# Rich Eisen: Eisen delivered his top five most surprising players of the 2026 NFL season: Jacoby Brissett (5), Jihad Campbell (4), Jayshawn Barn/Jahdae Barron (3), Jonathan Brooks (2) and Jadarian Price (1), adding that Brissett would keep Carson Beck off the field, that Barron could be Defensive Rookie of the Year, and that Odell Beckham Jr. could return to the Giants for a good season. **Claimed:** Aug 26, 2026 **Pundit:** Rich Eisen — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/rich-eisen **Outlet:** The Rich Eisen Show (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/the-rich-eisen-show-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ESP1323683186.mp3 6 checkable claims — 1 award pick, 1 depth chart call, 1 game outcome pick, 1 super bowl pick, 1 top player list and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 7 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. > The five top five who I believe will be the most surprising players of the twenty twenty six NFL season. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Jaishawn Barham to win Defensive Rookie of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Jaishawn Barham, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to win** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to win the Super Bowl** - Kind: Super Bowl Picks · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Odell Beckham Jr. to move to New York Giants** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants - Verdict: not settled yet - **I'm gonna go Jacoby Brissett... But I'm going Jihad Campbell of four... Jayshawn Barn from the University of Michigan... Jonathan Brooks for the Carolina Panthers... And number one, my most surprising player of the year... Jadarian Price** - Kind: Top Player Lists - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jacoby Brissett to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Jaishawn Barham — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jaishawn-barham - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Odell Beckham Jr. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/odell-beckham-jr - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/giants - Jacoby Brissett — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jacoby-brissett - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cardinals ## What others said about the same people - Tyler Sullivan on Drew Lock: In an unsigned Week 2 odds roundup, the piece states that with Sam Darnold hurt, Drew Lock will likely start at quarterback for Seattle against Arizona. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8a14b5e6-066b-457f-b409-a3ddbd512aca (scored 0) - 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) - Henry McKenna on Carson Beck: McKenna predicts Kyler Murray will win the Vikings' starting QB job over J.J. McCarthy, that Minnesota will make the playoffs if Murray cuts out the hero ball, that both QBs will play in 2026, and wonders whether rookie Carson Beck could unseat Jacoby Brissett as Arizona's Week 1 starter. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9025c533-03e6-4e1f-8773-b8ef2f1d46ea (scored 0) - Michael Hanich on Bud Clark: Hanich suggests Nick Emmanwori may miss Week 1 after ankle surgery, and that Noah Igbinoghene is making a strong case to be the Seahawks' Week 1 starting nickel, with Bud Clark also possibly stepping into a starting role if Emmanwori is out. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c15b8321-a10e-421f-8076-039ca96a05a8 (scored 0) - Chad Millman on New York Giants: Chad Millman said he had taken money-line positions on several Week 1 underdogs — the Texans outright over the Bills, the Giants outright over Dallas (in a money-line underdog parlay), and Miami outright at Las Vegas — and that the show's survivor pick was the Steelers to win. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/bd767876-d060-44de-aa5a-3fc87ff4e749 (scored 100) - Garrett Podell on Dallas Cowboys: Previewing the Week 1 'Sunday Night Football' game, the piece picks Dallas to beat New York comfortably, arguing Prescott, Lamb and Pickens will exploit the Giants' cornerbacks while the Cowboys' defense contains Jaxson Dart. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/994d94d2-7aa5-4911-8404-9efbdfc22a46 (scored 35.71) ## 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) - 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) - 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) - 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) --- 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=rich-eisen