The 2027 NFL Draft is still far off, but ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is already putting names on paper - and, predictably, the quarterback discussion is where everything starts to get loud.
Kiper and Field Yates used ESPN’s First Draft to sort the early board at five spots: quarterback, wide receiver, edge-rusher, cornerback and offensive tackle. The point, as Kiper made clear, isn’t to lock in May’s order in September. It’s to establish a starting line, knowing full well that the picture will keep changing as the season unfolds.
That caution matters, because Kiper wasn’t exactly thrilled about doing this so early. He even said, “This is why we should never have any ranking until at least mid-October,” pointing out that through three weeks, most teams are still navigating non-conference games against lower-level opponents. In other words, the sample size is thin, and the rankings are going to move.
Still, the names are in. On Kiper’s quarterback list, Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss sits at No. 1, followed by CJ Carr of Notre Dame and Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State. Yates had the same top quarterback in Chambliss, but then flipped the next two spots, putting Mestemaker second and Jayden Maiava of USC third.
The early numbers help explain why this group is already drawing so much attention. Kiper’s quarterback pool includes Chambliss, Carr, Mestemaker and Maiava, while Miami’s Darian Mensah is the omission that stands out.
The stat lines show why Mensah is easy to notice: he’s 71 of 79 for 873 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. That said, Kiper’s list still starts with Chambliss, who has gone 77 of 110 for 924 yards, seven touchdowns and two picks.
Carr has completed 53 of 73 for 726 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions, while Mestemaker has thrown for 882 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions on 75 of 114 passing. Maiava, in four games, is 87 of 115 for 1,173 yards, 12 touchdowns and one interception.
Because Kiper didn’t want to pretend this early board is the final word, he also included a separate “projected” top three at quarterback. That version had Dante Moore of Oregon at No.
1, Arch Manning of Texas at No. 2 and Mestemaker at No. 3.
The quarterback pool could get crowded fast. The article notes there could be as many as ten prospects or more who end up in the top 50 mix, and the list of draft-eligible names expected to go somewhat early is already long: Dante Moore, Arch Manning, Julian Sayin, Drew Mestemaker, CJ Carr, Darian Mensah, LaNorris Sellers, Trinidad Chambliss, Sam Leavitt, Jayden Maiava, Nico Iamaleava, DJ Lagway and Josh Hoover. Brendan Sorsby is also listed, with the note that he has been ruled ineligible and will sit out the 2026 college football season before potentially applying to be considered for the 2027 NFL Draft.
The rest of the early board is just as clear at the top. At receiver, both analysts lined up behind Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State, Cam Coleman of Texas and Charlie Becker of Indiana. On the edge, Kiper went with Colin Simmons of Texas, Dylan Stewart of South Carolina, and Alabama’s Yhonzae Pierre and Devon Thompkins, while Yates had Stewart first, Simmons second and Damon Wilson II of Miami third.
Cornerback is identical between the two rankings: Leonard Moore of Notre Dame, Ellis Robinson IV of Georgia and Ashton Hampton of Clemson. Offensive tackle is the same as well, with Trevor Goosby of Texas, Jordan Seaton of LSU and Trevor Lauck of Iowa.
It’s early, and everyone involved knows it. But for now, that’s the board ESPN is working from - and quarterback, as usual, is where the whole draft conversation begins.
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