Already looking ahead to the 2027 NFL draft? With the 2026 draft concluded, it's time to start embracing the hype.
Sure, we're still dissecting team fits, best (and worst) picks and the overall landscape of last week's draft. There are also still 12 full months of studying tape, watching games and traveling to predraft events before we get to next year's first round. But the 2027 class has the chance to rival 2024 as far as the depth at quarterback and the sheer volume of talent, both on offense and in general.
To get an early gauge on the class, I'm finding first-round landing spots for top prospects in my way-too-early mock draft. A few notes before we get rolling:
I did not make the draft order. The order of these teams doesn't reflect who I think will make the playoffs or who is going to the Super Bowl. We simply took the inverse of Super Bowl odds from DraftKings, tweaking the back end to ensure the appropriate number of teams from each conference are in the playoff slots (Nos. 19-32). This is super early. I'm only in the beginning stages of watching tape on this class and reaching out to sources I trust. So these projections are based solely on where things stand right now, what I've seen from the class so far and what I'm hearing around the league. I also expect plenty to change between now and next April (or really even this fall). Of the 32 players in last year's way-too-early mock draft, 12 ended up going in Round 1 and four returned to school. Here are my early first-round projections for April 2027. Four quarterbacks are projected to go in Round 1, with three going off the board right away. And the first is a player you might have heard of.
Note: Underclassmen are marked with an asterisk.
1. Arizona Cardinals
Arch Manning, QB, Texas*
Pairing Manning with Jeremiyah Love would give the Cardinals two elite building blocks. Manning, at 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, is a sturdy dual-threat quarterback. He finished with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdown throws and seven interceptions in his first year as a starter while adding 10 rushing touchdowns. Manning's throwing motion, footwork and progressions are still inconsistent, leading to scattershot ball placement and holding on to the ball too long, but he continued developing as the season went on. He has all the traits of a No. 1 pick -- he just needs to unlock the next stage of his development.
Even after they drafted Carson Beck in the third round last week, QB is absolutely in play for the Cardinals if they have a high pick.