# JP Acosta: In the show's first-round mock draft, JP Acosta made the odd-numbered picks, starting with Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 overall to Vegas and running through Blake Miller to the Patriots at 31.

**Claimed:** Apr 20, 2026
**Pundit:** JP Acosta — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/jp-acosta
**Outlet:** Pushing the Pile (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/pushing-the-pile-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us
**Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/serve.castfire.com/audio/8174627/8174627_2026-04-12-052627.192.mp3?rssID=6037

16 checkable claims — 16 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 31 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

All 16 have settled, averaging 81.8 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> It is Fernando Mendoza, quarterback from Indiana.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Akheem Mesidor to be picked at number 15**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Akheem Mesidor, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  - Verdict: scored 73.84 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Sonny Styles to be picked at number 5**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Sonny Styles, New York Giants
  - Verdict: scored 91.7 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Blake Miller to be picked at number 31**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Blake Miller, New England Patriots
  - Verdict: scored 54.53 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **David Bailey to be picked at number 3**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: David Bailey, Arizona Cardinals
  - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Omar Cooper to be picked at number 23**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Omar Cooper, Philadelphia Eagles
  - Verdict: scored 73.84 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Makai Lemon to be picked at number 21**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Makai Lemon, Pittsburgh Steelers
  - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Monroe Freeling to be picked at number 13**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Monroe Freeling, Los Angeles Rams
  - Verdict: scored 77.11 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **K.C. Concepcion to be picked at number 19**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: K.C. Concepcion, Carolina Panthers
  - Verdict: scored 80.52 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Kadyn Proctor to be picked at number 17**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kadyn Proctor, Detroit Lions
  - Verdict: scored 80.52 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Malachi Lawrence to be picked at number 27**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Malachi Lawrence, San Francisco 49ers
  - Verdict: scored 84.09 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Keldric Faulk to be picked at number 25**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Keldric Faulk, Chicago Bears
  - Verdict: scored 77.11 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Avieon Terrell to be picked at number 29**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Avieon Terrell, Kansas City Chiefs
  - Verdict: scored 43.91 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Spencer Fano to be picked at number 9**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Spencer Fano, Kansas City Chiefs
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Francis Mauigoa to be picked at number 11**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Francis Mauigoa, Miami Dolphins
  - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Caleb Downs to be picked at number 7**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Caleb Downs, Washington Commanders
  - Verdict: scored 84.09 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess
- **Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess

## Who this take is about

- Akheem Mesidor — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/akheem-mesidor
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers
- Sonny Styles — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/sonny-styles
- New York Giants — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/giants
- Blake Miller — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/blake-miller
- New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/patriots
- David Bailey — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/david-bailey
- Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cardinals
- Omar Cooper — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/omar-cooper
- Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/eagles
- Makai Lemon — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/makai-lemon
- Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/steelers
- Monroe Freeling — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/monroe-freeling
- Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/rams
- K.C. Concepcion — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/k-c-concepcion
- Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/panthers
- Kadyn Proctor — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kadyn-proctor
- Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/lions
- Malachi Lawrence — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/malachi-lawrence
- San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/49ers
- Keldric Faulk — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/keldric-faulk
- Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bears
- Avieon Terrell — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/avieon-terrell
- Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chiefs
- Spencer Fano — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/spencer-fano
- Francis Mauigoa — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/francis-mauigoa
- Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/dolphins
- Caleb Downs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/caleb-downs
- Washington Commanders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/commanders
- 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

- Chris Brockman on Baker Mayfield: Brockman's season-preview overreactions: Fernando Mendoza becomes an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist; Dak Prescott wins MVP and the Cowboys win the Super Bowl; Jesse Minter's Ravens win the AFC North; C.J. Stroud leads Houston to the AFC's No. 1 seed; Jonathan Taylor approaches 2,000 rushing yards; Baker Mayfield wins the NFC South, goes 12-5 and reaches the NFC title game while landing a $60 million-per-year deal; and Aaron Rodgers throws 35-plus touchdowns as the Steelers go 11-6 and win the North. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d508736e-a824-4fa0-854c-df4ebdd9ef02 (scored 100)
- Jon Gruden on Baker Mayfield: The former Buccaneers head coach predicted that Tampa Bay and Baker Mayfield are closer on a new contract than believed and that an extension will get done. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/10bb8ff2-886c-488e-b693-fb4ea9dd5880 (scored 100)
- Joel Corry on Baker Mayfield: The unsigned CBS Sports analysis lays out the contract it believes Tampa Bay will have to give Mayfield at minimum: a two-year extension averaging $50 million per year with $110 million in guarantees and a no-trade clause. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8a840ff4-f1e5-48ca-bec6-ba41e9ef2396 (scored 100)
- 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 mock draft picks

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Rob Rang on Jeremiah Smith: Rang ranks the four headline prospects from the Texas-Ohio State game in the order he'd draft them (Jeremiah Smith, Arch Manning, Cam Coleman, Julian Sayin) and assigns each a draft grade: Smith and Manning as top-5 picks, Coleman top 10, and Sayin a third-rounder. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd619cef-1878-4067-9021-a5ec734d35ed (scored 0)
- Gregg Rosenthal on Brandon Doughty: Rosenthal gave first reactions to Vegas win totals: overs on the Steelers, Broncos, Vikings, Buccaneers, 49ers and Cardinals, unders on the Falcons and Commanders, plus he expects Shedeur Sanders to start about 10-11 games and thinks the Cowboys' 9.5 is beatable. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/16ab5f5d-0f01-48ee-a1df-63c1b1996dc3 (scored 2.63)
- Peter Bukowski on Gennings Dunker: Bukowski breaks down Iowa offensive lineman Jennings Dunker as a Packers fit and puts a late second-/early third-round grade on him, noting that range overlaps where Green Bay picks. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f77d920f-e5fe-4684-83b6-9105b6304d5b (scored 100)
- Damian Parson on Zachariah Branch: Locked On's draft analyst laid out where several prospects should land in the upcoming draft: Zachariah Branch as a Day 2/third-round target for the Chargers, Penn State's top offensive lineman gone well before pick 22 (ideally 14 to Baltimore), Akeem Mesador and Malachi Lawrence as first-round edge rushers, Derrick Moore as a Day 2 edge, and Texas's left tackle as a top-10 pick next year. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b352f2ad-cf9f-4086-8229-68786b3029cf (scored 100)
- Ollie Connolly on Kyle Louis: Connelly assesses the 2026 draft class: he sees Jeremiah Love as a top-ten most productive player at running back with an Ezekiel Elliott-to-Bijan/McCaffrey range, projects Fernando Mendoza as a top-8-to-12 starting QB in the league, pegs Ty Simpson as a top-of-the-second-round pick he'd only be comfortable taking in the third, and slots various tight ends and late running backs into specific rounds. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/451a3983-ef51-4051-988d-6842523d646b (scored 19.28)
- Gregg Rosenthal on Eli Stowers: Rosenthal is bullish on Jeremiah Love as a near-certain hit worth a top pick, thinks Kenyon Sadik won't last long on the board and could go in the top fifteen, expects Garrett Nusmeyer to have a long NFL career as a good backup, and pegs Eli Stowers as a third-to-fourth-round type player. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/3a597cb9-b56b-4f68-aedd-608eb30191cd (scored 62.09)

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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:
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