Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Next year’s quarterback class is supposed to be really good in the 2027 NFL Draft. It was just a year ago that analysts were pointing to the 2026 group as well above average with as many as five or six potential first-round talents to choose from. It was going to be perfect timing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and their 12 draft picks. Even assistant GM Andy Weidl made public comment on the strength of the class in August.

Time wasn’t kind to that calculation with just one slam-dunk first-round option in the upcoming class. Will the 2027 group live up to the hype? At least one notable analyst isn’t worried about repeating past mistakes. Todd McShay went a step further, labeling the 2027 group a “historic QB class” on his quarterback deep dive via The McShay Show.

“We literally were talking to general managers in the league talking about what’s the one position you do look ahead into next year, and it’s absolutely factoring into the decisions,” McShay said. “There are two organizations out there, everything they’ve done this offseason, and maybe three, but two that I know defintively…is to get ready for next year because they’re gonna get their quarterback next year. Every personnel move they’re making right now starting from last year has been for the 2027 class.

“It’s Arch Manning, it’s Dante Moore, and it’s Brendan Sorsby. Those are the top three.”

Those may be the top three names right now, but he reminded his audience that guys like Cam Ward and Jayden Daniels were viewed as mid-round picks before a strong final season in college propelled them to top-pick status. McShay went on to list 15 quarterbacks by name.

– Arch Manning (Texas)
– Dante Moore (Oregon)
– Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech)
– CJ Carr (Notre Dame)
– LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)
– Julian Sayin (Ohio State)
– Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss)
– Darian Mensah (Miami)
– Jayden Maiava (USC)
– Sam Leavitt (LSU)
– John Mateer (Oklahoma)
– Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State)
– Gunner Stockton (Georgia)
– Josh Hoover (TCU)
– Nico Iamaleava (UCLA)

I would even go a step further and list guys like Penn State’s Rocco Becht and Florida’s DJ Lagway as other sleepers in the class that McShay didn’t mention. A portion of those names will return to school for another season of eligibility, as was the case with Sellers, Manning, Moore, and others this year. Several others won’t pan out like Cade Klubnik or Garrett Nussmeier in 2026.

The 1983 and 2024 QB classes yielded a record six first-round picks at the position. So by labeling the 2027 class as “historic,” McShay is saying there could be at least seven potential first-round prospects. And because of the strength of next year’s class, he thinks many of the 2026 names will fall further down the draft boards than expected. Perhaps guys like Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier, Carson Beck, and Cole Payton will be available in the fifth and sixth rounds as teams opt to look ahead to 2027.

The Steelers aren’t slated to have any additional draft capital in 2027, including zero projected compensatory picks, but a deep class would still give them a fighting chance at landing their next quarterback of the future.

“When we turn the page in this draft in June at some point, it is going to be one of the wildest 10-month runs that I’ve ever experienced in my 26 years of doing this,” McShay said.