This is usually when we begin talking about the potential pool of prospects for the upcoming NFL draft. But NFL scouts and personnel people have been anticipating this 2027 class for a while, and discussions about it started long ago.
We’ve all heard the hype. After two weaker drafts in a row, we’ve been promised that the 2027 group of players will be excellent. Excitement has built around names such as Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Jeremiah Smith and Leonard Moore. And teams have stockpiled 2027 picks to take advantage of the talent and depth we could see next April.
But just how good is this class? Is the acclaim really warranted? And how can we put this group into historical perspective? Based on conversations with people around the league and my early film study, I answered seven big questions sizing up the potential of the 2027 draft.
Is the hype around the 2027 draft class justified?
“Next year’s class is loaded.”
We hear this cliché every year. But in speaking with scouts and executives this summer, I noticed more excitement than normal, and the upcoming 2027 class might actually live up to that standard-issue statement. The hype is indeed real, and this class is loaded with potential at several premium positions.
Many evaluators are particularly excited about the quarterback class; I’ve heard the word “potential” a lot. Texas’ Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore should be top-five picks, but teams could have many early-round options. If you need an offensive playmaker, keep an eye on wide receivers Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) and Cam Coleman (Texas). They look like top-10 guys, and Smith could be one of the best college WRs we’ve seen in decades.
People around the NFL are also excited about this defensive class, which should include some top-level potential cornerstone players. Defensive line and cornerback stand out the most.
“I gave [Notre Dame cornerback Leonard] Moore one of the highest summer grades that I’ve ever given to a corner,” a Midwest area scout said. “He still needs to work on consistency with his technique, but he has the makings of a shutdown type of guy.”
A sign that teams are gearing up for this 2027 group? There seemed to be hesitation when it came to trading 2027 draft capital this offseason. Teams want to keep those picks. We saw that play out in the A.J. Brown trade, as the Patriots sent a 2028 first-round pick to the Eagles.
The QB1 race should be interesting, there are players who can turn around franchises at non-QB spots, and depth at key positions gives the class a major boost.
“There are blue-chip types at the top, and there’s depth at key positions, too,” an NFC assistant GM said. “The early outlook at receiver, defensive tackle and defensive back is really great, honestly.”
How many quarterbacks could go in Round 1?
Four. Since 2017, an average of 3.5 passers have been drafted in the first round, with the 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2024 classes seeing at least four Day 1 passers. I’m going to play it safe and go with four, which is right around average for the past decade. But this class could easily exceed that mark. I had four in the top 15 of my way-too-early 2027 mock draft in the spring.
“Arch [Manning] and Dante [Moore] are the two everyone talks about,” an AFC director of scouting said. “I think there will be a lot of others that emerge, though.”
It was a tale of two seasons for Manning in 2025, as he got off to a woeful start in a disappointing opening performance against Ohio State. By mid-October, he showed drastic improvement with his field vision and mechanics. That was viewed as the turning point in his first year under center.
“He was simply trying to do too much early on, but I thought he relaxed around midseason and put some really good stuff on tape,” an AFC national scout said.
There are skeptics, though.
“Everyone’s falling in love with the future vision of the player, and he simply hasn’t shown anything close to that right now,” an NFC scout said. “I see Daniel Jones when I watch him -- a good, not great, prospect.”
Based on who I have talked to inside the league, Moore is actually the QB1 favorite right now. He finished with 3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in a breakout season. Moore is an in-balance and timely distributor who completed 71.8% of his passes last season.
“An effortless passer that’s just so natural at everything,” an NFC scout who covers the Midwest said. “If he can play better against high-quality opponents, he has a chance to be the top pick. His skill set is quite similar to C.J. Stroud’s when he was coming out.”
More quarterbacks to watch in Round 1 include CJ Carr (Notre Dame), Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), and Darian Mensah (Miami). Further down the board, Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) are two of the more polarizing QBs for scouts I spoke to this summer.
In his first year as a starter, Sayin finished with 3,610 passing yards, 32 TDs and eight interceptions. Though his pinpoint accuracy (an FBS-high 77% completion percentage) and quick decision-making stood out, there is disagreement among evaluators about the redshirt sophomore’s upside.
“I liked his tape, but the traits are just so limited in a near-perfect setup of surroundings, and you saw that in the playoff,” one NFC scout said.
But another AFC scout said, “He’s super accurate and operates at a really high level. I think people are underrating him and forgetting that he was in his first year as a starter.”
There is no in between on Sellers. Evaluators have either been super high or way down on him. He underwhelmed as a redshirt sophomore, with 2,437 passing yards, 18 total TDs (13 passing, five rushing) and eight interceptions.
“Those tools, you just can’t teach. It’ll require some patience, but I think he’s going to be awesome once he gets out of that situation over there,” an AFC scout said. Added another AFC executive: “The surroundings were bad, but he just sees everything a tick too slow right now.”
A potential riser to watch is Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss. Despite his 6-foot, 208-pound size, scouts are enamored with his mental makeup, continued growth and dynamic playing style.
“Russell Wilson all over again. The dude is electric. He attacks the middle of the field and puts so much stress on defenses,” an AFC scout said. “Don’t be surprised to see someone take him in the back end of Round 1 if he builds off of last season.”
Sam Leavitt (LSU), Jayden Maiava (USC), Josh Hoover (Indiana), and Nico Iamaleava (UCLA) were also mentioned by scouts as Day 2 or Day 3 options who could rise up boards.
How many prospects have early first-round grades -- and who is most likely to go No. 1?
In the past 30 drafts, every first overall pick has played quarterback, offensive tackle or edge rusher. This class has the potential to be deep at two of those three positions, with offensive tackle being the one that still has a lot of question marks.
Moore and Manning enter the season as the top two signal-callers for most scouts around the league, but Carr and Mensah have received plenty of praise when talking to evaluators. Similar to the past two years with Fernando Mendoza and Cam Ward, there could be another passer who quickly surges up draft boards. I like Mestemaker in that role.
At edge rusher, Colin Simmons (Texas) and Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) will be closely watched this season, as they seem to be the main players for Edge1 status and contenders for the No. 1 pick.
So, right now, I expect the first overall pick to be a quarterback or an edge rusher. Moore, Manning and Stewart are the early leaders in the race. They’re three of the 16 prospects I currently have first-round grades on -- the most I’ve ever given out in summer scouting. Defensive tackle led the way, with four players receiving Round 1 grades. Ahmad Moten Sr. (Miami) and Will Echoles (Ole Miss) are currently my top two there.
Wide receiver and cornerback each have three players with Round 1 grades. There’s already a spirited WR1 debate when discussing Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman. As for the rest, Indiana’s Charlie Becker is receiving plenty of love despite a small sample (eight career starts).
Corner really excites me, too, with Leonard Moore projecting as a top-10 pick with shutdown potential. Ellis Robinson IV (Georgia) and Ashton Hampton (Clemson) also have Round 1 grades on my board.
Which positions are particularly strong?
As previously outlined, wide receiver and defensive line will get a lot of attention early in the 2027 draft. Smith has been on NFL scouts’ radars since breaking out for Ohio State as a freshman in 2024 and is a clear headliner in this class. He received some of the highest praise that I have ever heard about a receiver prospect.
“He’s Julio Jones all over again,” an NFC assistant general manager said. “[Smith is] big, fast, strong, and he has Pro Bowl potential as a rookie.”
Coleman -- who caught 56 balls for 708 yards and five scores last season before transferring from Auburn to Texas this offseason -- could also be a top-10 pick. Scouts I have talked to believe that he’s a George Pickens-type receiver with a superb catch radius and body control.
“The bad QB play really limited his production at Auburn,” an NFC Southeast area scout said. “I think he’s going to explode at Texas, and it wouldn’t be surprising if there’s a real WR1 debate by season’s end.”
The depth of this receiver class stands out. The Indiana duo of Becker and Nick Marsh excites NFL evaluators. Ryan Coleman-Williams (Alabama) is another name to watch as he tries to bounce back from a sophomore slump, with many scouts believing he has first-round traits if he’s able to recapture his freshman form. There are also electric playmakers such as Bryant Wesco Jr. (Clemson), Mario Craver (Texas A&M) and Ryan Wingo (Texas). They all have Day 2 grades from scouts entering the season, with the potential to catapult their stock.
Teams needing defensive line help have plentiful Round 1 options at both edge and defensive tackle. Simmons and Stewart top the edge rankings, followed by players such as Teitum Tuioti (Oregon), Yhonzae Pierre (Alabama) and Will Heldt (Clemson). At 6-5, 245 pounds, Stewart has a lot of similarities to Brian Burns as an explosive and violent edge rusher with exceptional bend.
“Stewart has some of the rarest movement skills that I’ve ever evaluated in an edge rusher,” an AFC evaluator said. “If he can reach double-digit sacks, he has No. 1 overall pick potential.” Stewart had 4.5 sacks in 2025.
There isn’t a defensive tackle who is head and shoulders above the rest, but players such as Moten, Echoles, A’Mauri Washington (Oregon) and David Stone (Oklahoma) are Round 1-caliber and viable DT1 candidates. They headline a defensive tackle group which scouts believe is the strongest non-QB position group in the 2027 class.
Justin Scott (Miami), DJ Hicks (Texas A&M), and AJ Holmes (Texas Tech) are prospects outside Round 1 who could rise with a quality 2026 season. There were seven defensive tackles drafted inside the top 50 in 2025. Don’t be surprised if that number is matched in 2027.
Which position is the weakest?
Linebacker. If there’s one position where there’s room for risers to emerge, it’s here, as off-ball linebacker is extremely thin on top-end players entering the season. Sammy Brown (Clemson) and Rasheem Biles (Texas) have been most frequently mentioned atop the rankings, but neither is a no-brainer first-rounder.
“Maybe it’s just because of the class that we’re coming off of, but I just don’t see anyone special right now,” an AFC scout said.
The 2027 group has similarities to 2024, which didn’t see an off-ball linebacker selected until the Packers drafted Edgerrin Cooper with the No. 45 pick.
At 6-2, 235 pounds, Brown is a rangy and high-effort LB who can fire through gaps with ease as a run defender when attacking downhill. He needs to improve in coverage and become more consistent with reading out run schemes prior to charging forward.
Biles is a bit different, as his size (6-foot, 220 pounds) forces him to play more as a weakside linebacker. He is an explosive athlete who can be utilized all over the field. He transferred from Pitt to Texas this offseason, and there are scouts who believe Biles could become the first linebacker off the board.
“Super explosive, but needs to improve his take-on strength and finish tackles better,” an NFC area scout said.
The wild card of the group is Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (Notre Dame). KVA flies all over the field on tape and has flashed Round 1 quality, but a torn ACL in the second-to-last game last season adds questions to his evaluation. Chris Cole (Georgia), Christian Alliegro (Ohio State), Ben Roberts (Texas Tech) and Raylen Wilson (Georgia) were other players mentioned as top-100 possibilities. But no one seems like a first-round lock.
Then again, Arvell Reese wasn’t on the radar as a high first-round pick at this time a year ago and ended up being taken at fifth overall. So things can change between now and next April, but linebacker is easily the weakest position group at the moment.
This is the best class since ____.
2024. That draft saw quarterbacks go off the board with the first three picks, and there were six QBs selected in the top 12. There were also two receivers who were drafted in the top six. Though there’s still a lot to be sorted out, the number of first-round QBs could compete with 2024 and 1983 (another draft with six first-round quarterbacks). And Smith and Coleman could be the first pair of receivers to go off the board in the top three since 2003 (Charles Rogers and Andre Johnson).
Where this class could exceed the 2024 group is on defense, as a defender didn’t go off the board until the No. 15 pick (Laiatu Latu). It’s extremely doubtful that we’ll have to wait that long in April with talents such as Simmons, Stewart and Leonard Moore on the board. So maybe the 2011 class -- a group that boasted Round 1 defensive stars such as Von Miller, J.J. Watt, Patrick Peterson, Cameron Jordan and Cameron Heyward -- is the best comparison to 2027.
“It’s lofty, but it’s pretty interesting how many correlations this class has to that special 2011 group,” an NFC national scout said. “Two receivers and a corner that potentially could go inside of the top six, three QBs and two edge rushers also inside of that.”
Which NFL teams are best set up to capitalize?
The New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. With three first-round picks, the Jets are in prime position to continue their roster overhaul. After making three picks in Round 1 of the most recent draft (edge David Bailey, TE Kenyon Sadiq and WR Omar Cooper Jr.), they could be set for an even better haul in 2027. New York will be aggressive in seeking a franchise QB and should have plenty of options there. But that’s not the only need it could address early. The Jets have significant needs along the defensive line and in the secondary, and there should be a lot of intriguing prospects for them at those position groups.
The Browns are the other team currently with multiple first-round picks in 2027 and will also likely be searching for a young franchise quarterback. General manager Andrew Berry isn’t shy about using trades to secure draft capital (see the Myles Garrett deal) and move around the draft order, and Cleveland is in a good position to add even more young talent.
One more team to watch is the Minnesota Vikings. New general manager Nolan Teasley is looking to replenish a roster that lacks high-end talent and depth, but their biggest issue is the uncertainty at QB. But the Vikings have an extra third-round pick thanks to the Jonathan Greenard trade. If neither J.J. McCarthy nor Kyler Murray present as the Vikings’ long-term quarterback, Minnesota could take advantage of the extra draft capital to secure one of the many top-flight QBs who should be available on Days 1 and 2.
