Establish The Run Takes

Last Updated: April 21, 2026

This page is continuously updated with new takes from recent ETR content. Items contain some combination of reactions to news, market sentiment, and macro fantasy football analysis. Each is attributed to the analyst who said it, and you can find the link to the full source for review.

These are not comprehensive summaries. Many insights remain available only in their original form. Our goal is to deliver expert analysis that is actionable, independent, and trustworthy.

Previous Takes

Episode: 2026 ETR Mock Draft w/ Silva, Smith, Standig, & Renner (April 21, 2026)

• Scott Smith: Carnell Tate to Washington at 7 is the cleanest WR fit in Round 1. Washington cannot run it back with Treylon Burks as the WR2 and expect Jayden Daniels to carry another full season. Adam Peters has the highest average RAS score of any drafter since taking the GM job, and Tate’s power-five pedigree fits that archetype. Source: ETR Podcast — 2026 Mock Draft (7:56)
• Adam Levitan: Tyson vs. Tate for first WR off the board is a coin flip. Tyson was +700 to be WR1 off the board a few weeks ago. He is +150 now against Tate after that workout. Any lingering Tate-only sides in prop pools are a fade. Source: ETR Podcast — 2026 Mock Draft (11:04)
• Mike Renner: Ty Simpson at 21 is the only swing that justifies the McCarthy hire in Pittsburgh. He is clearly a better prospect than Kenny Pickett. McCarthy’s entire track record is young-QB development, which is the only rational reason to hire him now. The Steelers will not pick high enough to land a top QB in future classes, so take the shot at 21. Source: ETR Podcast — 2026 Mock Draft (25:47)
• Adam Levitan: Treat A.J. Brown as a Patriot going forward. Schefter posted what reads as confirmation of a post-June 1 trade to New England. Drake Maye gets a legitimate alpha, DeVonta Smith becomes the Eagles’ unquestioned WR1, and Patriots ancillary pieces all take a hit. Update your rankings now rather than waiting for the announcement. Source: ETR Podcast — 2026 Mock Draft (28:32)

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Episode: 2026 NFL Draft QB & TE Tier List w/ Mike Renner (April 13, 2026)

• Mike Renner: Mendoza is the best QB under pressure since Joe Burrow. S-tier prospect. Would have been QB3 in the 2024 class behind Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Two years of elite tape operating in tight pockets between Cal and Indiana. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (0:55)
• Adam Levitan: Mendoza to Vegas at 1 overall is the best possible fantasy landing spot. Klint Kubiak‘s offense with Brock Bowers already there. Don’t expect rushing upside though. Renner says he’s heavy-footed. Pure passer. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (4:15)
• Mike Renner: Ty Simpson is an A-tier QB who’s going in the first round. Plus arm, just as good as Mendoza’s. More fleet of foot. Had 394 true NFL dropback passing reps in Kalen DeBoer‘s offense, almost double what some other QBs in this class had. Renner would bet a lot of money that he goes Round 1. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (5:09)
• Mike Renner: Nussmeier has Brock Purdy-tier arm strength. That’s a problem. C tier. Great football IQ, son of an NFL coach, creative pocket mover. But 6-foot-2, 203 pounds with the weakest arm on this list. Got benched last year. Best case is a Mac Jones type in the right system. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (11:43)
• Mike Renner: Drew Allar has the best tools in the class, but can’t throw a spiral. D tier. If he came out last year, he’d have been between B and C. The tools are crazy. 70+ yard throws with ease, quick feet, doesn’t take sacks. But through four years of college, the accuracy never got fixed. That’s the one thing that’s hardest to fix at the next level. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (13:49)
• Mike Renner: Carson Beck is a pure backup at the NFL level. D tier, below Drew Allar. 6-foot-5, 233 pounds, has the size. But the UCL tear robbed him of arm strength, and in big games, he just didn’t show up. That game-losing interception in the Natty was the theme of his career. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (16:50)
• Mike Renner: Cole Payton is QB3 on his board and a legit fantasy sleeper. C tier. 6-foot-3, 232 pounds, 40-inch vertical, 10-foot-10 broad jump. Almost 900 rushing yards at NDSU. Best thrower on the move in this class. 35 of 161 completions went 20+ yards. Todd McShay has him in the 60s overall. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (19:13)
• Adam Levitan: Cole Payton is a preseason DFS dream. Give him three quarters in the preseason, and let’s see if he runs for 100 yards. The rushing upside makes him worth tracking in fantasy even if he’s a developmental guy in Year 1. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (22:42)
• Mike Renner: Kenyon Sadiq is the best TE athlete since Vernon Davis. But he can’t play in line. A-tier TE. 4.39, 43.5-inch vertical, 11-foot-1 broad jump. More fluid than even Davis. But 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, can’t match power in line, and the ball skills worry him. Drops in contested catches, limited catch radius. His role is going to be Harold Fannin Jr./slot hybrid. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (24:26)
• Mike Renner: Eli Stowers has the highest fantasy ceiling of any TE not named Sadiq. C tier. Was a QB at Texas A&M three years ago at 215. Now 6-foot-4, 239 pounds with a 45.5-inch vertical. Still developing as a route runner, but the physical trajectory is wild. Mike Gesicki is the comp. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (28:45)
• Adam Levitan: Stowers is the ceiling play, Klare is the floor play at TE2. Stowers is going way higher in rookie drafts for good reason. But guys like this don’t play enough snaps early to raise their floor. Think Dalton Kincaid at 50% snap share, or Mike Gesicki. Max Klare is the Dalton Schultz/Pat Freiermuth type who just catches everything underneath. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (31:51)
• Mike Renner: Nate Boerkircher is the TE sleeper nobody’s data model will find. C tier. 19 catches, 198 yards last year. Zero production to speak of. But he was the best TE at the Senior Bowl in 1-on-1s, gets in and out of breaks better than anyone in this class, had only two career drops, and caught a game-winner against Notre Dame. Jake Ferguson comp. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (38:23)

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Episode: 2026 NFL Draft RB Tier List w/ Mike Renner (April 9, 2026)

• Jeremiyah Love is going to cost a 1/2 turn pick in fantasy drafts. He’s likely a top-seven pick in the NFL Draft (Titans at 4, Giants at 5, Commanders at 7). A running back going that high means workload. — Levitan
• Renner has Love as his third-highest-graded prospect in the entire draft, any position. S tier. Jahmyr Gibbs comp but 14 pounds heavier. Prefers Love over Gibbs as a prospect “pretty comfortably” due to the sub-200-pound concern with Gibbs. — Renner
• Jadarian Price to Seattle at 32 is the fantasy scenario to watch. If the Seahawks take Price, his ADP is going through the roof. — Renner
• Price is a better pure receiver than most backs in this class. Zero career drops. Pass pro is technique, not effort — that gets fixed at the NFL level. He’s a B-tier back who can start right away for someone. — Renner
• Bhayhsul Tuten would only be RB3 in this draft class. That’s how weak this class is. Renner didn’t even have Tuten that high last year — he’d just be third here by default. — Renner
• Levitan thinks Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be the lead back over Tuten in Jacksonville. Got destroyed on Twitter for it, but stands by it. Tuten is a fourth-round pick who had 386 yards as a rookie. — Levitan
• Emmett Johnson has a real fantasy/real life split. Catches the ball at an outrageous rate, which is obviously valuable in fantasy. But Renner has him in the F tier — slow, small, timid between the tackles, pedestrian testing. Ceiling is a third-down back. — Renner/Levitan
• Jonah Coleman could go on Day 2 and get on the field early because he can pass protect. Renner has an F-tier grade, but at the RB position, opportunity is everything. If he gets drafted higher than expected, the pass protection gives him a path to early snaps. — Levitan
• Nick Singleton is likely just a kickoff return guy right away. Broke his foot at the Senior Bowl, couldn’t test, hasn’t improved since his freshman year, and got outplayed by Kaytron Allen. Renner has him in the F tier. But he’s still only 21 — there’s a development case if you want to buy it. — Renner
• Levitan is higher on Singleton than the market. Doesn’t want to hold the bad 2024 season against him because the entire Penn State team was atrocious. 102 career catches. Used on kickoff returns. The broken foot killed his ability to test and boost his draft stock. — Levitan
• Incumbents are going to be safer this year. With only two backs in Renner’s top four tiers, the usual pattern of rookies taking over after the bye is way less likely in 2026. Factor that into early drafts. — Levitan
• Kaytron Allen is Renner’s RB3 but likely won’t excite anyone. D tier. Opted out of all testing — probably because he’d run a 4.71. But he averaged 6.2 YPC, amassed 1,300 yards last season, and scored 15 TDs. Runs the way you need to run in the NFL. Kyle Juszczyk/Samaje Perine-type value if he lands right. — Renner/Levitan

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