Mike Renner· Aug 11, 2026
Renner ranks his top 10 interior offensive line prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft class and assigns each an early draft grade, with Iowa's Kade Pieper as the No. 1 player who he believes can become the first center taken in the first round since Tyler Linderbaum in 2022.
“With athleticism at a premium in today's NFL, Pieper could very easily end up a first-rounder.”
published in writing · CBS Sports · read the original →
11 checkable claims — 10 mock draft picks and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 14 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
11 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.
- Mock Draft PicksAnthonie KnappAug 11, 2026
Anthonie Knapp to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Versatile guard / Early grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksAnthony BoswellHouston TexansAug 11, 2026
Anthony Boswell to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Zone center / Early Grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksLuke MontgomeryAug 11, 2026
Luke Montgomery to be picked “Day 2” (picks 33–100)
“Player type: Versatile guard/center / Early grade: Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Evan Tengesdahl to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Gap-scheme guard / Early grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksGreg JohnsonMinnesota VikingsAug 11, 2026
Greg Johnson to be picked “Late Round 1”
“Player type: All-around guard / Early grade: Late Round 1”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksAustin SiereveldAug 11, 2026
Austin Siereveld to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Zone guard / Early grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksKade PieperAug 11, 2026
Kade Pieper to be picked “Late Round 1”
“Player type: Moveable Center / Early grade: Late Round 1 ... He has a good chance of becoming the 1st C drafted in R1 since former Hawkeye Tyler Linderbaum in 2022”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksJesse PerryTennessee TitansAug 11, 2026
Jesse Perry to be picked “Late Day 2” (picks 67–100)
“Player type: Gap-scheme Guard / Early grade: Late Day 2”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksBraelin MooreAug 11, 2026
Braelin Moore to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Reliable center / Early grade: Early Day 3”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Top Player ListsAug 11, 2026
“my top 10 prospects ... Kade Pieper ... Greg Johnson ... Luke Montgomery ... Jesse Perry ... Anthony Boswell ... Austin Siereveld ... Evan Tengesdahl ... Anthonie Knapp ... Iapani Laloulu ... Braelin Moore”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksIapani LalouluAug 11, 2026
Iapani Laloulu to be picked “Early Day 3” (picks 101–179)
“Player type: Gap-scheme center / Early grade: Early Day 3”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
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- 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.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice 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.
- Matt OkadaDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100In a PPR-framed fantasy draft guide, Okada makes a few non-fantasy claims: rookie Jeremiyah Love will be Arizona's featured back despite being listed as RB2, Tua Tagovailoa will be Atlanta's Week 1 starter, and Kyler Murray will open the season as Minnesota's starting quarterback.
- Mike FanelliDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fanelli ranks all 32 NFL teams for 2026 fantasy purposes, with the Bengals first and the Dolphins last, and makes assorted calls including Joe Burrow winning Comeback Player of the Year, Drake Maye leading the league in passing touchdowns, various starting-role and depth-chart projections, plus sleepers (Godwin, Travis Hunter, Jonathon Brooks) and a bust call on De'Von Achane.
- Jordan DajaniDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100An unsigned CBS Sports piece states Kyler Murray will be Minnesota's Week 1 starting quarterback with J.J. McCarthy as the backup, and suggests Tua Tagovailoa appears to have the Falcons' starting job locked up.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Rob RangMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0Rang 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.
- Gregg RosenthalMock Draft Picks · Brandon DoughtyMiss · 3Rosenthal 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.
- Peter BukowskiMock Draft Picks · Gennings DunkerHit · 100Bukowski 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.
- David HarrisonMock Draft Picks · Eli HeidenreichHit · 100Harrison 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.
- Brian PeacockMock Draft Picks · Bud ClarkHit · 96In 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.
- David HarrisonMock Draft Picks · Riley NowakowskiMiss · 13In 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.