The early shape of the 2027 NFL Draft is starting to look like a quarterback avalanche.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates put together a mock draft months before the real thing, using ESPN’s FPI forecast for the top 10 picks, and the top of the board came off the rails in the best possible way for quarterback-needy teams. Kiper handled the odd picks in the top 10, while Yates took the even ones, and together they lined up three passers with the first three selections.
Kiper opened with Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore going to the Miami Dolphins. Yates then answered with Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning heading to the New York Jets. Kiper followed that up by sending Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr to the Cleveland Browns.
In a post on X, Yates noted that three quarterbacks being taken with the first three picks has happened only four times in NFL draft history. The list includes 1971, when Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning and Dan Pastorini went 1-2-3, along with 1999, 2021 and 2024.
That puts Arch Manning’s name in a pretty notable historical neighborhood, with his grandfather part of the 1971 trio.
All three quarterbacks enter the 2026 college football season with plenty of buzz. They’re viewed as some of the best players in the country and as serious Heisman Trophy contenders. They’re also projected to land with teams that aren’t expected to be very good and don’t have established long-term answers at quarterback.
Moore finished the 2025 season with 3,565 passing yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Manning put together 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions as he improved over the course of the season. Carr posted 2,741 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions for Notre Dame.
Carr will try to push Notre Dame back into the College Football Playoff this season after the Irish just missed out last year, just as Manning’s Longhorns did.
Whether all three quarterbacks wind up in the top five next year is still to be seen, but the early mock already makes one thing clear: the 2027 class could start with a bang.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Opens Season With Adon Shuler Facing Heartbreaking Loss
Notre Dames season-opening week has been colored by a personal loss for one of its most important players. Don Shuler, the father of starting safety Adon Shuler, died, according to the familys announcement on social media, adding a painful note to a period when the Irish are getting ready to face Wisconsin and begin the 2026 season.
Adon Shuler has become a central figure in the defense and is a two-time team captain, which makes the timing especially difficult for a player expected to lead on and off the field. Family arrangements for Don Shuler had not been made public, leaving the program and its supporters waiting on more details while the focus shifts to how one of Notre Dames key veterans handles the days ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Camp Buzz Is Building Around 3 Irish Difference Makers
With Notre Dames opener getting closer, the chatter out of camp is starting to settle on three names that could matter a lot more by next fall than they do right now. Mylan Graham and James Flanigan are both being mentioned as possible starters at wide receiver, giving the Irish a couple of young options to watch as the offense continues sorting itself out.
Joey OBrien is in a different spot, but the buzz around him is growing for good reason. The true freshman safety has worked his way back from injury and is now listed as the top backup, putting him in position to push for playing time if he keeps trending up. For a team looking ahead as much as it is looking at the season ahead, those are the kinds of developments that can shape the depth chart before long. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Captain Vote Revealed A Leadership Problem Freeman Welcomed
Notre Dame has settled on its four captains for the season, and the group says plenty about where the program stands under Marcus Freeman. Returning captains Drayk Bowen and Adon Shuler are back in the mix, while CJ Carr and Jordan Faison were added to the leadership circle after earning the respect of teammates in the vote.
Freeman said nine players drew meaningful support, which created more candidates than the team ultimately wanted to carry into the season. Rather than stretching the role too thin, Notre Dame kept the group at four for the third time in five years, a sign that the rosters leadership is spread deeper than usual even if only a few players will wear the title. [Read more 🡒]