# Nick Shook: Shook picked the veterans in several quarterback battles — Kirk Cousins opening the season in Las Vegas before a mid-season handoff to Mendoza, Tua over Penix in Atlanta, Kyler Murray winning the Vikings job, Jacoby Brissett in Arizona — and expects Riley Moss to open as Denver's No. 2 corner, Tyler Guyton and Braxton Jones to keep their tackle jobs, and Calvin Ridley to be moved. **Claimed:** Jul 20, 2026 **Pundit:** Nick Shook — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/nick-shook **Outlet:** Around the NFL (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/around-the-nfl-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/nfl-daily/top-35-position-battles-you-should-care-about 8 checkable claims — 7 depth chart calls and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 15 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 7 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one. > I firmly think that it's going to be a month to half of the season before they make the transition. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Riley Moss to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Riley Moss, Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tua Tagovailoa to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tyler Guyton to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tyler Guyton, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Braxton Jones to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Braxton Jones, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Calvin Ridley to move** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Calvin Ridley - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jacoby Brissett to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Riley Moss — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/riley-moss - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Kirk Cousins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kirk-cousins - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Tua Tagovailoa — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tua-tagovailoa - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/falcons - Kyler Murray — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kyler-murray - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Tyler Guyton — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tyler-guyton - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Braxton Jones — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/braxton-jones - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bears - Calvin Ridley — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/calvin-ridley - Jacoby Brissett — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jacoby-brissett - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cardinals ## What others said about the same people - Ralph Vacchiano on Tua Tagovailoa: Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. He also flags the Giants as a potential surprise team with a top-10 defense, and notes Deshaun Watson won Cleveland's QB job while Tua Tagovailoa starts Week 1 in Atlanta. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6f782be9-64d3-47cf-b054-6566e14194d6 (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) - Steven Ruiz on Michael Penix Jr.: In a retrospective tiering of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Ruiz treats Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons' Week 1 starter over Kirk Cousins, whom he places in his lowest tier. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/968b3764-11ef-41b5-a370-ff570b3219d1 (scored 0) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to open the season as Minnesota's starting quarterback and to be one of the better quarterback values in 2026 fantasy drafts, and he likewise likes Tyler Shough as New Orleans' entrenched starter with an easy schedule. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/18bf77c0-c921-4593-997e-8405355274e9 (scored 100) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - 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 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) - Emmett Matasovsky on Christian Izien: Matasovsky says Dobbs is currently leading the backup quarterback race and suggests Christian Izien may be pressed into a starting safety role in Week 1 while Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph rehab. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9715ee92-1646-4ee4-8911-e3e4cbae9027 (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) - Paul Keren on Teven Jenkins: Keren says Teven Jenkins still projects as Cleveland's Week 1 starting right guard despite a push from KT Leveston, and that Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams will be the Browns' lead linebackers. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/86b36112-724c-4f9c-a4fd-cf74a38be8e4 (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=nick-shook