Joshua Schulman· Sep 1, 2026
Schulman writes that the Chiefs are leaning heavily on rookies in 2026, projecting fifth-round receiver Cyrus Allen as a candidate for the third receiver role and rookie Emmett Johnson as Kenneth Walker's backup running back.
“Emmett Johnson is poised to be Kenneth Walker's backup in the backfield.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
2 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls — 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.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
Where this call stands in the room
Emmett Johnson · 2026 season10 calls from 6 pundits between 2 and 3. Joshua Schulman said 2. the room's median is 2. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the room
Their call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.
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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.
Emmett Johnson to be 2nd on the depth chart
“Emmett Johnson is poised to be Kenneth Walker's backup in the backfield.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Cyrus Allen to be 3rd on the depth chart
“Fifth-round pick Cyrus Allen emerged as a potential WR3 candidate with his strong training camp”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Nick WrightGame Outcome Picks · Kansas City ChiefsHit · 100Amid his Week 2 spread picks, Wright made a few straight-up calls: Jacksonville wins outright at Denver, Carolina wins at Atlanta, and he'd be stunned if Kansas City lost to Indianapolis. He also expected Zay Flowers and Ladd McConkie to sit out with injuries.
- Greg JenningsGame Outcome Picks · Kansas City ChiefsHit · 100Jennings put the Cardinals up as his upset alert over Seattle, backed the Texans over Cincinnati and the Bears over Minnesota with chips, put two chips on Denver beating Jacksonville, and wrote a headline of the Packers beating the Jets; he also called the Bengals a playoff team and the Chiefs winners over Indianapolis.
- Jared DubinScore Predictions · Kansas City ChiefsHit · 98Dubin has Houston beating Cincinnati at home and Kansas City grinding out a narrow win over Indianapolis.
- Pete PriscoScore Predictions · Kansas City ChiefsHit · 83Prisco picks final scores for every Week 2 NFL game, with several teams that lost in Week 1 — the Chargers, Patriots, Cowboys, Packers and Rams — bouncing back, and the Bills outlasting the Lions in a shootout.
- Nick WrightGame Outcome Picks · Kansas City ChiefsHit · 100Nick Wright expects the Bills to beat the Lions comfortably in the Thursday night home opener, with Josh Allen shredding a depleted Detroit secondary, and he also picks a workmanlike Chiefs win over the Colts on Sunday night. He further predicts Tyreek Hill will end up on the Chiefs by around Halloween.
- Mike FlorioGame Outcome Picks · Kansas City ChiefsHit · 100In a video blurb previewing Colts vs. Chiefs, Florio is described as picking Kansas City to win, crediting Patrick Mahomes and Kenneth Walker for pushing the team to victory.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Matt SeveranceDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2.
- Rafael ZamoranoDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins.
- Rich HribarDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Hribar expects Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta's starting quarterback for Week 2 while Michael Penix stays out, with Penix's return closer to Week 4. He is unenthusiastic about the Falcons' offense either way and treats Bryce Young as a fringe fantasy starter.
- Bradley LockerDepth Chart Calls · Carson WentzHit · 100PFF's unsigned adjusted power rankings after Week 1 of the 2026 season place the Bills first, the Rams second and the Dolphins last, with notes on quarterback situations in Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In a Week 1 recap with no named byline, CBS Sports suggested Michael Penix Jr. would take over as Atlanta's Week 2 starter if healthy, called Ashton Jeanty's sophomore breakout imminent, and warned readers not to overlook San Francisco as NFC West winners.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Rashod BatemanMiss · 0In his Week 2 waiver wire column, Fitzmaurice recommends a slate of pickups he expects to outperform their current rostership (Kaelon Black, Deebo Samuel, Tyler Shough, Geno Smith and others), lays out several depth-chart expectations (Black as the 49ers' No. 2 back, Shedeur Sanders eventually taking over in Cleveland, Penix returning for Atlanta), and flags Fool's Gold/drop candidates such as Mike Gesicki, Kendrick Bourne and Rashid Shaheed.