Jared Koch· Aug 25, 2026
Koch argues Kayshon Boutte is a winner in the trade to Houston, likely to see many more snaps and potentially post a career season, while Xavier Hutchinson's path to a breakout gets harder. He also sees Kamari Ramsey stepping up as the primary backup safety behind a top three of Bullock, Pitre and Blankenship, and views Jared Wayne as a fringe roster player squeezed by receivers he calls virtual locks.
“The makings truly could be there for Boutte to have a career season in Houston, and win a ton of games while he's at it.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
8 checkable claims — 5 roster spot calls, 2 depth chart calls and 1 sleeper 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.
3 of 8 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
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Who this take is about
8 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Roster Spot CallsSterling ShepardHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Sterling Shepard to make the roster
“four to five virtual roster locks... Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- HOU
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- 44bf1569-c37f-46dd-b0c1-4b509af39620
- 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:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
- Roster Spot CallsJustin WatsonHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Justin Watson to make the roster
“four to five virtual roster locks... Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- HOU
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- 6cb62924-a326-4e17-857e-9d46b0ac3222
- 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:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
- Roster Spot CallsZay JonesHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Zay Jones to make the roster
“four to five virtual roster locks... Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- HOU
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- f7e6a53f-b627-4a0a-bd38-622f197be65f
- 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:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
- Roster Spot CallsTank DellHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Tank Dell to make the roster
“But with four to five virtual roster locks, depending on Tank Dell's status, Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Sleeper CallsKayshon BoutteHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Kayshon Boutte to outplay his draft cost
“The makings truly could be there for Boutte to have a career season in Houston, and win a ton of games while he's at it.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsC.J. StroudHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
C.J. Stroud to be 1st on the depth chart
“the Texans' starting quarterback: C.J. Stroud”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsLewis BondHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Lewis Bond to make the roster
“four to five virtual roster locks... Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsKamari RamseyHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Kamari Ramsey to be 4th on the depth chart
“The Texans have a clear top three in their safety room that'll place ahead of Ramsey on the depth chart: Calen Bullock, Jalen Pitre, and Reed Blankenship... Ramsey becomes the next man up as the primary backup”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Seth WalderTrade and Signing Calls · Kayshon BoutteMiss · 0Walder proposes five trades he believes should happen before Week 1 of the 2026 season: Jessie Bates III to the 49ers, Kayvon Thibodeaux to the Patriots, Keon Coleman to the Colts, Walker Little to the Cardinals, and Kayshon Boutte to the Commanders, where he says Boutte would immediately be Washington's No. 2 receiver.
- Fernando Alfaro-DonisTrade and Signing Calls · Kayshon BoutteMiss · 0Argues the Raiders' weakest spot is their receiver room, expects Jalen Nailor to take a big step forward in Klint Kubiak's scheme with Kirk Cousins starting before Fernando Mendoza takes over, and suggests Las Vegas should trade a mid-round pick for Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte, who would immediately become their top option.
- John BreechGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Breech picks the Texans to upset the Bills in Houston, trusting Houston's defense to smother Josh Allen, and takes the Raiders to beat the Dolphins by at least a touchdown.
- Judah FortgangGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0PFF's divisional-round same-game parlay picks: Tampa Bay beats Cincinnati with Cade Otton exploiting the Bengals' linebackers, Las Vegas beats Miami behind Kirk Cousins attacking a depleted Dolphins secondary, and Houston beats Buffalo with C.J. Stroud throwing effectively and Jaylin Noel benefiting from the slot matchup.
- Judah FortgangGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0An unsigned PFF betting piece argues Cooper Rush will struggle against Pittsburgh's disruption pressure in Week 1, and that Buffalo's rebuilt secondary without Sean McDermott will be exploitable by C.J. Stroud, leading them to back Houston winning through the air.
- Simon HunterGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Hunter picked Houston and the Giants as underdog money line plays, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Detroit as favorites, and used Pittsburgh plus the Chargers as his survivor picks for week one.
More roster spot calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- John ShipleyRoster Spot Calls · Jack KiserMiss · 0Shipley projects a full 16-player (plus one international/exemption spot) Jaguars practice squad for 2026, naming specific players at each position he expects to land there.
- Cody RourkeRoster Spot Calls · Mitchell FraboniMiss · 0Rourke names the Ravens as the bounce-back team most likely to be dangerous in the AFC again, and says Houston's defense alone should carry the Texans into the postseason. He also expects long snapper Mitchell Fraboni to be one of Denver's practice-squad elevations for the Chiefs game, and slots Pat Bryant as Denver's third receiver behind Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle.
- Sayre BedingerRoster Spot Calls · Adam PrenticeMiss · 0Benninger expects Houston's elite defense to make them either a division winner or a wild card team, thinks Marvin Mims was trending toward being Denver's fourth receiver rather than just the return man, and figures Adam Prentice will be the Broncos' other practice-squad call-up.
- Bob MorrisRoster Spot Calls · Adam PrenticeHit · 100Morris predicts Jarrett Stidham holds the backup QB job behind Bo Nix, Adam Prentice makes the 53-man roster as the fullback/fourth back, and Lucas Krull gets cut.
- Erick TrickelRoster Spot Calls · Adam PrenticeHit · 100After the Broncos' preseason opener, Trickel argued fullback Adam Prentice has shown enough value to earn a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of the team's fourth running back options (Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, Cody Schrader).
- Nick ShookRoster Spot Calls · Aaron DonaldHit · 100Shook unveiled his first NFL power rankings of the year, putting the Rams first, the Broncos second and the defending champion Seahawks only third, with the Dolphins last.