College football’s biggest weekend has a little something for Eagles fans, too: a chance to eyeball the kind of 2027 draft talent that could end up shaping Philadelphia’s next move.
The Eagles are stuck in a six-game losing streak and, per Tankathon, are currently projected to pick No. 5 overall in the 2027 draft. Unless something dramatic changes, that’s probably the neighborhood they’ll be shopping in come April. So while the Birds have made for rough viewing lately, Saturday gives fans a different kind of scouting assignment - one focused on the top players in the sport and the possibility that one of them could be wearing midnight green soon.
There are two buckets to keep in mind. First, the elite prospects who could go in the top five. Second, the first-round types who might be available if the Eagles trade back, or maybe even trade up from their projected No. 38 spot in the second round, which puts them within range of the late 20s.
At the very top of the board is Jeremiah Smith, the Ohio State receiver ranked No. 1 overall. He’s set for a Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
CBS window, and the case for watching him is pretty simple: if the Eagles somehow land the No. 1 pick, Smith is the kind of player Howie Roseman should absolutely think about. He’s the best prospect in the draft, and every snap is worth the attention.
Another name to circle is Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, ranked No. 2 overall, who kicks off at Saturday noon on ESPN. The Eagles’ pass rush has been woefully bad, and Simmons - with 16 TFLs in six games - looks like the kind of long-term disruptor a team can build around. He’s already shown the kind of tape that gets people talking.
Jordan Seaton is right there in the elite tier as well. The LSU tackle checks in at No. 4 overall and gets Alabama at LSU on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
At 6-foot-5 and 307 pounds, Seaton is viewed as the draft’s top offensive tackle, a skilled pass protector who can hold up on an island. Alabama’s Pierre and Devan Thompkins will be the ones trying to test him.
Then there’s Darian Mensah, the Miami quarterback ranked No. 11 overall, who plays Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC. Quarterbacks always rise, and Mensah has already popped up in at least one way-too-early mock connected to the Eagles.
He’s been excellent, throwing for 2,425 yards, 25 touchdowns and one interception in eight games, and he’s the kind of potential successor you can’t ignore if Philadelphia eventually moves on from Jalen Hurts - whether that happens before or after the 2027 season. Roseman already showed in 2020 that he’s willing to draft a quarterback while the starter is still in place.
Saturday night also brings CJ Carr into the picture. Notre Dame’s quarterback is ranked No. 15 overall and also goes at 7:30 p.m. on NBC, making the Miami-Notre Dame matchup one of the biggest QB auditions on the board.
Carr is seen as the most polished passer in the class, a smart processor who doesn’t get rattled in the pocket. He’s been sacked only twice, and this game could go a long way toward sorting out the top quarterback in the 2027 draft.
If the Eagles are looking more toward the middle of the first round, Cam Coleman is a name worth tracking. The Texas receiver, a former five-star recruit and Auburn transfer, is ranked No. 13 overall and plays Saturday at noon on ESPN.
His production has been uneven - 23 catches, 409 yards and seven touchdowns - and the reviews have been just as mixed. Even so, at 6-foot-3 with real athleticism, he still has the kind of traits teams chase.
Alabama edge rusher Yhonzae Pierre is another possible fit in that trade range conversation. Ranked No. 19 overall, he’s scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
The sack numbers haven’t fully matched the flashes - he has 4 1/2 TFLs in eight games - but the disruption is there. If the Eagles miss on Simmons or South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart, moving around the board for Pierre would fit the kind of draft maneuvering Roseman tends to like.
Trinidad Chambliss, the Ole Miss quarterback ranked No. 24 overall, is also on the radar. He’ll be on ABC at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday. At 6-foot and with his age working against him - he’ll be 25 before the 2027 NFL season begins - he probably won’t end up QB1.
Still, he’s a first-round talent with mobility and a habit of making clutch plays. He already cooked Georgia in the CFP last year, and now he gets another shot to prove it wasn’t a one-time thing.
The final name in the group is Utah tackle Zereoue Williams, ranked No. 38 overall, which lines up neatly with where the Eagles are projected to sit in the second round. Utah’s undefeated start has been helped by Williams, a 6-foot-8, 305-pound fifth-year senior who hasn’t allowed a sack in eight games. He’s one of the fastest risers in the class, and if Markel Bell isn’t the long-term answer, Williams is the kind of tackle who could enter the conversation.
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