# JP Acosta: Acosta made the even-numbered picks in the 2026 first-round mock: Arvell Reese to the Jets at 2, Carnell Tate to the Titans at 4, Monroe Freeling to the Browns at 6, David Bailey to the Saints at 8, Caleb Downs to the Bengals at 10, Avieon Terrell to the Cowboys at 12, Vega Ioane to the Ravens at 14, Mekhi Lemon to the Jets at 16, Jermod McCoy to the Vikings at 18, Keldric Faulk to the Cowboys at 20, R Mason Thomas to the Chargers at 22, Jordan Tyson to the Browns at 24, Caden McDonald to the Bills at 26, Blake Miller to the Texans at 28, Zion Young to the Dolphins at 30, and CJ Allen to the Seahawks at 32. **Claimed:** Apr 10, 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/8174636/8174636_2026-04-12-053136.192.mp3?rssID=6037 18 checkable claims — 16 mock draft picks, 1 depth chart call and 1 position order call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 29 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 17 of 18 have settled so far, averaging 58.1 out of 100, against 47.8 for a naive guess at the same calls. > And Sonny Styles, to me, is the best player in this draft class. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **David Bailey to be picked at number 8** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: David Bailey, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: scored 77.11 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Blake Miller to be picked at number 28** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Blake Miller, Houston Texans - Verdict: scored 62.09 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **C.J. Allen to be picked at number 32** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: C.J. Allen, Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: scored 40.26 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Makai Lemon to be 1st wide receiver off the board** - Kind: Position Order Calls · About: Makai Lemon, New York Jets - Verdict: scored 50 out of 100, against 12.84 for a naive guess - **Zion Young to be picked at number 30** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Zion Young, Miami Dolphins - Verdict: scored 52.21 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Keldric Faulk to be picked at number 20** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Keldric Faulk, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: scored 62.09 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Arvell Reese to be picked at number 2** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Arvell Reese, New York Jets - Verdict: scored 87.81 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Monroe Freeling to be picked at number 6** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Monroe Freeling, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 56.94 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Carnell Tate to be picked at number 4** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Carnell Tate, Tennessee Titans - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Caleb Downs to be picked at number 10** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Caleb Downs, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: scored 95.76 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Avieon Terrell to be picked at number 12** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Avieon Terrell, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: scored 21.02 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Olaivavega Ioane to be picked at number 14** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Olaivavega Ioane, Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Jordyn Tyson to be picked at number 24** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jordyn Tyson, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 50 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Cade McDonald to be picked at number 26** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Cade McDonald, Buffalo Bills - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Makai Lemon to be picked at number 16** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Makai Lemon, New York Jets - Verdict: scored 84.09 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **R Mason Thomas to be picked at number 22** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: R Mason Thomas, Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: scored 45.85 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Jermod McCoy to be picked at number 18** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jermod McCoy, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: scored 2.74 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Makai Lemon to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Makai Lemon, New York Jets - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - David Bailey — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/david-bailey - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/saints - Blake Miller — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/blake-miller - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/texans - C.J. Allen — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/c-j-allen - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Makai Lemon — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/makai-lemon - New York Jets — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/jets - Zion Young — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/zion-young - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Keldric Faulk — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/keldric-faulk - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Arvell Reese — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/arvell-reese - Monroe Freeling — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/monroe-freeling - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/browns - Carnell Tate — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/carnell-tate - Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/titans - Caleb Downs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/caleb-downs - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Avieon Terrell — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/avieon-terrell - Olaivavega Ioane — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/olaivavega-ioane - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Jordyn Tyson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jordyn-tyson - Cade McDonald — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/cade-mcdonald - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bills - R Mason Thomas — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/r-mason-thomas - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Jermod McCoy — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jermod-mccoy - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/vikings ## 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) - 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) - 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) ## 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) - David Harrison on Eli Heidenreich: Harrison delivers his only first-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft, projecting all 32 first-round picks (including several trades) plus the rest of Washington's projected class, while noting it is an exercise in what could happen rather than a firm forecast. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/5cc44fc1-4ff9-447a-9c32-5f715fa6e9ba (scored 100) - Brian Peacock on Bud Clark: In his final 2026 mock draft for the 49ers, Peacock projects San Francisco taking WR Kevin Concepcion (KC) at pick 27, then after trading out of round two, edge rusher Kieron Crawford and safety Bud Clark in round three, OL Trey Zune and RB Jonah Coleman in round four, CB Charles Demings in round five and guard Caden Barnett in round six. He also thinks Omar Cooper comes off the board before Concepcion. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cc1842ef-bbb3-49c0-ad24-ec5db753c59b (scored 95.76) - David Harrison on Riley Nowakowski: In his final mock draft Monday, Harrison has the Commanders trading back twice and selecting eight players: safety Dylan Thieneman at 16, WR Denzel Boston at 33, RB Mike Washington Jr. at 83, C Jagger Burton at 132, CB Julian Neal at 147, QB Cade Klubnik at 187, DB Lorenzo Styles Jr. at 209 and TE Riley Nowakowski in the seventh round. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e0151883-b7ac-4b3a-ae45-1cc58b32adb8 (scored 12.5) --- 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=jp-acosta