Hondo Carpenter· Aug 7, 2026
Covering Raiders camp, Carpenter calls Brock Bowers the best tight end in football and Tyler Linderbaum the best interior offensive lineman in the NFL, and says he expects Caleb Rogers to win the right guard job over Jackson Powers-Johnson, with Rogers taking first-team reps today.
“I said before the season that I expected Rogers at some point to make his move, and today, clearly, could be the start of it.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
3 checkable claims — 2 positional finishes and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
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Who this take is about
3 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.
Tyler Linderbaum to finish top 1 at his position, by an unstated measure
“he looks excellent sandwiched between LT Kolton Miller and the best IOL in the NFL, Tyler Linderbaum, at C”
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
Caleb Rogers to be 1st on the depth chart
“The biggest battle on the team is RG, where today, Caleb Rogers, who has had an outstanding camp, started taking some reps with the first-string. I said before the season that I expected Rogers at some point to make his move”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Brock Bowers to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards
“it is praise for the best tight end in all of football”
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
What others said about the same people
- Warren SharpDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100Sharp argues Raiders rookie No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is not ready to play, predicting he won't start Week 1 or Week 2 and that Kirk Cousins will be the Week 1 starter, with Mendoza sitting behind him for a long stretch.
- Carter BahnsDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100The newsletter says Shedeur Sanders' preseason Week 2 start may have won him the Browns' starting quarterback job over Deshaun Watson, and that Kirk Cousins will lead the Raiders' offense in Week 1. It also asserts Florida is the best college basketball team heading into 2026-27.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100An unsigned preseason overreaction piece: Kirk Cousins, not rookie Fernando Mendoza, will start Week 1 for the Raiders; 49ers second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling could be the most productive rookie receiver in 2026 and the team's top target; Cam Ward's rough preseason isn't a real problem; Drew Allar isn't yet Pittsburgh's 2027 starter; and D.J. Moore will boost Buffalo's offense.
- John BreechDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100In a preseason Week 1 winners-and-losers piece, CBS Sports says Bengals receiver Dohnte Meyers is now likely to make the roster, suggests fantasy drafters consider 49ers rookie De'Zhaun Stribling, expects Kirk Cousins rather than rookie Fernando Mendoza to start Week 1 for the Raiders, and suggests Anthony Richardson has moved ahead of Riley Leonard for the Colts' backup quarterback job.
- Carter BahnsDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100Unsigned piece states Kirk Cousins, who started the Raiders' preseason opener, will also be the Week 1 starting quarterback, while suggesting rookie No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza could eventually take the job if Las Vegas falls out of contention.
- Eric PattersonDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100In a bold-predictions column for the 2026 fantasy season, Patterson calls Kenneth Walker III the top-scoring RB in Kansas City, fades De'Von Achane, likes Blake Corum as a top-20 back, predicts Justin Jefferson reclaims WR1 with Kyler Murray, has Jordyn Tyson outscoring Chris Olave and Matthew Golden outscoring Christian Watson, sees Brock Bowers breaking the single-season receptions record, and pegs Brock Purdy as a top-five quarterback.
More positional finishes
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Chris BrockmanPositional Finishes · Jaxon Smith-NjigbaHit · 100Brockman argued Jaxon Smith-Njigba is already the best receiver in the NFL and deserves to be the highest paid, called his shot that three quarterbacks (Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck) go in the first round with Mendoza first overall, and suggested New England is headed for a 7-10 season.
- Ryan TracyPositional Finishes · Bryan CookMiss · 0Tracy argues the Chiefs should address edge rusher and defensive tackle via the draft and use free agency on running back and wide receiver; he names Brian Robinson as his target, expects Kenneth Walker III to re-sign with Seattle, thinks Nick Bolton-style veterans like Jerry Tillery, Derek Nnadi and Mike Pennel shouldn't return, believes Bryan Cook is a top-10 safety the Chiefs can't afford, and predicts a quarterback (Trinidad Chambliss) will rocket up boards so more than one QB goes in the top 10.
- Pat GustavsonPositional Finishes · Bijan RobinsonClose · 75Gustafson picks the Patriots, Bills, Seahawks and Bears in the divisional round with a Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl, predicts Mike Tomlin and Matt LaFleur stay, Aaron Rodgers returns to Pittsburgh, and lays out his own coaching landing spots.
- JP AcostaPositional Finishes · Bijan RobinsonClose · 75JP picked the Eagles to beat the 49ers in a low-scoring game and the Jaguars to beat the Bills, called Bijan Robinson the best running back in the league, and named his own first-team All-Pro roster.
- Rich EisenPositional Finishes · George PickensHit · 100Eisen called the Rams-winning-it-all take an overreaction but expects Los Angeles to win the NFC West, said he doesn't see how Myles Garrett fails to win Defensive Player of the Year, and called George Pickens perhaps the third-best receiver in the NFL this season.
- Chad Ochocinco JohnsonPositional Finishes · Christian GonzalezMiss · 0Ochocinco says Christian Gonzalez belongs in the top-five DB conversation, believes Kyler Murray will be elsewhere next year, expects Chase to get a one-game suspension, backs Sam Darnold to bounce back, and floats Jaxon Smith-Njigba reaching 2,000 receiving yards. He also reminds listeners he called the Bears and Panthers as teams to watch before the season.