Ranking top 10 2027 NFL Draft prospects: Ohio State lands two in top four ahead of Michigan showdown

You may have heard whispers about the potential class in the 2027 NFL Draft class. So much so that there were even articles written here on CBSsports.com outlining how it could impact decision-making at the trade deadline. 

After diving deep into the tape, I'm here to confirm the rumors are true. The 2027 group already features five position players I'd classify as blue-chip prospects, with several others who could easily reach that level over the next year and a half. The last time a class even approached this was 2021, and we've seen how that turned out with Ja'Marr Chase, Penei Sewell, Patrick Surtain II and Micah Parsons all living up to the billing in the NFL.

While quarterback projections are always difficult this far out, two have already done enough in their first year as starters to crack this top 10. Their paths couldn't be more different -- one a consensus five-star at a blue-blood program, the other a Group of Five walk-on. They'll likely be joined by multiple quarterbacks who are currently draft eligible but opt to return for 20263.

1. WR Jeremiah Smith

Smith has topped 2,200 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career -- all before his 20th birthday. He ranked No. 1 on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List with an 11-foot broad jump, 38-inch vertical, 20 bench reps and a GPS peak of 23.5 mph at 6-feet-3 and 223 pounds.

I haven't evaluated a prospect with his blend of athleticism, production and technical polish in a decade of doing this. He also has some of the best hands you'll see, with just three career drops. A true franchise-changing receiver prospect.

2. EDGE Colin Simmons

Simmons is the kind of twitchy edge defender everyone covets in today's NFL. He can not only run around offensive tackles but also go through them -- a rarity for a 240-pound edge, and even more so for a true sophomore.

He's elevated his play against top competition, averaging over five pressures per game across seven SEC matchups this season. I don't see a scenario where he falls outside the top 10 picks in 2027.

3. EDGE Dylan Stewart

Stewart is still more athlete than refined pass rusher, but there haven't been many edge prospects in college football history as naturally gifted. At 6-feet-6 and 248 pounds, he moves like an NBA small forward.

While he hasn't made the leap in refinement I'd hoped after racking up 51 pressures as a freshman in 2024, there's still so much to work with that it feels like only a matter of time before he becomes a dominant pass rusher at the NFL level.

4. QB Julian Sayin

Sayin is on the verge of not only breaking the single-season completion percentage record in college football but shattering it. His 79.4% mark is 2.0 percentage points ahead of the previous record set by Bo Nix in 2023. 

While it helps to have two likely top-10 picks at receiver, Sayin pretty much doesn't miss on tape. He also avoids putting the ball in harm's way, with only four turnover-worthy plays all season, perr PFF. That's quite the combination for a first-year starter.

The biggest concern for Sayin moving forward is his size. Listed at 6-feet-1 and 208 pounds, he appears noticeably underdeveloped physically. The good news is that's obviously fixable -- and he has more than enough time to address it.

2026 NFL mock draft: Serving up first-round projections as playoff picture comes into focus this Thanksgiving

Blake Brockermeyer

5. WR Cam Coleman

Don't let Coleman's stats fool you -- he's every bit a No. 1 wide receiver prospect in his own right. If he weren't in the same class as Jeremiah Smith and playing in a more competent passing offense, he'd likely already be a household name.

He has a lanky 6-foot-3 frame with elite deep speed and outstanding footwork for a taller receiver, and he can run the full route tree with ease.

To fully justify this top-five buzz, however, Coleman needs to clean up the drop issues we've seen on tape (six drops on 58 catchable targets this season).

6. CB Leonard Moore

Moore was Notre Dame's best corner as a true freshman starter on its runner-up team last year, and he's only elevated his play this season. He's recorded four interceptions and four pass breakups and has allowed just 192 yards on 41 targets.

He can win with both his length and movement skills -- a scary combination, and one shared by nearly all elite NFL corners.

7. DT David Stone

NFL-caliber power in the trenches stands out like a sore thumb on college tape. When that power comes from a true sophomore like Stone, it makes you feel pretty confident about what he'll develop into. His 18 run stops rank 13th among Power Four defensive tackles, while his 23 pressures rank 12th.

There's a very good chance Stone becomes Oklahoma's first defensive lineman to go in Round 1 since Gerald McCoy was taken third overall in 2010.

8. OT Jordan Seaton

Seaton is a former five-star tackle recruit who stepped in as Shedeur Sanders' blind-side protector as a true freshman last year. He's already one of the best pass blockers in college football, allowing just seven pressures this season. With how easily he moves, it's hard to believe he's a jumbo tackle at 330 pounds. It's not hard to spot the kind of athletes who get drafted highly at offensive tackle -- and Seaton is clearly one of them.

9. WR Mario Craver

Craver doesn't fit the prototype of the other receivers on this list or the ones traditionally drafted in the top 10, but turn on the tape and you'll see the most electric receiver in college football. He's more in the mold of players like Tavon Austin or Jaylen Waddle -- elite athletically in every phase.

What makes me confident he can break the smaller-receiver mold is how physically he plays. Whether attacking the ball in the air or breaking tackles after the catch, Craver never backs down. He's totaled 47 catches for 781 yards and four touchdowns this season, with 18 broken tackles.

10. Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas

Mestemaker has been the best story in college football this season. The former walk-on leads the nation with 9.6 yards per attempt in his first season as a starter -- and when I say first season as a starter, I mean ever. Well, close to it. His last start came on the freshman team at Vandegrift High School in Austin before backing up Louisville quarterback Deuce Adams on varsity the rest of his career. 

That's hard to believe considering (1) how impressive the 6-foot-4 quarterback's arm is and (2) how unflappable he's been. With North Texas head coach Eric Morris recently taking the Oklahoma State job, Mestemaker looks like he'll be the crown jewel of this year's transfer portal.

Meet Drew Mestemaker: North Texas QB enjoying breakout after never starting varsity game in high school

Shehan Jeyarajah