Mel Kiper Jr. lists top prospects for 2027 NFL draft, including Arch Manning and Jeremiah Smith

ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. published his latest First Draft rankings, naming his top three prospects at quarterback, wide receiver, edge rusher, cornerback and offensive tackle for the 2027 draft class. At quarterback, Kiper’s current top three are Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, while his projected list adds Oregon’s Dante Moore and Texas quarterback Arch Manning. Field Yates, also of ESPN, listed Chambliss, Mestemaker and USC’s Jayden Maiava as his current top three quarterbacks.

Both analysts agreed on Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith as the leading receiver, with Indiana’s Charlie Becker and Texas’s Cam Coleman completing the top three. On the edge-rusher front, Kiper placed Texas’s Colin Simmons, South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart and Alabama’s Yhonzae Pierre/Devon Thompkins, while Yates listed Stewart, Simmons and Miami’s Damon Wilson II.

The cornerback and offensive tackle slots were identical for both analysts, naming Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore, Georgia’s Ellis Robinson IV and Clemson’s Ashton Hampton at cornerback, and Texas’s Trevor Goosby, LSU’s Jordan Seaton and Iowa’s Trevor Lauck on the offensive line.

Smith’s performance to date includes 184 receptions for 2,958 yards and 30 touchdowns over 32 games, with 21 catches for 400 yards and three scores in three games this season. The Bleacher Report scouting department rated him the top overall prospect for 2027 with a grade of 9.8 out of 10, and a mock draft projects him as the first overall pick for the Miami Dolphins.

Manning, who leads Texas, posted a 61.5 percent completion rate, 661 passing yards, 6.9 yards per attempt, seven touchdowns and two interceptions, and guided the Longhorns to a 20-point comeback win over Oklahoma State. Analysts note that the upcoming draft could feature a record number of quarterbacks selected in the first round.