2027 NFL Mock Draft: Jets positioned with 3 top-12 picks, plus each team makes at least one selection

Following Week 7 of the NFL season, the New York Jets are in possession of three picks within the top-12 overall. It could be a franchise-altering draft if they select the right quarterback. 

In this thought exercise, the assumption is that Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons will return to school. However, there are still five quarterbacks taken in the first round. 

The draft order is based on current win-loss records and strength of schedule was utilized for tiebreakers. It is also worth noting that the Browns have two first-round picks as part of prior trades involving veteran players. That's also how the Jets received their three first-round selections.

Without further ado, let's kick this off!

The 2027 NFL Draft will take place April 29-May 1 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. You can find more draft coverage at CBSSports.com, including weekly mock drafts and updated prospect rankings.

NFL Mock Draft

Round 1

Round 1 - Pick 1 Jeremiah Smith WR Ohio State • Jr • 6'4" / 222 lbs Projected Team L.A. Chargers PROSPECT RNK 1st POSITION RNK 1st Jeremiah Smith is the best prospect eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft, but a need at quarterback may reign supreme for some teams. If Los Angeles moves forward with Justin Herbert, they can simply take the best player available. The real question is, who will be Smith's head coach?

Round 1 - Pick 2 Leonard Moore CB Notre Dame • Jr • 6'2" / 197 lbs Projected Team Tennessee PROSPECT RNK 2nd POSITION RNK 1st Leonard Moore is the most clean prospect beyond Jeremiah Smith. There are no questions about his size, athletic traits or production. Edge rushers Colin Simmons and Dylan Stewart were in consideration for this pick as well.

Round 1 - Pick 3 Drew Mestemaker QB Oklahoma State • Soph • 6'3" / 215 lbs Projected Team Miami PROSPECT RNK 4th POSITION RNK 1st To this point in the college football season, Drew Mestemaker has performed like the best quarterback prospect. Malik Willis' contract is not prohibitive of the Dolphins pressing the reset button with a new quarterback. The Dolphins need to upgrade arguably the most talent deficient roster in the NFL.

Round 1 - Pick 4 Colin Simmons EDGE Texas • Jr • 6'3" / 246 lbs Projected Team Washington PROSPECT RNK 5th POSITION RNK 2nd Given the investment in its pass rushers, Washington has greater needs, but can not bypass the best player in this position. There would be a conversation for Indiana wide receiver Charlie Becker and South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart as well.

Round 1 - Pick 5 Dylan Stewart EDGE South Carolina • Jr • 6'5" / 250 lbs Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 3rd POSITION RNK 1st Similar to Washington, Houston has greater needs than a pass rusher. In this situation, they would likely entertain offers to trade down, which would allow them to further address the offensive line. As it stands, they construct an elite pass rush trio and bring in the heir apparent to Danielle Hunter. There was consideration for Indiana wide receiver Charlie Becker, but the franchise has invested so much into that position that it was a non-starter unless they move Nico Collins at the trade deadline.

Round 1 - Pick 6 Charlie Becker WR Indiana • Jr • 6'4" / 208 lbs Projected Team Philadelphia PROSPECT RNK 9th POSITION RNK 2nd Philadelphia would want to address the trenches in this situation, but the juice is not worth the squeeze. Charlie Becker is the best available prospect and gives them a formidable pairing with Devonta Smith. Makai Lemon has not given them much yet.

From Indianapolis Colts Round 1 - Pick 7 CJ Carr QB Notre Dame • Jr • 6'2" / 215 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 10th POSITION RNK 2nd New York attains its quarterback of the future in the form of Notre Dame's C.J. Carr. They have added talent to this roster, but the coaching staff has underperformed. The right head coaching hire could put the Jets in a position to take a big leap next year.

Round 1 - Pick 8 Darian Mensah QB Miami (Fla.) • Jr • 6'3" / 205 lbs Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 81st POSITION RNK 8th Coming into the season, I was relatively low on Darian Mensah. He has good size and is operating efficiently within the pocket: stepping up from pressure, throwing with touch and targeting all three levels of the field. It appears that Mensah will be playing in high-leverage games later this season, so those moments will be valuable in his scouting process.

Round 1 - Pick 9 Trey'Dez Green TE LSU • Jr • 6'7" / 242 lbs Projected Team Tampa Bay PROSPECT RNK 30th POSITION RNK 2nd Traits reign supreme in the NFL Draft. Although Trey'Dez Green has missed almost all of the season due to a lower-body injury, he is 6-foot-7-inches and has the athleticism to make the most of that size advantage. Baker Mayfield had been accustomed to having a big body in the pass game like Mike Evans, so Green allows him that advantage once again.

Round 1 - Pick 10 Ashton Hampton CB Clemson • Jr • 6'2" / 205 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 7th POSITION RNK 2nd After finishing last season with zero interceptions, the Jets have one pick in 2026. There is no rest for the weary, however. With the long and physical Ashton Hampton, New York may even get two interceptions.

Round 1 - Pick 11 Chris Cole LB Georgia • Jr • 6'3" / 235 lbs Projected Team New Orleans PROSPECT RNK 16th POSITION RNK 1st Georgia's Chris Cole is one of the best pound-for-pound athletes in this draft class. New Orleans could go in a different direction, but traits reign supreme in the NFL Draft.

From Dallas Cowboys Round 1 - Pick 12 Will Echoles DL Ole Miss • Jr • 6'3" / 315 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 13th POSITION RNK 2nd New York first selected its quarterback of the future, then found replacements for Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. A first-round haul of Miami quarterback C.J. Carr, Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton, and Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles would certainly make next season interesting.

Round 1 - Pick 13 Cam Coleman WR Texas • Jr • 6'3" / 204 lbs Projected Team Las Vegas PROSPECT RNK 17th POSITION RNK 3rd Las Vegas adds Texas wide receiver Cam Coleman to its collection of young offensive talent. Imagine the Raiders being able to utilize Brock Bowers outside in the formation when they want to, rather than because he is all they have.

From Los Angeles Rams Round 1 - Pick 14 Yhonzae Pierre EDGE Alabama • Sr • 6'4" / 251 lbs Projected Team Cleveland PROSPECT RNK 47th POSITION RNK 8th Yhonzae Pierre would give Cleveland the type of pass rusher who is different from the group currently assembled. He is a great athlete at a premium position.

Round 1 - Pick 15 Jordan Seaton OT LSU • Jr • 6'5" / 311 lbs Projected Team Atlanta PROSPECT RNK 11th POSITION RNK 2nd Jake Matthews is nearly 35 years old, and Jawaan Taylor is not the solution at right tackle. Atlanta does not want to find itself in a position where it has to add two offensive tackles in the same offseason.

Round 1 - Pick 16 Trevor Goosby OT Texas • Sr • 6'7" / 325 lbs Projected Team Baltimore PROSPECT RNK 8th POSITION RNK 1st Left tackle-right tackle, it does not really matter at this point. Baltimore has to be more aggressive in its efforts to fix the offensive line. Cam Jurgens will almost certainly be a part of that picture, given that the team sent a second-round choice to Philadelphia as part of the deal.

Round 1 - Pick 17 Ellis Robinson IV CB Georgia • Jr • 6'0" / 180 lbs Projected Team Seattle PROSPECT RNK 24th POSITION RNK 3rd The Seahawks have been cycling through other teams' cast-offs to fill the depth chart at cornerback this season. The hope is that Ellis Robinson IV gives them a viable starter in a secondary that already has Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori.

Round 1 - Pick 18 Jadan Baugh RB Florida • Jr • 6'1" / 225 lbs Projected Team New England PROSPECT RNK 19th POSITION RNK 1st It feels as though Rhamondre Stevenson is perpetually in the doghouse and TreVeyon Henderson is viewed more as an auxiliary piece than a focal point of the offense. Jadan Baugh is a bigger back with a physical play style that would be endearing to Mike Vrabel.

Round 1 - Pick 19 Greg Johnson IOL Minnesota • Sr • 6'6" / 325 lbs Projected Team Carolina PROSPECT RNK 14th POSITION RNK 2nd Carolina could move on from Robert Hunt in the offseason and save $14 million toward the salary cap. The Panthers' offensive line has the third-highest pressure rate allowed this season, according to TruMedia. They have options at offensive tackle, so the interior should be the focus. Greg Johnson would bring stability to the unit.

From Green Bay Packers Round 1 - Pick 20 Xavier Gilliam DL Tennessee • Jr • 6'2" / 305 lbs Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 6th POSITION RNK 1st One of the biggest risers in the cycle to this point is Tennessee defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam. He has the quickness to hop gaps and create quick pressures, but he also has a diverse pass rush arsenal to win late in the down as well.

Round 1 - Pick 21 David Stone DL Oklahoma • Jr • 6'3" / 315 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Giants PROSPECT RNK 40th POSITION RNK 5th New York's search for interior defensive line assistance comes to a head with the selection of David Stone. The Giants will have one of the best collections of front-seven talent with his addition.

Round 1 - Pick 22 Kingston Lopa S California • Soph • 6'5" / 210 lbs Projected Team Jacksonville PROSPECT RNK 50th POSITION RNK 1st Kingston Lopa is a tall safety who plays with great range and has managed unimpeachable ball production in a short time as a starter for a rudderless California team. Lopa has to do a better job tackling, but everything Liam Coen and his coaching staff have touched has turned to gold.

Round 1 - Pick 23 Lance Heard OT Kentucky • Sr • 6'6" / 325 lbs Projected Team Cincinnati PROSPECT RNK 20th POSITION RNK 3rd Orlando Brown Jr. has been on the decline. Cincinnati could conceivably part with him after this season or allow Lance Heard to sit out his rookie season and take over full-time in 2028. Amarius Mims is developing nicely as the franchise right tackle.

Round 1 - Pick 24 Kelley Jones CB Mississippi State • Sr • 6'4" / 205 lbs Projected Team Pittsburgh PROSPECT RNK 27th POSITION RNK 4th Pittsburgh traded away Joey Porter Jr. and are now tasked with re-stocking the position. Kelley Jones has a different profile than the cornerbacks targeted by the Steelers in the past, but Mike McCarthy was outside of tendency as well.

Round 1 - Pick 25 Boubacar Traore EDGE Notre Dame • Sr • 6'5" / 253 lbs Projected Team Detroit PROSPECT RNK 29th POSITION RNK 6th Cornerback is a bigger need, but it may be easier to attack that position on Day 2. Detroit used a second-round pick on edge rusher Derrick Moore in 2026, but the team should not stop there, given its issues in recent years.

Round 1 - Pick 26 Dante Moore QB Oregon • Sr • 6'3" / 220 lbs Projected Team Cleveland PROSPECT RNK 45th POSITION RNK 5th Dante Moore faces a fascinating decision. He has one more season of eligibility, but the idea of returning to an Oregon team that has fallen well short of expectations is not as obvious as it was when he made a similar decision in January. However, the idea of transferring, falling into another subpar situation and tanking his stock even more is also less than ideal. He may be better off taking his chances in the NFL.

Round 1 - Pick 27 Jamari Johnson TE Oregon • Sr • 6'5" / 255 lbs Projected Team Denver PROSPECT RNK 25th POSITION RNK 1st Denver took two tight ends on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, but neither has the skill set Sean Payton is looking for in that role. Jamari Johnson has good movement and can be a weapon in both the run and pass games.

Round 1 - Pick 28 A'Mauri Washington DL Oregon • Sr • 6'3" / 325 lbs Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 34th POSITION RNK 4th Chicago is primarily leaning on veterans along the defensive interior after its draft investments in Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens did not pan out, but it still needs an infusion of youth.

Round 1 - Pick 29 Brauntae Johnson S Notre Dame • Jr • 6'2" / 200 lbs A change in defensive coordinator was not the cure-all for Buffalo's defensive woes. Tae Johnson is an instinctual safety who should bring some accountability back to the Bills' secondary.

Round 1 - Pick 30 Ryan Coleman-Williams WR Alabama • Jr • 6'0" / 184 lbs I toyed with the idea of giving San Francisco an offensive tackle, but Trent Williams' contract seems to take that off the table, and it has never worked out for me the countless times I have gone down that path in the past, anyway. The 49ers' wide receiver room is old and/or oft-injured. It is difficult to make future plans based on the availability of Ricky Pearsall when that has not been the case early in his professional career. Ryan Coleman-Williams is a first-round talent who has dealt with drops. If San Francisco can coach that out of him, it is getting one of the better players in this class.

Round 1 - Pick 31 Nick Marsh WR Indiana • Jr • 6'3" / 210 lbs Projected Team Kansas City PROSPECT RNK 62nd POSITION RNK 7th Kansas City has tried to fix the receiver room, but bargain-bin shopping and Scotch tape have not worked out for them. It is time to give Patrick Mahomes a playmaker in the pass game. Could they have benefited from Denzel Boston this season?

Round 1 - Pick 32 Trinidad Chambliss QB Ole Miss • Sr • 6'0" / 210 lbs Projected Team Minnesota PROSPECT RNK 22nd POSITION RNK 4th Minnesota is the last undefeated team standing. Its record is more despite the quarterback play than in combination with it. The defense has carried the Vikings, so Kevin O'Connell returns to the well for Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who has been a gamer for the Rebels.

Teams without a first-round pick

42. Indianapolis Colts: WR Reed Harris, Arizona State

Alec Pierce is not totally proven despite signing a massive contract this offseason. He has missed most of the season recovering from an injury, and the Colts are short-staffed in his absence. Harris is a big body with great speed, who could give them another field stretcher to open the field for Tyler Warren and Josh Downs. 

49. Green Bay Packers: IOL Anthonie Knapp, Notre Dame

The Packers were taking walk-ins on their offensive line after early-season struggles. They have hired every lineman they found waiting in the unemployment line. Although those are Band-Aids to a larger issue, they reinvest in the unit through the draft. 

62. Los Angeles Rams: WR Mario Craver, Texas A&M

The Rams have not been what many had expected this season. The concept of Puka Nacua or Davante Adams being out for an extended period is its own haunted house of sorts. The latter turns 34 years old on Christmas Eve. Los Angeles will have to address the unit long-term sooner rather than later.