Mel Kiper lifts CJ Carr to No. 4, nudges Arch Manning to No. 22 in 2027 draft board

Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released an updated big-board ranking of the top 25 prospects for the 2027 NFL draft, moving Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr from No. 8 to No. 4 and Texas quarterback Arch Manning from No. 24 to No. 22. Both quarterbacks are among seven signal-callers Kiper placed in his top-25, alongside Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker (No. 2), Miami’s Darian Mensah (No. 7), Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss (No. 20), Missouri’s Austin Simmons (No. 21) and Oregon’s Dante Moore (No. 23).

Kiper’s top-10 prospects include Jeremiah Smith (WR, Ohio State) at No. 1, Mestemaker (QB, Oklahoma State) at No. 2, Leonard Moore (CB, Notre Dame) at No. 3, Carr (QB, Notre Dame) at No. 4, and Colin Simmons (EDGE, Texas) at No. 5. Carr’s rise follows a 31-24 victory over then-No. 1 Miami, in which he completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. For the season he is completing 67.6 % of his passes for 2,168 yards, 21 touchdowns and one interception, positioning him as a Heisman Trophy contender.

Manning, the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, has guided Texas to a 7-2 record and a No. 6 national ranking with three straight wins. In his last two games he threw six touchdowns and no interceptions, after previously posting two interceptions in a win over then-No. 7 Ole Miss while still accounting for three total touchdowns.

Kiper noted that the quarterback class offers numerous options for NFL teams, though there is no clear consensus on a single top prospect. While Mestemaker retains the No. 2 spot, Kiper cautioned that no quarterback is a guaranteed success. He also highlighted the potential for a new draft-day record, as his rankings suggest seven quarterbacks could be selected in the first round, surpassing the current record of six.