlet:** CBS Sports — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/cbs-sports **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2026-nfl-preseason-grades-falcons-rams/ 15 checkable claims — 15 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 26 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 14 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 12. > With a little more seasoning, he'll be QB1 by season's end in all likelihood. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Eli Heidenreich to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Eli Heidenreich, Pittsburgh Steelers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Fernando Carmona to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Fernando Carmona, Tennessee Titans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Mansoor Delane to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Mansoor Delane, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Roschon Johnson to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jacob Saylors to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jacob Saylors, Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carson Wentz to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Deshaun Watson to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Braxton Jones to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Braxton Jones, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jake Slaughter to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jake Slaughter, Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jahmyr Gibbs to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **J.J. McCarthy to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Malik Willis to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins - Verdict: not settled yet - **MarShawn Lloyd to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Eli Heidenreich — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/eli-heidenreich - Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/steelers - Fernando Carmona — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/fernando-carmona - Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/titans - Mansoor Delane — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/mansoor-delane - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Roschon Johnson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/roschon-johnson - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bears - Jacob Saylors — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jacob-saylors - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/lions - Carson Wentz — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/carson-wentz - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Deshaun Watson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/deshaun-watson - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/browns - Braxton Jones — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/braxton-jones - Jake Slaughter — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jake-slaughter - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Jahmyr Gibbs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jahmyr-gibbs - J.J. McCarthy — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/j-j-mccarthy - Malik Willis — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/malik-willis - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - MarShawn Lloyd — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/marshawn-lloyd - Green Bay Packers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/packers - Kyler Murray — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kyler-murray - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/raiders ## What others said about the same people - Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice touts Kyler Murray as a value QB who will start Week 1 for Minnesota, Tyler Shough as the Saints' undisputed starter, and Juwan Johnson and Terrance Ferguson as late-round tight end targets. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/70a7844a-2fb6-44d7-814f-30ec9fbcc26d (scored 100) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to be Minnesota's Week 1 starter and calls him one of the better quarterback values in 2026 drafts; he also views Jordan Love as a top-10 real-life quarterback but only a QB2 in fantasy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/0653fc24-437c-4aba-89ee-f1f417e1983d (scored 100) - Mike Florio on Shedeur Sanders: Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cf6258b2-b55f-4f50-84f9-24269a5a006a (scored 0) - Nathan Jahnke on Jalen Tolbert: PFF's preseason fantasy recap makes a large number of depth-chart, role and fantasy-value calls across the league, including Chig Okonkwo as a top sleeper tight end, Tre Tucker as the Raiders' top receiver, and various backfield hierarchies. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/760054fd-7815-4b86-a9e3-bc9bdb0a730b (scored 0) - Emmett Matasovsky on Christian Izien: Matasovsky says Dobbs is currently leading the backup quarterback race and suggests Christian Izien may be pressed into a starting safety role in Week 1 while Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph rehab. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9715ee92-1646-4ee4-8911-e3e4cbae9027 (scored 0) - Nathan Jahnke on Jalen Tolbert: PFF's fantasy football preseason recap projects depth-chart outcomes, roster spots and fantasy value for numerous players across several preseason games, including Chig Okonkwo's expanded role in Washington, Ja'Kobi Lane as Baltimore's WR3, Malachi Fields winning the Giants' starting X job, and Zachariah Branch being a fantasy bust relative to his late-round cost. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/22a4578b-eb92-41d2-820b-1a7eaa2e4e2f (scored 0) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Ralph Vacchiano on Tua Tagovailoa: Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. He also flags the Giants as a potential surprise team with a top-10 defense, and notes Deshaun Watson won Cleveland's QB job while Tua Tagovailoa starts Week 1 in Atlanta. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6f782be9-64d3-47cf-b054-6566e14194d6 (scored 0) - Steven Ruiz on Michael Penix Jr.: In a retrospective tiering of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Ruiz treats Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons' Week 1 starter over Kirk Cousins, whom he places in his lowest tier. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/968b3764-11ef-41b5-a370-ff570b3219d1 (scored 0) - Jared Dubin on Daniel Faalele: Dubin grades the Faalele trade, predicting Faalele has a decent chance to be Jacksonville's Week 1 starting right guard in competition with Wyatt Milum, and that Evan Neal's odds of making the Giants' 53-man roster improved while Jon Runyan and Francis Mauigoa hold the Giants' starting guard jobs. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/aae46267-fc6d-44c1-a96c-7355b3db857b (scored 0) - Noah Compton on C.J. Allen: After watching the Colts' eleventh training camp practice, Compton says rookie linebacker CJ Allen is still expected to start the regular-season opener, identifies Alec Pierce as the team's top receiver and Cam Taylor-Britt as the first cornerback behind the starting trio, and declares the kicking job Blake Grupe's to lose. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/98a8bd92-bcd8-4b5a-aad7-96ecd936662b (scored 0) - John Breech on Tua Tagovailoa: The unsigned Pick Six newsletter expects Seth McLaughlin to step into the Lions' starting center job with Cade Mays injured, and suggests Tua Tagovailoa is on track to be Atlanta's Week 1 starting quarterback. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a040e9f9-5016-4dce-b2b3-a4c411e950f5 (scored 0) - Jeff Kerr on Michael Carter: Kerr says several Eagles have raised their stock in camp: Darius Cooper is emerging as the team's WR4, Drew Kendall is the No. 3 interior lineman/top backup at guard and center, Willie Lampkin is in prime position to make the 53-man roster, and Michael Carter is a roster lock who could start at safety in Week 1. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/922a9343-f96d-419d-8091-49b64dd471d9 (scored 0) --- 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.thegoodapps.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: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=tyler-sullivan