Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith and 2 more QBs in the top 10: 2027 NFL Draft big board entering Week 1

Week 1 of the NFL season is on the horizon and we're about to enter the REAL start of the college football season this weekend. But it's not too early to peek at the talent expected to hear their names called in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Here is my first big board, ranking players Nos. 1-31 and a list of 10 to watch who could break into the mix later this season. Why 31 instead of 30? You'll see why I gave both of those ranked players, each quarterbacks, some shine.

Manning is an excellent athlete with size. He plays with a proper timing on plays when working from the pocket, but he can also throw consistently on the move and has the toughness and core strength to get any throw off no matter his platform or how muddy the pocket is or how he is getting hit. He has a good arm that he unlocks because of his creativity, ability to anticipate and willingness to push the football down the field. Manning's quick throwing motion unlocks underneath throws and he already has advanced feel in the pocket. He constantly keeps his eyes downfield, which allows him to get the ball off and avoid sacks, turning negative plays to positive, or even explosive ones.

His progression as a player was overlooked last year after an early-season loss to Ohio State and Texas having to gut out several wins, but his play, along with his tools, indicated a future No. 1 draft pick despite what looked like lackluster performances. There's a lot of hype, but he looks like he's worth it.

A force of nature at receiver, Smith has been a standout player and absurdly productive at every level of his career. He is strong, explosive, and has an excellent build that allows him to bounce off tackles and constantly eat up yards after the catch. His power as a player makes him dangerous on in-breakers that allow him to build up speed and get downhill in a hurry, and his speed and burst out of breaks make him dangerous. Even without pristine route refinement, Smith is still dominant. It's hard to compare any athlete to Julio Jones, and welp, here we are with Smith. At worst you're looking at a Josh Gordon-like player.

A long athlete with range and advanced feel for the position, Moore affects a lot of throws with his length, and amplifies it with his body positioning. He has the speed to run with faster defenders, and the hand-eye coordination and timing to constantly make plays on the football. He showed those skills immediately as a true freshman starter in South Bend. Moore has a chance to be one of the best cornerback prospects I've ever studied.

A long, lean athlete with agility and gumby-like bend, Stewart can move around blocks in ways that few others can. He still needs refinement with how he uses his hands, but he has a wingspan like a pterodactyl to stave off blockers and flashes violent stabs and slaps that would unlock a whole new level with more consistency. Stewart's get-off and twitchiness make him dangerous off the edge or on games as either a penetrator or looper. He's what they look like.

Coleman would be looking like a definitive WR1 in any other class that doesn't feature Jeremiah Smith. Coleman is a tall outside receiver with long arms. His ball skills, catching range and hands are standout abilities that make him dangerous down the field and in the red zone. And when combined with his speed and twitch, it makes him an incredibly dangerous weapon. He's also a willing blocker, an appealing attribute for a receiver with such star qualities. Coleman hasn't been overwhelmingly productive in his career, which I attribute to the quarterbacks he played with and the simplistic route tree he was asked to run. Those are two things that should greatly improve this year in Austin. It's wild how much Coleman's build and game reminds me of A.J. Green.

A ridiculous runner and playmaker, it's Sellers' improvement as a passer, along with the blinding flashes of improvisational wizardry, that make him so exciting as a prospect. Sellers has a high-end arm that he can access from all platforms and is an excellent athlete with size at 6-foot-3, 238 pounds. He showed more consistency from the pocket in 2025, despite said pockets constantly being obliterated.

He didn't get a lot of help with his offensive surroundings at South Carolina, often having to pull a rabbit out of a hat just to throw the ball away because his protection broke down AND no one could get open. He is not a total wild horse, though; his decisions to scramble and improvise make sense. He will have the occasional spray, but I also think his calmer sense of play has led to improvements in accuracy, with an understanding of when to use touch on his throws. And he gets rid of the ball in a timely manner when the pocket is clean (and has shown a better understanding of when to throw the ball away).

It was notable that South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Shula has put pre-snap operation on Sellers' plate on passing downs, a nice indicator of Sellers' handle of the offense. A new offensive coordinator in Kendal Briles and more competent personnel make me hopeful the results will look as good as Sellers' improved process has been. I am projecting a rise from Sellers this season and I'll be keen on revisiting Sellers around Halloween.

Moore is a calm operator whom Oregon asks to handle a lot mentally. He has good arm strength and is a good athlete who can throw consistently on the move. You can tell that Moore has really focused on his footwork and how to work through passing plays, and he constantly finds good answers to the problems defenses show him and tries to stay on time with the play.

There are times I wish Moore would push the ball a bit on high-low concepts, as he will too often defer to the "safer" of two options, especially when he feels pressure. I was encouraged with how he improved in this area in 2025 until some late season blemishes. I am keen to see how much more aggressive he is as a passer in 2026, which could help him really take a leap as a passer when the competition ramps up. Moore has also reportedly put on some bulk this offseason, and improved strength could help in tighter pockets with more bodies around him.

An easy mover with length and pop with his hands, Seaton's strong hands let him latch on and dominate defenders in the run game once he gets a hold of them. He still has work to do with his hand placement, eye awareness and technique, especially in pass protection, but Seaton has the twitch and size to be a valid blindside protector at the next level.

A massive, long left tackle, Goosby has light feet and can easily climb to the second level in the run game. Like most large offensive linemen, he can get caught playing high at times, but he is a good enough athlete to adjust as a pass protector. His length and agility allow him to recover against quicker pass rushers, and he has enough strength to get movement on double-teams. He still has things to clean up, but Goosby got much better as 2025 went along and should hopefully take another leap forward this year.

Simmons is an explosive athlete who is asked to do everything for Texas' defense. He is more of a front-seven weapon akin to Arvell Reese and Jalon Walker than a hand-in-the-dirt type, but Simmons can get after the passer with a quick first step and has the ability to run the hoop and turn a corner on offensive tackles. He gets asked to drop into coverage at a decent rate and also mirror athletic quarterbacks on passing downs, which is where he gets to show off his agility and speed.

I truly enjoyed watching Green play last year after his kick out to left tackle. He plays with excellent technique and awareness, his eyes are constantly going to the right spot against loopers and blitzers, and he is regularly firing off the football. He is a good overall athlete in a sturdy frame who plays with an advanced feel for the game (his ability to execute cutoff blocks in the run game is so fun to watch) and now Green has been a standout at both left guard and left tackle in his college career.

An outside receiver with size and long speed, Becker burst onto the scene in a talented wide receiver room last season at Indiana and was constantly coming down with big catches in big moments. Becker has strong hands and excellent hand-eye coordination in catching range that allows him to constantly come down with the football in contested-catch situations. He has long legs, but also shows enough quickness and bend to run a fully developed route tree, which pushes his ceiling up.

The other Texas offensive tackle prospect has a real chance of being the top offensive line prospect from this class when it's all said and done. Siani lined up at left tackle at Wake Forest and has the size, length and explosive athleticism to stay on the blindside, but he will line up on the right side this season in Austin. He is still cleaning up his hand usage and his pad level can get too high at times, but he has the freaky bend and light feet to recover whenever he gets out of position, and he brings some real pop when he connects in the run game, too. I might be getting over my skis with Siani, but I think he's going to keep ascending (he's relatively new to football) and be a real standout for Texas this year.

Stone is a disruptive defender who is asked to play all across the defensive line for Oklahoma. He'll play a chunk of snaps at nose tackle, but I think his best snaps are when he gets to play as a defensive end. Stone is strong, constantly keeps his feet upon contact, and can eat and split double-teams in the run game. His versatility works in his favor as his varied skill allows him to be a valid player at any spot.

It's not a shock that Green is a basketball player along with being a jumbo-sized tight end for LSU. He is built like a power forward, but fluid and quick enough as a route-runner and athlete that LSU would split him out and isolate him as a receiver. And he was constantly not only winning his route but creating yards after the catch as well. His size and ball skills also make him an obvious asset in the red zone.

Echoles is a uniquely built and powerful player who flashes quick hands to win early but stays active throughout the rep. He has good pop when engaging blockers and can anchor down in the run game. Echoles is young (turned 20 in August) and got better on an every-down basis as 2025 went along. He can stay on the field for all four downs and fill a variety of roles in a defense, with disruptive play and a unique combination of bulk, strength and quick feet.

Johnson has legit Y tight end size to hold up as a blocker in-line, and his strength shows up as a route-runner through contact. He is a good athlete who can consistently get in and out of his route breaks despite contact. And he can create a bit with the ball in his hands. He has the every-down skill set to excel at the next level.

Scott has good size to hold up in the middle but his value as a player comes with his disruption. He has a real ability to keep his feet while engaged on blocks while still attacking toward the football. Scott doesn't have a ton of production because of his interior alignment and the talent around him, but he still manages to affect the run and pass. If he starts finishing those plays and the game keeps slowing down for him, he should rise up the board. He's another young, talented defensive tackle in this class who got better as last year went along, especially during Miami's run to the national title game.

Robinson has the twitch, technique and foot quickness of a starting outside cornerback at the next level. He doesn't have top-end size (6-foot, 180 pounds) or strength. But he is a good athlete who has enough height and length to make plays on the football, with an ability to consistently track and play the football down the field. His awareness and burst lets him quickly recognize and close on underneath throws, too.

Washington can blow up double-teams with his size (listed 330 pounds) and strength. He has light feet and can get off the snap of the football to disrupt the offense as a pass rusher or to beat cutoff blockers. Washington can be used as a run down plugger, but can also fit on more attacking defenses that ask him to slant and twist after the snap. The fact that he can stay on the field as a pass rusher only adds to his appeal.

Baugh is a big back (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) but has the quickness and twitchiness of a much smaller athlete. He runs with balance and constantly does a nice job of setting up his blocks at the second level. Baugh doesn't have overwhelming long speed, but does have burst to get north in a hurry. He is a natural catcher of the football and has the size to hold up in pass protection as well, giving him every-down value. Just a cool player.

Johnson is a long and rangy athlete who can cover ground easily with his bouncy strides. He can play in the deep spot but Notre Dame rotates him down as a buzz defender to be near the box constantly. Johnson is willing to come down from depth to close in the run game and is an effective blitzer and overall tackler. Just watch last year's Pitt game to see what Johnson is capable of: he jumps a route for a pick 6, then follows it up on the next drive with a sack on a blitz and a tackle on the running back from depth. Johnson is an intriguing combination of athleticism, intelligence, and real football ability.

Hampton is a big and long corner who can play in zone and impact the game with his size and awareness, but might actually be most unlocked as a player in man coverage situations. He is not overly twitchy, but a smooth athlete who can fluidly get in and out of his turns. He reminds me a bit of James Bradberry IV.

Marsh has the size and fluidity as a route-runner to be a legit outside X wide receiver at the next level. He is able to bend as a route-runner and has a real feel for changing tempo and changing gears to keep cornerbacks uncomfortable. His feel on routes also shows up when he finds soft spots against zone. He doesn't have overwhelming speed, but he knows how to maximize it with his route-running, strong hands and ball skills. And that strength shows up with his blocking, which he's tenacious at, too. He should get a big boost in a better situation in Bloomington after transferring from Michigan State.

A transfer from Colorado, Miller has quick feet and the speed to threaten defenses vertically on every snap, as well as underneath throws and screens. Miller's fluid athleticism and ball skills are his standout traits as he can consistently flash late hands and not allow cornerbacks to get a read on when to play the football. He still has to add branches to his route tree, but Miller's ability to create explosive plays, hands and upside make him an exciting receiver prospect.

The former Legion of Boom coaches will drool over Jones, a tall (6-foot-4) and long outside cornerback who is constantly asked to work in-between, high-low concepts on the outside. Jones has real long speed to go with his size, too. He constantly is able to stay vertical with receivers and keep up with them on crossing routes. It's not all perfect, but just a little more refinement and Jones has an exciting combination of tools and real football ability.

Lutmer plays everywhere in the defensive backfield, from outside cornerback to, at times, even playing the box. His combination of speed, size, balance and twitchiness, along with his play strength, ability to read the game, and willingness to tackle make him a valid prospect at cornerback, slot or safety.

Traore plays with strong hands and can affect the run and pass with his ability to strike and push the pocket. He isn't the longest player, but he knows how to use the length he has and his combination of burst and aggressiveness make him a tough player to block. There's some Jared Verse to his game.

Brown is a very good athlete who can work sideline-to-sideline in the run game or in coverage and get downhill in a hurry as a blitzer (where he flashes some bend around the edge, too). He is better in space right now than he is working through the muck and getting off blocks, but his combination of size, speed (he seriously runs like a deer), and aggressiveness will allow his game to translate nicely to the NFL.

I consider the next two quarterbacks right next to each other. Both are big, toolsy prospects and both have a feel for ball placement and for playing the position (and both might be better served as candidates for the 2028 draft).

Lindsey is the classic quarterback archetype of the big-armed pocket passer in the vein of Drew Bledsoe. Listed at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Lindsey is willing and able to stand and deliver the football in the (constantly) muddy pockets he has to deal with behind Minnesota's offensive line. Despite his size, he has a quick delivery, is a solid athlete, and has clean footwork to throw on the move or after turning his back to the defense (he has a good amount of reps already from under center). He's still young as a redshirt sophomore, so he might still be a year away, but Lindsey is definitely one to keep an eye on as a potential riser.

Much will be made about Mestemaker's lack of experience as a starting quarterback at any level (he was a backup in high school and a walk-on at North Texas), but despite not having the experience or snaps that other typically highly touted quarterbacks have, he just seems to know how to play the position. He has a good arm that can access all parts of the field and is willing to push the ball from muddy pockets. He can change arm slots and layer the football up and over defenders when needed. Mestemaker is tall (6-foot-3) and has a long frame that he can continue to fill out (my biggest area for improvement with him would be play strength to withstand knocks in the pocket). But he is athletic, has a loose arm, and is willing to move and work from the pocket and has enough giddy-up to work outside it, too. I'm excited to watch Mestemaker continue to progress this year at Oklahoma State.

KJ Bolden, S, Georgia Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri Greg Johnson, OG/C, Minnesota Kewan Lacy, RB, Ole Miss Trevor Lauck, OT, Iowa Ahmad Moten Sr., DT. Miami Kade Pieper, C, Iowa Yhonzae Pierre, Edge/LB, Alabama Austin Siereveld, OG, Ohio State