Washington’s 2027 NFL Draft conversation already has a clear fork in the road, and it starts with two names: Demond Williams and Drew Azzopardi.
Last season made the projection game pretty straightforward. Washington had seven players taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Denzel Boston was the easy call to go first. Cleveland made that official with the No. 36 pick in the second round, and Boston now heads into what could be the best rookie campaign a Pro Dawg receiver has had in many years.
After him, the board kept moving. Tacario Davis went to Cincinnati in the third round.
Denver took Jonah Coleman in the fourth, San Francisco grabbed Carver Willis in the fourth as well, and the 49ers also added Ephesians Prysock. Anterio Thompson joined Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta as a sixth-round pick, while Jacksonville used a seventh-rounder on EDGE Zach Durfee.
This year, the early read points to Williams and Azzopardi as the top candidates to be Washington’s first name called in 2027.
The lean here is Azzopardi.
Williams is the flashier piece. He can take over a game when he gets rolling, and his knack for slipping tackles and turning broken plays into gains is exactly the kind of thing NFL scouts love as dual-threat quarterbacks keep climbing up boards. He still needs more consistency, but the talent is obvious, and the expectation is that he’ll have a strong season.
There’s also the modern college football wrinkle that could change everything: the transfer portal. Williams could draw serious money from other programs, enough to make staying put or moving elsewhere a real decision. That kind of bidding war has become part of the sport, and it’s one reason fewer players are making the jump to the NFL before they’re ready.
For Washington, that creates a pretty good problem to have. Williams is the type of player championship-level teams chase, especially when he comes with experience, upside and little to no injury history. If other schools are ready to spend big, Washington can be expected to match that kind of push, particularly if this season ends with a College Football Playoff appearance, or something close to it.
Still, the pick is Azzopardi.
Even if Williams did enter the draft, Azzopardi could still end up being the first Husky off the board. A big season from Williams would almost certainly mean the offensive line did its part, and that kind of production would only help Azzopardi’s stock rise.
NFL teams are always hunting for linemen who can make an impact, and he checks the size box too. At 6-foot-7 and 322 pounds, the former San Diego State Aztec is expected to be one of Washington’s best players, if not the best.
Pro Football Focus ranked him No. 10 among offensive tackles in its 2027 NFL Draft prospect list back in April.
Washington gets back on the field next weekend, and both Williams and Azzopardi will need to be sharp if the Huskies want to open the season by beating Washington State in the Apple Cup.
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