EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWe're still eight-plus months from the start of the 2027 NFL draft, but the excitement for this class is nearing a midseason pitch. And a lot of that surrounds the quarterbacks who might be on the board next April.This group was expected to be loaded even before Oregon's Dante Moore and Texas' Arch Manning decided to return to school for the 2026 college football season. With those two leading the way, we could see four or more signal-callers go off the board in Round 1. There are also plenty of candidates to rise and some really interesting midround prospects in the mix.I tiered every draft-eligible and draft-worthy quarterback -- I ended up with 31 names -- by early grades. I placed them into Rounds 1-7 based on my personal film study and discussions with scouts and evaluators around the NFL. To be clear, this absolutely does not mean all of these players will be in the 2027 draft. Some will return to school, some won't make the expected leap this season. But this should be an indicator of where they would grade if the draft were taking place next week. There's plenty of time for these players to rise and fall (and declare).So let's get the ball rolling with the first-rounders, which include several players who don't need much introduction. But you can jump to each round to see where the 31 passers fall right now. (QBs are listed alphabetically within each tier.)Jump to a round:1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7Round 1CJ Carr, Notre DameCarr never looked back after winning Notre Dame's starting spot, finishing last season with 2,741 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions while showing flashes as the year progressed. He now enters a pivotal season with heightened expectations. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Carr is an even-keeled distributor with enough arm strength to make things happen, and his feet and eyes are routinely tied together. He'll be the focal point of the Fighting Irish offense after they lost two first-round running backs. If he flourishes with that new responsibility, it's easy to see him being one of the first passers picked next April."To be so young, I love how well he sees the field," an AFC assistant GM said. "I don't think he has the physical gifts of some others in this group, but I can easily see him jumping all of them because of his processing ability."Arch Manning, TexasThere wasn't a player with higher expectations entering last season than Manning. And a disappointing first month was followed by a strong back half, as Manning finished with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He added another 399 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Manning has high-end physical tools but hasn't put them all together for long stretches. His biggest improvement must come in short-to-intermediate throws. His 9% off-target rate on throws of 10 air yards or less was 17th worst among starters in the FBS last season."He has a lot to prove to me this year, but he finished the year strong," an NFC evaluator said. "If he can clean up the lower-body mechanics and underneath accuracy, he has a chance to be the first one picked."Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma StateMestemaker is arguably the best story in college football. Despite being a walk-on who didn't start in high school, he threw for an FBS-best 4,379 passing yards at North Texas last season. He also had 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Despite a small sample size (14 starts), many evaluators are intrigued by Mestemaker's raw tools. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has a strong arm that's coupled with daring confidence. He has never played a Power 4 opponent, but Mestemaker will have a chance to showcase his skills in the Big 12. And there are scouts who believe he could make a meteoric rise."He's the one that I can see being the one that goes before all of them," an AFC area scout said.Dante Moore, OregonAfter contemplating entering the 2026 draft, Moore returns as one of the top contenders for the No. 1 pick. Last season was his first as a full-time starter, with Moore finishing with 3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 71.8% of his passes. A natural thrower, he has squeaky clean mechanics that help him distribute the ball. Moore is decisive and operates with a balanced base when he's protected. Scouts want to see him perform better against high-quality opponents in 2026, though, as eight of Moore's 10 interceptions last season came against ranked teams."He's really good when he's in-rhythm and not under constant duress, but outside of Iowa and Penn State, we just didn't see that enough from him in those big matchups," an NFC director of scouting said. "I'm glad he went back because we'll get another season of tape on him and see him in those high-leverage moments again."Round 2Trinidad Chambliss, Ole MissDarian Mensah, MiamiJulian Sayin, Ohio StateLaNorris Sellers, South CarolinaMensah finished with 3,973 passing yards, 34 touchdowns and six interceptions last season in helping lead Duke to the ACC championship. Now he moves to Miami, which has had success with transfer quarterbacks such as Cam Ward (No. 1 pick, 2025) and Carson Beck (third round, 2026) the past two seasons. Mensah is a polished dual-threat passer who can make plays outside of structure. Scouts want to see him intensify his pass velocity and work on his ball security.Chambliss could be the most dynamic QB in the class. He was remarkable at the end of last season in leading Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals. While he doesn't have ideal size at 6 feet, 205 pounds, Chambliss has navigated the transition from Division II Ferris State to the SEC in expert fashion. Further improvement will get him in the Round 1 mix.There are very few neutral opinions on Sayin and Sellers. Scouts are either all the way in or not sold on their next-level potential. Sayin is a point guard-like distributor whose game centers on accuracy (FBS-high 77% completion rate last season). Some evaluators see him as a Round 1-caliber player, while others question his physical tools and have him in the Day 2 range. Sellers is the exact opposite, as he has all-world tools at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds but hasn't quite figured out how to be a consistent passer.Round 3Sam Leavitt, LSUJayden Maiava, USCJohn Mateer, OklahomaMaiava is a poised pocket passer who played well last season, finishing with 3,711 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He thrives when pushing the ball down the field, leading the FBS with 37 completions on passes of 20 or more air yards. Maiava has a tendency to compound mistakes, which he'll have to fix if he wants to move up the board.Leavitt broke out in 2024 at Arizona State but only played seven games in an injury-marred 2025 campaign. He transferred to LSU, where he could be in position for a massive leap in Lane Kiffin's offense, which has been a boon to signal-callers like Jaxson Dart and Chambliss. Leavitt's traits align well with Kiffin's up-tempo scheme, but the QB will have to show more patience in the pocket and not be as eager to run or make off-schedule plays.Mateer started last season hot, but a hand injury derailed his progress, as he never returned to his early-season form following surgery. Mateer is tough and an electric thrower, though his shortstop-like release can be a gift and a curse. He is capable of making any throw on the field, but his scattershot accuracy must improve if he wants to boost his stock.Round 4CJ Bailey, NC StateJaden Craig, TCUNico Iamaleava, UCLADrake Lindsey, MinnesotaThis tier can be classified as the "toolsy, but I want to see more" group. Bailey was one of the better underclassman passers I saw when scouting on the road last season. He has an impressive frame at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, but he needs to play better against high-quality opponents. Craig is a sleeper to keep an eye on as he transitions to TCU from Harvard, where he was the Crimson's all-time leader in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. And Lindsey is a big, strong-armed pocket passer many scouts have identified as a potential riser -- but he might be a better fit for the 2028 class.Round 5Josh Hoover, IndianaKevin Jennings, SMUHoover gets to step into the shoes of Heisman Trophy winner, national champion and No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. Hoover is more agile than Mendoza, making him a perfect fit in Indiana's RPO-centric offense, though he needs to limit turnovers. Jennings, meanwhile, is an underrated dual-threat passer, finishing with 3,641 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season. He's a chore to defend, as he can slice and dice defenses with his arm and his legs. Jennings has been mentioned as a popular Day 3 option by scouts.Round 6Rocco Becht, Penn StateKatin Houser, IllinoisDJ Lagway, BaylorDemond Williams Jr., WashingtonLagway is hoping a fresh start leads to better results at Baylor after two disappointing, injury-plagued seasons at Florida. He has attention-getting physical tools at 6-foot-3 and 237 pounds, but consistency and durability are major issues in which he'll need to show growth. Williams is undersized at 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds, but few are as elusive at the position. His athleticism -- combined with a whippy throwing motion -- could make him a worthy late-round dart throw.Round 7Steve Angeli, SyracuseByrum Brown, AuburnAidan Chiles, NorthwesternJordan Cooke, Idaho StateAvery Johnson, Kansas StateChase Mason, South Dakota StateTy Pennington, Northern ArizonaBrendan Sorsby, N/AGunner Stockton, GeorgiaJaylen Raynor, Iowa StateSorsby sticks out on this list, but he will sit out the entire 2026 season after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA and withdrawing his appeal, along with the NFL electing to not hold a supplemental draft. Pennington is another player to keep an eye on. A top FCS passer, he is an accurate thrower (65% completion rate in 2025) with adequate arm strength. He caught my eye when I was studying QBs this summer and is a late-round hopeful.
