# Daniel Jeremiah: Jeremiah says Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald currently sits just outside his first round, though thin free agency at the position could push him back into round one.

**Claimed:** Feb 17, 2026
**Pundit:** Daniel Jeremiah — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/daniel-jeremiah
**Outlet:** Move the Sticks (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/move-the-sticks-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/40s-and-free-agents-nfl-draft-season/40s-and-free-agents-ranking-the-defensive-free-agents

One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.

The call scored 84.1 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> Maybe that moves. A guy like I'm thinking of Kayden McDonald from Ohio state... maybe that elevates him back up into the first round. He's just outside that for me.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Kayden McDonald to be picked “just outside the first round” (picks 1–32)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kayden McDonald
  - Verdict: scored 84.09 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess

## Who this take is about

- Kayden McDonald — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kayden-mcdonald

## What others said about the same people

- Scott Bogman on Kayden McDonald: He gave David Bailey to Tennessee at 4, Sonny Styles to Washington at 7, Caleb Downs to Cincinnati at 10, Carnell Tate to the Rams at 13, Denzel Boston to the Jets at 16, Kayden McDonald to Carolina at 19, Vega Ioane to the Chargers at 22, Peter Woods to Chicago at 25, Emmanuel Pregnon to Houston at 28 and Romello Height to Denver at 31, and insisted both Bailey and Downs are top-10 locks. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/0b0cd1a9-31f7-40d9-9b9e-f52957c10494 (scored 47.88)
- Ryan Tracy on Kayden McDonald: Tracy ranks Caleb McDonald as the top defensive tackle in the draft class, says Grayson Halton is the best pass rusher in the class by production, and projects a series of DT prospects to specific draft ranges — Halton around pick 74, Rayshawn Benny late Day 3/round 3-4, Kenneth Proctor Day 3, Zane Durant in the fifth round, and Skyler Gil Howard falling to the late rounds of Day 3. He also doubts Christian Miller lasts to pick 40 and expects the Chiefs to end up with fewer than their current nine picks. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8d432af7-1ce9-4dcd-80f5-074f46b0f800 (scored 50)
- Ollie Connolly on Kayden McDonald: Connelly expects Texas linebacker Anthony Hill to be drafted in the second round despite his reservations, sees Caden McDonald sneaking into the back of the first round and Lee Hunter going in the second, and warns that Caleb Banks — because of the recurring foot injury and disappearing stretches — will break the heart of whoever drafts him. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/05eeca12-bd89-4432-a2c3-60a00d3f42b1 (scored 84.09)
- Andrew Erickson on Kayden McDonald: Erickson made the even-numbered selections in the 2026 mock draft, taking David Bailey second to the Jets, Caleb Downs fifth to the Giants and Carnell Tate eighth to the Saints, and also called Sonny Styles a top-five pick and Tate the first receiver drafted. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/88315169-60bb-4af0-81da-7655ff0aa282 (scored 64.84)
- Scott Bogman on Kayden McDonald: Bogman's mock picks: Arvel Reese to Arizona at 3, Francis Mauigoa to Cleveland at 6, Keldric Faulk to Kansas City at 9, Sonny Styles to Dallas at 12, Cashius Howell to Tampa Bay at 15, Avieon Terrell to Minnesota at 18, Makai Lemon to Pittsburgh at 21, KC Concepcion to Cleveland at 24, Kayden McDonald to San Francisco at 27 and Anthony Hill to Denver at 30. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/04d79fe2-1502-4658-bfa4-b43ab8922c6d (scored 67.71)
- Keith Sanchez on Kayden McDonald: In his final 2026 NFL mock draft, Sanchez projects the full first round plus several second-round picks, starting with Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 overall to the Raiders. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/430b0c19-30ac-470f-9f96-0a7184ffcdf5 (scored 64.84)

## More mock draft picks

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

- Lance Zierlein on Jeremiyah Love: Zierlein laid out his final mock draft: Jeremiah Love at No. 3 to Arizona, Sonny Styles at No. 4 to Robert Saleh's team, and Caleb Downs to the Giants at No. 5. He also called Styles the only first-round linebacker in the class and said Ty Simpson is a lock to be a first-round pick, most likely to Arizona. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cf600df8-87eb-492b-9d91-f7a2b39104ac (scored 100)
- Nick Shook on Max Iheanachor: Shook walks through his full first-round mock draft, assigning a prospect to every pick from No. 1 to No. 32, headlined by Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, David Bailey to the Jets and Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals in the top three. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/7d4209aa-2e2d-47a2-b6e5-791d16d209cb (scored 87.81)
- Gregg Rosenthal on K.C. Concepcion: Rosenthal disagrees most with Casey Concepcion being left out of the first round, arguing he could go as high as the top 15 and certainly won't last past receiver-needy teams in the late twenties. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8fae9a3a-7fd8-454c-99cc-0a8400c35d7d (scored 67.71)
- Bucky Brooks on Carnell Tate: In a mock draft covering the first 14 picks, Brooks made the odd-numbered selections: Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders at No. 1, a Miami offensive lineman to Arizona at No. 3, Caleb Downs to the Giants at No. 5, Ohio State's Arvell Reese to Washington at No. 7, Carnell Tate to Kansas City at No. 9, tight end Kenyon Sadiq to Miami at No. 11, and Spencer Fano to the Rams at No. 13. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/677f566f-9e38-4dd7-b312-0baad54b440e (scored 80.52)
- Jeff Cavanaugh on Lorenzo Styles: Streaming from the NFL Combine, Jeff pegged safety Dylan Thienemann's draft range at roughly picks 20-35, said LSU safety AJ Halsey would cost a second- or third-round pick, and insisted Sonny Styles' brother would not be a top-50 selection despite a fast 40. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f1f48cc1-f9d5-44ca-b130-2c6447b49bc6 (scored 0.51)
- Scott Bogman on Olaivavega Ioane: He gave David Bailey to Tennessee at 4, Sonny Styles to Washington at 7, Caleb Downs to Cincinnati at 10, Carnell Tate to the Rams at 13, Denzel Boston to the Jets at 16, Kayden McDonald to Carolina at 19, Vega Ioane to the Chargers at 22, Peter Woods to Chicago at 25, Emmanuel Pregnon to Houston at 28 and Romello Height to Denver at 31, and insisted both Bailey and Downs are top-10 locks. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/0b0cd1a9-31f7-40d9-9b9e-f52957c10494 (scored 70.71)

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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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