# Steven Ruiz: Ruiz plants flags on four players and a coordinator to exceed expectations in 2026: A.J. Brown rebounding as an elite receiver in New England, Kyler Murray posting a top-10 quarterback season in Minnesota, Colston Loveland becoming the league's best tight end and first-team All-Pro, Omarion Hampton breaking out under Mike McDaniel, and Christian Parker's Cowboys defense improving enough to return Dallas to the playoffs. **Claimed:** Sep 8, 2026 **Pundit:** Steven Ruiz — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/steven-ruiz **Outlet:** Fox Sports — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/fox-sports **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/4-players-1-coach-who-will-exceed-expectations-2026-nfl-season 6 checkable claims — 2 positional finishes, 2 sleeper calls, 1 playoff pick and 1 pro bowl and all-pro call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 9 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room. > Murray putting up a top-10 season would not surprise me. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Omarion Hampton to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **A.J. Brown to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: A.J. Brown, New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet - **Colston Loveland to make first-team All-Pro** - Kind: Pro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · About: Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kyler Murray to finish top 10 at his position, by passing yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: too vague to check - **Dallas Cowboys to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Colston Loveland to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears - Verdict: too vague to check ## Who this take is about - Omarion Hampton — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/omarion-hampton - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chargers - A.J. Brown — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/a-j-brown - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/patriots - Colston Loveland — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/colston-loveland - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bears - Kyler Murray — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kyler-murray - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cowboys ## What others said about the same people - Mike Moraitis on DaRon Bland: Moraitis names five Cowboys he expects to be playing their final season opener in Dallas in 2026: George Pickens (likely tag-and-trade or departure), Malik Hooker, Luke Schoonmaker, DeMarvion Overshown and DaRon Bland. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/66b5ed7b-41bd-4f67-9b4d-16eae4675e67 (scored 100) - 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) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to open the season as Minnesota's starting quarterback and to be one of the better quarterback values in 2026 fantasy drafts, and he likewise likes Tyler Shough as New Orleans' entrenched starter with an easy schedule. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/18bf77c0-c921-4593-997e-8405355274e9 (scored 100) - Mike Moraitis on Ozzy Trapilo: Moraitis writes that although Braxton Jones has looked like the favorite, Ozzy Trapilo is likely to take over as the Bears' starting left tackle once he's healthy enough to play. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cdfe5f0f-6783-4730-b9bb-d942e28b037a (scored 0) - Pete Martuneac on Ozzy Trapilo: After Trapilo's activation from the PUP list roughly seven months after rupturing his patellar tendon, Martuneac says the Bears' left tackle competition is over and Trapilo will be starting at left tackle early in the 2026 season, even if not by Week 1. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d42f10ad-a71c-4ea9-95e8-2b53fde77971 (scored 0) ## More sleeper calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Chad Ochocinco Johnson on Saquon Barkley: Johnson says the Steelers aren't legitimate Super Bowl contenders even with Aaron Rodgers back, and that Saquon Barkley can have a bounce-back season in year nine with the Eagles competing for a championship if the offensive line stays healthy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd0eab3d-1392-41f3-a9b6-026860f9ffa5 (scored 0) - Ross Jackson on Devaughn Vele: Ross Jackson agreed to the same Saints mock draft board — Jeremiah Love at eight, Akeem Mesador in the second, Keonte Scott at 73, Keelan Rutledge and Ted Hurst in the fourth, Xavien Harris at 148, Aaron Anderson in the fifth and Bryce Boettcher in the sixth — and also called Devon Vellet a 2026 breakout candidate. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b4c58f9f-23b8-4857-8505-17c213d3a342 (scored 0) - Andrew Erickson on Malik Nabers: Erickson gave his 2026 first-round board, leaning on running backs early with Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, Ja'Marr Chase as his WR1 and Christian McCaffrey slipping to 12. He also touted Malik Nabers as a buying opportunity, projected big touchdown numbers for Burrow and Chase, and called Barkley a buy-low. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/abd0628c-1338-467b-9ac3-d89c922468eb (scored 0) - Jake Ciely on Saquon Barkley: Sealey laid out his projected first round for 2026 fantasy drafts, opening with Bijan Robinson followed by three wide receivers, then a tier of running backs, and closing with Rashee Rice, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Omarion Hampton. He also called Saquon Barkley a buy-low. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b63cc1db-f999-42de-9255-55ffa7d8d29f (scored 0) - Mike Harmon on Zay Flowers: Harmon gave his Week 18 fantasy rankings — top five quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers — plus lists of 'hot plays,' 'cold sores' (players to avoid) and 'ninjas' (sneaky plays), and said Trevor Lawrence would land around a top-four fantasy quarterback finish for the season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e2e20c82-d482-48e6-90f3-929d0862fc0d (scored 100) - Andrew Erickson on Audric Estimé: Erickson predicted the Chiefs could lose outright at Tennessee in a flat spot, with Tony Pollard finishing as a top-24 running back for a third straight week; he also called Darren Waller a likely TE1 in Week 16, Tetairoa McMillan a top-20 receiver against Tampa Bay, Omarion Hampton the week's RB1, Isaiah Likely a top-12 tight end in a Patriots win over the Ravens, and Audric Estime a smash flex play for the Saints. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9a86737a-7153-4055-8e85-9e8e11d49f0b (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=steven-ruiz