# Mike Renner: Renner ranks the top 10 running backs in the 2027 NFL Draft class, calling it a special group in which the top three are future first-rounders, and assigns each an early draft grade ranging from Round 1 to early Day 3. **Claimed:** Aug 18, 2026 **Pundit:** Mike Renner — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/mike-renner **Outlet:** CBS Sports — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/cbs-sports **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/top-2027-nfl-draft-running-backs-ahmad-hardy/ 12 checkable claims — 11 mock draft picks and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 11 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. > The top three backs in this class all look like future first-rounders, so there's no shame in coming in third on this list. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Hollywood Smothers to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Hollywood Smothers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rushawn Baker to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Rushawn Baker - Verdict: not settled yet - **Nate Carter to be picked “Day 2” (picks 33–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Nate Carter - Verdict: not settled yet - **Isaac Brown to be picked “Day 2” (picks 33–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Isaac Brown - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kewan Lacy to be picked “Round 1”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kewan Lacy - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rushawn Baker to be picked “top-100 pick” (picks 1–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Rushawn Baker - Verdict: not settled yet - **Aneyas Williams to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Aneyas Williams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jadan Baugh to be picked “Round 1”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jadan Baugh - Verdict: not settled yet - **Mark Fletcher Jr. to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami Dolphins - Verdict: not settled yet - **Positional rankings ... RB ... Ahmad Hardy ... Jadan Baugh ... Kewan Lacy ... Isaac Brown ... Nate Frazier ... Mark Fletcher Jr. ... Wayshawn Parker ... Aneyas Williams ... Hollywood Smothers ... Waymond Jordan** - Kind: Top Player Lists - Verdict: not settled yet - **Ahmad Hardy to be picked “Round 1”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Ahmad Hardy - Verdict: not settled yet - **LaMont Jordan to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: LaMont Jordan - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Hollywood Smothers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/hollywood-smothers - Rushawn Baker — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/rushawn-baker - Nate Carter — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/nate-carter - Isaac Brown — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/isaac-brown - Kewan Lacy — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kewan-lacy - Aneyas Williams — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/aneyas-williams - Jadan Baugh — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jadan-baugh - Mark Fletcher Jr. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/mark-fletcher-jr - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Ahmad Hardy — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/ahmad-hardy - LaMont Jordan — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/lamont-jordan ## 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) - Chad Millman on Miami Dolphins: Chad Millman said he had taken money-line positions on several Week 1 underdogs — the Texans outright over the Bills, the Giants outright over Dallas (in a money-line underdog parlay), and Miami outright at Las Vegas — and that the show's survivor pick was the Steelers to win. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/bd767876-d060-44de-aa5a-3fc87ff4e749 (scored 0) - Alain Poupart on Miami Dolphins: Poupart predicts the Dolphins upset the Raiders in Week 1 in Las Vegas, 27-24, and also expects Miami to win few games overall in 2026. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6dfbbc26-d75a-4671-8e05-5595ae2a2bee (scored 23.81) - Chad Millman on Miami Dolphins: Millman backed several week one sides outright: Miami to beat the Raiders straight up, the Jets over the Titans, an underdog money line parlay of Houston and the Giants, and a favorites money line parlay of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Detroit. He also stands by his preseason take that Drake Maye is a top-five NFL quarterback. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/de991e27-ec15-4c6e-ad88-b55bdaea8665 (scored 0) - Mike Florio on Miami Dolphins: Florio gives score predictions for every Week 1 game of the 2026 NFL season, including an opening-night upset by the Patriots in Seattle and narrow home wins for the Giants and Chiefs. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/4b20f46e-ebc0-462f-9e7a-2ab82f91a2ea (scored 23.81) ## 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=mike-renner