Hondo Carpenter· Aug 12, 2026
Carpenter says rookie fifth-round cornerback Hezekiah Masses has already secured a spot on the Raiders' 53-man roster and will be an impact player in 2026, and he describes Kolton Miller as one of the league's top-five left tackles.
“Masses has been terrific and will clearly have an impact on the Raiders' 2026 season.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
2 checkable claims — 1 positional finishe and 1 roster spot call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 2 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls.
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Who this take is about
2 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.
Hezekiah Masses to make the roster
“But don’t say that too loud; he still thinks he is on the bubble and said he has his focus on making the 53-man roster. Hey, Hezekiah, you have.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- LV
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- c87f8c12-bb98-4c89-91d5-810cf4c809cd
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Kolton Miller to finish top 5 at his position, by an unstated measure
“Kolton Miller, one of the top-five LTs in the NFL”
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
What others said about the same people
- Fernando Alfaro-DonisTrade and Signing Calls · Kayshon BoutteMiss · 0Argues 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.
- Brandon CarneyTrade and Signing Calls · Stefon DiggsMiss · 0Carney drafted a team of rookies he expects to make an immediate fantasy impact (headlined by Karnell Tate and Makai Lemon), predicted landing spots for the remaining big-name free agents, and gave way-too-early division winners, wild cards and award picks — Patriots, Chargers, Bengals, Jaguars, Eagles, Rams, Vikings and Saints as division champs with Joe Burrow as MVP.
- John BreechGame Outcome Picks · Las Vegas RaidersHit · 100Breech picks the Texans to upset the Bills in Houston, trusting Houston's defense to smother Josh Allen, and takes the Raiders to beat the Dolphins by at least a touchdown.
- Judah FortgangGame Outcome Picks · Las Vegas RaidersHit · 100PFF's divisional-round same-game parlay picks: Tampa Bay beats Cincinnati with Cade Otton exploiting the Bengals' linebackers, Las Vegas beats Miami behind Kirk Cousins attacking a depleted Dolphins secondary, and Houston beats Buffalo with C.J. Stroud throwing effectively and Jaylin Noel benefiting from the slot matchup.
- Logan LazarczykGame Outcome Picks · Las Vegas RaidersHit · 100Lazarczyk argues the Raiders' Week 1 home opener against a gutted, tanking Dolphins team should be an easy win, saying Las Vegas has no excuse to lose.
- Dan BeyerGame Outcome Picks · Las Vegas RaidersHit · 100Beyer's Week 1 survivor pick was the Raiders to beat the Dolphins at home.
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.