# Chris Brockman: Brockman predicted rookie Fernando Mendoza would take over as the Raiders' starting quarterback by November, said it would be shocking if Jeremiah Love were NOT the Offensive Rookie of the Year, called the Giants a sleeper team, and flagged several rookie receivers who will become their team's top wideout. **Claimed:** Aug 17, 2026 **Pundit:** Chris Brockman — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/chris-brockman **Outlet:** Overreaction Monday (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/overreaction-monday-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ESP3311552510.mp3 9 checkable claims — 5 sleeper calls, 2 depth chart calls, 1 award pick and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 16 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. > Fernando Mendoza will be the Raiders' starting quarterback by Halloween. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **New York Giants to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New York Giants - Verdict: not settled yet - **Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **De'Zhaun Stribling to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jeremiyah Love to win Offensive Rookie of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Jeremiyah Love - Verdict: not settled yet - **Caleb Douglas to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins - Verdict: not settled yet - **Ja'Kobi Lane to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Ja'Kobi Lane, Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Cyrus Allen to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Cyrus Allen, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Germie Bernard to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Germie Bernard, Pittsburgh Steelers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carnell Tate to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Carnell Tate, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/giants - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/raiders - De'Zhaun Stribling — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/de-zhaun-stribling - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Jeremiyah Love — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jeremiyah-love - Caleb Douglas — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/caleb-douglas - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Ja'Kobi Lane — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/ja-kobi-lane - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Cyrus Allen — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/cyrus-allen - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Germie Bernard — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/germie-bernard - Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/steelers - Carnell Tate — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/carnell-tate - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cardinals ## What others said about the same people - 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) - 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) - 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) - Mason Cameron on Ethan Pocic: An unsigned PFF piece ranks the NFL's top 32 centers heading into the 2026 season, with Creed Humphrey first for the fourth straight year, and names Ethan Pocic and Austin Schlottmann as the favorites to win starting center jobs in Baltimore and Tennessee. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ac17490e-98b7-4d3c-9fea-750e5dc9e486 (scored 0) - Fernando Alfaro-Donis on Kayshon Boutte: Argues the Raiders' weakest spot is their receiver room, expects Jalen Nailor to take a big step forward in Klint Kubiak's scheme with Kirk Cousins starting before Fernando Mendoza takes over, and suggests Las Vegas should trade a mid-round pick for Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte, who would immediately become their top option. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b988191f-a153-4f4b-a1b8-7b5a7a18265c (scored 0) - Jason McIntyre on Baker Mayfield: Filling in for Colin Cowherd, McIntyre argued the 49ers' window is closed amid a brutal injury list and record travel, floated a Bijan Robinson trade to the Bears, predicted the Lions can win the NFC North, doubted Atlanta is even a playoff team, said Baker Mayfield's Tampa run ends after this season, and delivered a top-10 quarterback ranking. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/3fa10b83-c7a3-489f-a011-76f2eb991e81 (scored 0) ## More sleeper calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Matt Money Smith on Tre Harris: Smith says Ladd McConkie is a legitimate No. 1 receiver who could post a Jaylen Waddle-like season of roughly 1,700 yards and eight touchdowns, and he predicts second-year Chargers receiver Trey Harris will have a big year under Mike McDaniel. He also expects Philip Rivers to become an NFL head coach and thinks the Chargers offense will be good in the coming season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1f779ee4-78d9-4f01-a069-bcd0ef45fc72 (scored 0) - Brandon Carney on Javonte Williams: Carney predicted AJ Brown would not be back with the Eagles, forecast a wave of free-agent landing spots (Breece Hall to the Chiefs, Alec Pierce to the 49ers, Rico Dowdle to the Saints, George Pickens to the Patriots, Mike Evans to the Bills), and named Week 1 starting quarterbacks for several teams in flux. He also gave fantasy takes on Javonte Williams, Chris Olave and others. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9337347d-fde9-46c9-9bb6-26ade467538b (scored 100) - Chad Ochocinco Johnson on Saquon Barkley: Johnson says the Steelers aren't legitimate Super Bowl contenders even with Aaron Rodgers back, and that Saquon Barkley can have a bounce-back season in year nine with the Eagles competing for a championship if the offensive line stays healthy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd0eab3d-1392-41f3-a9b6-026860f9ffa5 (scored 0) - Ross Jackson on Devaughn Vele: Ross Jackson agreed to the same Saints mock draft board — Jeremiah Love at eight, Akeem Mesador in the second, Keonte Scott at 73, Keelan Rutledge and Ted Hurst in the fourth, Xavien Harris at 148, Aaron Anderson in the fifth and Bryce Boettcher in the sixth — and also called Devon Vellet a 2026 breakout candidate. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b4c58f9f-23b8-4857-8505-17c213d3a342 (scored 0) - Greg Cosell on Omarion Hampton: Cosell expects the Nick Bonito vs. Will Campbell matchup to be pivotal, predicts Caleb Williams' future is bright, expects the Chargers' run game to improve dramatically under Mike McDaniel with a good season from Omarion Hampton, and expects Sean Payton not to hide Stidham. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/26c1330e-ee04-42a9-b29d-d6f0cc6bab6a (scored 0) - Andrew Erickson on Saquon Barkley: Erickson gave his 2026 first-round board, leaning on running backs early with Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, Ja'Marr Chase as his WR1 and Christian McCaffrey slipping to 12. He also touted Malik Nabers as a buying opportunity, projected big touchdown numbers for Burrow and Chase, and called Barkley a buy-low. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/abd0628c-1338-467b-9ac3-d89c922468eb (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=chris-brockman