Ian Cummings’ first weekly 2027 NFL Draft stock report after Week 6 of the college season features four risers and one faller. Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, Indiana receiver Nick Marsh, Tennessee defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam and Georgia linebacker Chris Cole climb. Texas quarterback Arch Manning is the featured faller after the Red River Rivalry loss to Oklahoma.
Mestemaker into the QB1 conversation
Cummings said Mestemaker’s slow start against Tulsa briefly made him wonder whether the Oklahoma State transfer might be a 2028 prospect. In the four games since, Mestemaker has posted weekly impact scores above 78 each time, with three straight above 83. Over that stretch he has more than 1,300 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions, including two games over 14 yards per attempt.
On film, Cummings sees a growing processor who is willing to throw into the middle of the field and can still create off platform. He still wants cleaner drop-back discipline and fewer velocity drains from mechanics, but he now grades Mestemaker QB3 in a tight cluster with Trinidad Chambliss and Austin Simmons and says Mestemaker belongs in the QB1 conversation.
Marsh and Gilliam surge
Marsh, a Michigan State transfer at Indiana, put up six catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska. Cummings still grades teammate Charlie Becker higher overall but says Marsh has broken into his top five receivers and reinforced first-round standing with about 4.3 yards per route run this season.
Gilliam has the No. 1 defensive tackle impact grade in the country at 98.7, nearly four points clear of the next player. He has five sacks, 10 tackles for loss and a 15.4 percent pressure rate, and Cummings says he has entered the round-one discussion and the DT1 conversation alongside names like Justin Scott, David Stone and Will Echoles.
Cole to LB1; Manning slips
Cole entered the year with a Day 2 grade. Cummings now has him as his LB1 after a 94.6 linebacker impact score that ranks second nationally, 15 pressures (top 10 among off-ball linebackers) and a 69.2 passer rating allowed in coverage. The Alabama game, where Georgia used him as a spy, showed the versatility Cummings wants to see.
Manning went 19-of-31 for more than 260 yards and three touchdowns against Oklahoma but also threw two interceptions, including the late pick that decided the game. Cummings still sees high-end physical ability on deep throws under pressure, but he flagged slow progression speed, late second reads and decision-making in tight spots. He still has Manning in his top 30, but outside his top three quarterbacks and no longer close to QB1.
Cummings said he will run the five-prospect stock format every week for the rest of the cycle. The 2027 NFL Draft runs April 29 through May 1 in Washington, D.C.
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