Jay Morrison· Aug 10, 2026
Morrison writes that DJ Ivey's camp performance makes him a certainty to make Cincinnati's 53-man roster for a fourth straight season, and that he'll serve as the first outside cornerback off the bench and a tight-end coverage specialist in 2026.
“That means Ivey is a lock to make the 53-man roster for the fourth consecutive season.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
2 checkable claims — 1 depth chart call and 1 roster spot call — 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.
1 of 2 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 100 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.
- Roster Spot CallsD.J. IveyCincinnati BengalsAug 10, 2026
D.J. Ivey to make the roster
“The tape doesn’t lie, and neither do the reps. That means Ivey is a lock to make the 53-man roster for the fourth consecutive season.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- CIN
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- fb1be636-1faf-495f-9eaa-5ead6ef650cd
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- 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
- Depth Chart CallsD.J. IveyCincinnati BengalsAug 10, 2026
D.J. Ivey to be 2nd on the depth chart
“But Ivey is carving out a role not only as the first outside corner off the bench, but as a specialist in covering tight ends.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Pat FitzmauriceTrade and Signing Calls · Trey HendricksonMiss · 0Fitzmorris made picks 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31 in the 2026 mock, ranked the top three receiver prospects Tate-Lemon-Tyson, said Caleb Downs won't fall to Day 2, and predicted Trey Hendrickson won't be back in Cincinnati.
- Eric ManginiGame Outcome Picks · Cincinnati BengalsHit · 100Mangini's upset alert was Washington over Philadelphia; in the chips segment he backed Houston, Dallas and Denver; and his Monday headline was Cincinnati mauling Tampa Bay, with Joe Burrow as his MVP and the Bengals as AFC North champs.
- AJ HawkGame Outcome Picks · Cincinnati BengalsHit · 100AJ Hawk picked the Ravens over the Colts, Carolina to beat Chicago outright, the Bills at Houston, the Bengals over Tampa Bay, the Titans over the Jets, the Raiders over Miami, the Packers at Minnesota and the Cowboys over the Giants.
- LaVar ArringtonGame Outcome Picks · Cincinnati BengalsHit · 100Arrington picked the Steelers over the Falcons, the Bengals to cover against the Buccaneers, the Texans on the money line over the Bills, and the Giants to upset the Cowboys.
- Jonas KnoxGame Outcome Picks · Cincinnati BengalsHit · 100Knox picked the Steelers at home over the Falcons, his Bears over the Panthers, the Bengals over the Buccaneers, the Texans money line over the Bills, and the Cowboys over the Giants.
- Brady QuinnGame Outcome Picks · Cincinnati BengalsHit · 100In the show's Week 1 picks-against-the-spread segment, Quinn took the Steelers over the Falcons, the Panthers at home over the Bears, the Bengals over the Buccaneers, the Texans at home over the Bills, and the Cowboys on the road over the Giants.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Drew LockMiss · 0In 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.
- Ralph VacchianoDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Vacchiano 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.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice 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.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice 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.
- Steven RuizDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In 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.
- Mike FlorioDepth Chart Calls · Shedeur SandersMiss · 0Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3.