Longtime ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. didn’t spring any surprises to lead off his newest 2027 big board.
Kiper ranked Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith as the No. 1 player in the class. The player in the No. 2 spot might raise some eyebrows, though: Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
In what may or may not be a shock, Texas quarterback Arch Manning was all the way down in 24th and the sixth-best at his position. Oregon’s Dante Moore was one spot below in 25th.
Coming into the season, the pair were generally considered two of the top signal-callers on the board.
Moore is still sidelined with a concussion, and Kiper asserted the Ducks star “has to show he can take over some games against top-tier competition.” Manning, meanwhile, is still too erratic and inconsistent for a quarterback into his fourth year of college.
In Bleacher Report’s newest mock draft, the Longhorns QB fell out of the first round altogether.
Mestemaker was the first quarterback off the board, going third overall to the Miami Dolphins.
The redshirt sophomore threw for 4,3979 yards and 34 touchdowns with North Texas last season, and he’s surpassing that pace at Oklahoma State. Through the Cowboys’ first five games, he has 1,575 passing yards and 13 TDs through the air.
When he’s assured of pocketing millions in NIL money, Mestemaker could put off the NFL for another season depending on what he and his reps are hearing from talent evaluators.
The 1996 draft (Keyshawn Johnson) is the last time a wide receiver went No. 1, and it has only happened two other times in history. Next spring, Smith could plausibly be the fourth to join the group.
The Buckeyes wideout has 48 receptions for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns, having led the Big Ten in receiving yards in 2024 and 2025. He’s perhaps a generational talent at his position, with ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranking him second from the last 50 years behind only Hall of Famer Randy Moss.
For three decades, the positional value chart has made it difficult to justify picking a receiver first overall. Smith might be just that good, and it will help if there isn’t a quarterback prospect who’s universally viewed as a can’t-miss talent.