# Trevor Ripley: Ripley argues Vikings rookie DT Caleb Banks, despite a slow start, could work his way into significant snaps and win the 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year award, posting around five or six sacks and possibly an interception. **Claimed:** Sep 4, 2026 **Pundit:** Trevor Ripley — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/trevor-ripley **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi/analyzing-what-caleb-banks-needs-to-win-defensive-rookie-of-the-year-01m1myd3czt3 3 checkable claims — 1 award pick, 1 depth chart call and 1 player season number — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 2 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. > Five or six sacks, a dozen tackles for loss and maybe an interception or two into Banks's big mitts may be enough for him to shock everyone and win DROY. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Caleb Banks to record 5 sacks** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Caleb Banks, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Caleb Banks to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Caleb Banks, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Caleb Banks to win Defensive Rookie of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Caleb Banks, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Caleb Banks — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/caleb-banks - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/vikings ## What others said about the same people - Nick Shook on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren: Shook walks through his full first-round mock draft, assigning a prospect to every pick from No. 1 to No. 32, headlined by Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, David Bailey to the Jets and Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals in the top three. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/7d4209aa-2e2d-47a2-b6e5-791d16d209cb (scored 17.68) - Tom Pelissero on Adam Thielen: Pelissero doubted Micah Parsons would ultimately sit out, said the most logical outcome is Parsons showing up and playing out his contract, and pegged his eventual deal in the $45 million-per-year range; he also predicted the Vikings' week one starter opposite Justin Jefferson is not currently on their roster, floating Adam Thielen as a target, and said Justin Jefferson will be good to go for week one. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a7185069-741c-4dc1-b7c3-09775ddb0c32 (scored 100) - Colin Cowherd on Aaron Rodgers: Cowherd gave his post-free-agency top 10 NFL team rankings, with Philadelphia first and Green Bay tenth, kept the Chiefs as a playoff team while predicting a pullback, and said the Chargers will make a big jump in Jim Harbaugh's second year. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6bec15ac-bc47-4fae-b138-ffa90bd62538 (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Sam Darnold: Eisen predicts three quarterbacks go in the first round, with Jaxson Dart taken late in round one, and says three running backs in the first would be a surprise; he also insists Shedeur Sanders will not fall out of the top 10 and picks the Rams to win the NFC West while keeping the Eagles as the NFC favorite over Washington. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b7b4272f-1a0d-4a49-aa8d-9c4e0fafe7f4 (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) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Tyler Sullivan on Deshaun Watson: An unsigned CBS Sports preseason review grading all 32 teams, which along the way stakes out a number of depth-chart calls for Week 1 and beyond — including Deshaun Watson opening as Cleveland's starter, Fernando Mendoza taking over as Las Vegas' QB1 by season's end, and Minnesota's Murray-Wentz-McCarthy quarterback order. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/054d7c3e-baca-4414-b3dd-72c4eced2725 (scored 100) - Ryan Wilson on Deshaun Watson: A CBS Sports piece states Deshaun Watson has won Cleveland's starting quarterback job for Week 1 with Shedeur Sanders next in line, while arguing Watson will not play like even an average NFL quarterback and that none of the Browns' current young passers should stop them from drafting a first-round quarterback next April. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ff870e69-9992-4166-aa81-9b49d6f77f55 (scored 100) - Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano argues the Browns do not have a franchise quarterback and that it's unlikely Watson or Sanders is their long-term answer. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/80cb396b-8dbf-4e39-bd65-6d25df403db1 (scored 100) - John Breech on Deshaun Watson: The unsigned newsletter author says Deshaun Watson will start Week 1 at Jacksonville, notes he voted for Jaxson Dart as his breakout QB rather than Caleb Williams, and says newly signed Daniel Carlson is the favorite to win the Saints' kicking job. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1e520b2b-bf4e-4a82-9743-7cb7bc3ee125 (scored 100) - Mark Chichester on Deshaun Watson: Unsigned PFF piece reporting/asserting that Deshaun Watson will be Cleveland's Week 1 starting quarterback against Jacksonville, with Shedeur Sanders behind him on the depth chart. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ef347873-c28b-4a47-bb04-2488937cd3cf (scored 100) - Zachary Pereles on Deshaun Watson: The unsigned recap argues Sanders clearly outplayed Watson and, even if Sanders isn't named the Week 1 starter, predicts both quarterbacks will see significant playing time in 2026. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1b6d3216-38ff-4922-9e0a-807497573121 (scored 100) --- 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=trevor-ripley