Joe Marino · Apr 8, 2026

Marino stacks 14 inside linebackers in the 2026 NFL draft class and assigns each a round-value grade, with Sonny Styles first (top-10 grade) and Anthony Hill third; he says Hill would be his preferred pick if Buffalo takes a linebacker at No. 26.

“If the Bills took one at 26, let it be Anthony Hill.”

said on air, transcribed by us · Locked On Bills (podcast) · read the original →

19 checkable claims from this

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 Picks Jacob RodriguezApr 8, 2026
Jacob Rodriguez to be picked “second round” (picks 33–64)
“My linebacker five is Jacob Rodriguez out of Texas Tech, second round grade. ... I value him in the second round.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Jacob Rodriguez
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
43
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
second round (picks 33–64)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Jimmy RolderApr 8, 2026
Jimmy Rolder to be picked “fourth round grade” (picks 97–140)
“Jimmy Roeder, number 10 out of Michigan, that's a fourth round grade.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Jimmy Rolder
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
118
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
fourth round grade (picks 97–140)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Anthony HillApr 8, 2026
Anthony Hill to be picked “late first, early second round grade” (picks 33–64)
“My third linebacker is Anthony Hill out of Texas, late first, early second round grade.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Anthony Hill
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
60
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
late first, early second round grade (picks 33–64)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Sonny StylesApr 8, 2026
Sonny Styles to be picked “top 10 grade” (picks 1–10)
“So he has a first round grade, but he also has a top 10 grade.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Sonny Styles
season:
2026
zero at:
undrafted
outcome:
went undrafted in 2026; later signed with WAS
accuracy:
0
baseline:
50
actual pick:
undrafted
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
0
predicted pick:
top 10 grade (picks 1–10)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Kaleb Elarms-OrrApr 8, 2026
Kaleb Elarms-Orr to be picked “fourth round grade” (picks 97–140)
“Number nine is Caleb Elarms Orr out of TCU, have a fourth round grade there.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Kaleb Elarms-Orr
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
126
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
fourth round grade (picks 97–140)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Arvell ReeseApr 8, 2026
Arvell Reese to be picked “first round grade” (picks 1–32)
“Arval Reese would be my linebacker too. Out of Ohio State, he has a first round grade.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Arvell Reese
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
5
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
first round grade (picks 1–32)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks C.J. AllenApr 8, 2026
C.J. Allen to be picked “second round grade” (picks 33–64)
“My linebacker four is CJ Allen out of Georgia, second round grade.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
C.J. Allen
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
100
baseline:
50
actual pick:
53
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
100
predicted pick:
second round grade (picks 33–64)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Position Order Calls Arvell ReeseApr 8, 2026
Arvell Reese to be 2nd linebacker off the board
“Arval Reese would be my linebacker too.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 15.85+84.15 skill
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
naming one of the 26 at random averages 15.85
skill:
84.15
player:
Arvell Reese
season:
2026
zero at:
credit halves every two places
accuracy:
100
baseline:
15.85
position:
linebacker
class size:
26
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
actual order:
2
predicted order:
2
weeks left when called:
0
Think this is wrong?
Position Order Calls Sonny StylesApr 8, 2026
Sonny Styles to be 1st linebacker off the board
“Sonny Styles is number one. Sonny Styles is probably gonna be my number one overall prospect in this class.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
player:
Sonny Styles
season:
2026
outcome:
went undrafted in 2026; later signed with WAS
accuracy:
0
baseline:
50
position:
linebacker
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
actual order:
undrafted
predicted order:
1
weeks left when called:
0
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Kyle Louis Pittsburgh SteelersApr 8, 2026
Kyle Louis to be picked “third round grade” (picks 65–96)
“Number eight is Kyle Lewis out of Pittsburgh. He's a third round grade.”
Miss · 16Scored 16.21a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Kyle Louis
season:
2026
zero at:
32
accuracy:
16.21
baseline:
50
actual pick:
138
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
16.21
predicted pick:
third round grade (picks 65–96)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Deontae LawsonApr 8, 2026
Deontae Lawson to be picked “fourth to early fifth round range” (picks 129–172)
“I grade him in that that fourth probably that fourth to early fifth round range... Deontay Lawson out of Alabama is linebacker 11. He's a fourth round grade.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 50
How this was scored
draft:
2026
naive:
a shuffled mock scores 50
player:
Deontae Lawson
season:
2026
zero at:
undrafted
outcome:
went undrafted in 2026; later signed with PHI
accuracy:
0
baseline:
50
actual pick:
undrafted
difficulty:
1
weeks in the season:
18
pick accuracy:
0
predicted pick:
fourth to early fifth round range (picks 129–172)
weeks left when called:
0
mock ordering score:
only one pick — no order to score
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Keyshaun ElliottApr 8, 2026
Keyshaun Elliott to be picked “late five, early six”
“Keyshawn Elliott is number 13, the linebacker out of Arizona State. He's a late five, early six.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
Think this is wrong?
Top Player ListsApr 8, 2026
“Sonny Styles is number one... And then Red Murdoch is number 14 out of Buffalo, late six, early seven in terms of where I value him.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
Think this is wrong?
Sleeper Calls Jimmy RolderApr 8, 2026
Jimmy Rolder to outplay his draft cost (fourth round grade)
“My favorite sleeper at linebacker in this class is Jimmy Rolder out of Michigan... I have a fourth round grade on him”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Bryce BoettcherApr 8, 2026
Bryce Boettcher to be picked “late five, early six”
“Bryce Botcher is number 12 out of Oregon. He's a late five, early six.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
Think this is wrong?
Depth Chart Calls Dorian Williams Buffalo BillsApr 8, 2026
Dorian Williams to be 1st on the depth chart
“Dorian Williams, is he ready to be a full time starter? I think so, but I don't know.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Josiah TrotterApr 8, 2026
Josiah Trotter to be picked “late two, early three”
“Josiah Trotter is number seven out of Missouri, late two, early three.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Red Murdock Buffalo BillsApr 8, 2026
Red Murdock to be picked “late six, early seven”
“And then Red Murdoch is number 14 out of Buffalo, late six, early seven in terms of where I value him.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
Think this is wrong?
Mock Draft Picks Jake Galdi Cincinnati BengalsApr 8, 2026
Jake Galdi to be picked “late two, early three”
“Number six is Jake Galdi or Galdi out of Cincinnati. That's a late two, early three.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
Think this is wrong?