Mel Kiper Jr. Makes Bold Quarterback Prediction for 2027 NFL Draft

Mel Kiper Jr., an expert on the NFL draft, is predicting a busy opening night at the 2027 draft, with five quarterbacks expected to be drafted in the first round. In the previous two drafts, two quarterbacks were selected in the first round each year, and six went in the first twelve picks in 2024. Kiper believes that the 2027 class has more experienced and refined passers, which could lead to a higher number of first-round selections.

He specifically mentioned Oregon's Dante Moore and Texas' Arch Manning as potential No. 1 overall picks, while Notre Dame's CJ Carr, Miami's Darian Mensah, and USC's Jayden Maiava are among his top first-round choices. Kiper also highlighted Ohio State's Julian Sayin, Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker, and LSU's Sam Leavitt as other potential first-round selections.

However, he cautioned that the true test for these quarterbacks will be their performance on the field. Despite the uncertainty, Kiper remains optimistic, stating that there might be a dozen quarterbacks who could make it into the first round, but it ultimately depends on their performance.