Could the first 10 picks of the 2027 NFL Draft go by without a quarterback? Dane Brugler says it is possible. In a midseason mailbag published Thursday, he answered reader questions on the shaky quarterback class, the prospects who deserve more attention, the season’s biggest disappointments and Houston quarterback Conner Weigman, who has gone from undraftable grades in August to a possible Day 2 pick.
| Question | Brugler’s answer |
|---|---|
| A top 10 with no quarterback? | Possible, depending on who declares; it has happened only twice in 25 years (2013 and 2022) |
| Underrated prospects | USC OT Elijah Paige, Kentucky edge Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace |
| Biggest disappointments (non-QB) | Texas OT Trevor Goosby, Oklahoma DT David Stone |
| Biggest leaps | Utah OT Zereoue Williams, Tennessee DT Xavier Gilliam; also Devan Thompkins, Jason Moore, Sammy Omosigho, DJ McKinney |
| Top FCS prospects | Youngstown State OT Desmeal Leigh, Yale S Abu Kamara; also Ty Pennington, Eli Gillman, Marquis Buchanan |
| Conner Weigman | Too early for a round grade, but he could get into the Day 2 mix |
| Tackle-to-guard candidates | Indiana’s Carter Smith, Missouri’s Cayden Green (best at tackle), Iowa’s Trevor Lauck |
A quarterback class that may not reach the top 10
The first quarterback has come off the board outside the top 10 only twice in the last 25 drafts, in 2013 and 2022. Brugler wrote that 2027 could be the third time, because most of the top passers can still go back to school, and in the NIL era several probably will. Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss and USC’s Jayden Maiava are out of eligibility. Everyone else in the top group has a choice to make.
Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker is still his QB1 at midseason, but Brugler pointed out that Mestemaker lacks experience and will have lucrative offers to stay in college. He described Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Miami’s Darian Mensah as accurate passers who see the field well but lack top-tier physical tools. Both are seen as likely first-rounders, but neither is a top-10 lock, which could affect whether they declare. On the other side, he suggested some quarterbacks may look at Dante Moore, who has been out since a September 26 concussion and who Brugler thinks likely would have been a top-five pick had he come out last year, and decide to leave while their stock is high.
That fits what the mock drafts show. In our tally of 18 recent mocks, Mestemaker was the first quarterback taken in 13 of them, and Arch Manning missed the first round entirely in five.
Conner Weigman’s second act
A reader asked when Weigman would get more attention. Brugler gave him credit for reinventing himself. The former five-star Texas A&M recruit drew first-round buzz after four starts in 2023, struggled in 2024 and lost his job to Marcel Reed, then had a solid 2025 at Houston that still did not earn him draftable grades from NFL scouts. As a fifth-year senior he has 20 touchdown passes through seven games, and Brugler said he is at his best on rollouts and bootlegs, where he can throw accurately down the field on the move. There are still reckless moments on his tape. Scouts told Brugler it is too early to give Weigman a round grade, but he could work his way into the Day 2 mix.
Weigman led Houston to a 35-32 win over Mestemaker and Oklahoma State last Saturday. He gets another national stage this weekend at unbeaten Utah, which kicks off at 10:15 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The prospects who need more attention
Brugler’s two picks for prospects not getting enough national attention were USC left tackle Elijah Paige and Kentucky edge rusher Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace. Paige, listed at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, missed USC’s last game with an injury but played at a high level through the first six. Brugler said he shows clear NFL starting talent in pass protection, and scouts are waiting to see him against Ohio State on October 31. Humphrey-Grace, a South Dakota transfer, is 6-3 1/2 and 269 pounds with arms close to 35 inches. Brugler wrote that he won a few reps against LSU left tackle Jordan Seaton, a top-five pick in several mocks, and has worked his way into the Day 2 picture.
Goosby and Stone have disappointed
Asked for disappointments other than quarterbacks, Brugler skipped Arch Manning and named Manning’s left tackle, Trevor Goosby. Goosby came into the season with first-round grades from NFL teams but has not played to them, especially as a run blocker, where his average athleticism shows and his technique and angles break down too often. Goosby is still a top-10 pick in several mocks, including seventh in Cody Williams’s Oct. 23 update.
Brugler said Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone, a former five-star recruit he ranked 32nd on his preseason board, has been on a milk carton. Through six games Stone has nearly as many missed tackles (three) as pressures (five).
The biggest leaps: Zereoue Williams and Xavier Gilliam
Brugler named Utah left tackle Zereoue Williams as the player who has improved the most. A first-year starter who is no longer stuck behind two first-round tackles, Williams has been dominant in pass protection, though his inexperience shows in the run game. Tennessee defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, a backup at Penn State last season who followed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Knoxville, has been dominant wherever he lines up, and Brugler wrote that he should land in Round 1. He also listed Alabama’s Devan Thompkins, Ohio State’s Jason Moore, UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho and Notre Dame cornerback DJ McKinney as defenders who have made big jumps.
FCS names and tackles who may move to guard
Only four FCS players were drafted last year, down from an average of 14.8 a year from 2010 to 2025, a drop Brugler tied to the transfer portal. His top-ranked FCS prospect is Youngstown State left tackle Desmeal Leigh, a late bloomer at 6-6 and 325 pounds with 35 1/2-inch arms. Area scouts also like Yale safety Abu Kamara. Brugler added Northern Arizona quarterback Ty Pennington (19 total touchdowns), Montana running back Eli Gillman (over 1,000 rushing yards at 7.1 per carry) and Rhode Island receiver Marquis Buchanan.
For tackles who could move to guard, he named Indiana’s Carter Smith, whom several teams see as a guard, and Missouri’s Cayden Green, who has a guard’s frame but whose strengths fit better at tackle. Both are considered Day 2 prospects. Iowa’s Trevor Lauck has first-round talent, but Brugler passed along a scout’s prediction that Lauck’s arms will measure just short of 33 inches at the combine, with a more forgiving number at his pro day.
All-star games swap dates
The all-star calendar is also set. Brugler noted that the Senior Bowl will be played January 30, 2027, in Mobile, Alabama, and the East-West Shrine Bowl on February 4 in Arlington, Texas. It is the first time since 1993 that the Senior Bowl comes before the Shrine Bowl.
Weigman, Gilliam and Seaton all play Saturday. Our Week 8 viewing guide has kickoff times for every first-round prospect.
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