Mel Kiper Jr.’s first Big Board for the 2027 NFL Draft puts Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 1 and fits seven quarterbacks into the top 25, led by Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker at No. 2. Texas’ Arch Manning, a year ago the most talked-about name in the class, is down to 24th and sixth among quarterbacks.
Kiper debuted the list on Thursday, October 15, with roughly half of the college season played, and it is still his current board this week. “Smith is very clearly the best player in this draft class,” he wrote. “But one spot that might not change at all is No. 1.” He stresses it is not a mock draft but his own ranking of the best players, based on film and “some conversations I’ve had around the NFL.”
Kiper’s top 25
| Rank | Player | Pos. | School | 2026 stats on the board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah Smith | WR | Ohio State | 48 catches, 916 yards, 11 TD (6 games) |
| 2 | Drew Mestemaker | QB | Oklahoma State | 1,575 yards, 13 TD, 5 INT (5 games) |
| 3 | Leonard Moore | CB | Notre Dame | 8 tackles, 4 pass breakups (5 games) |
| 4 | Darian Mensah | QB | Miami (FL) | 84.2% completions, 15 TD, 0 INT (5 games) |
| 5 | Colin Simmons | EDGE | Texas | 9.5 sacks, 12 TFL (5 games) |
| 6 | Trinidad Chambliss | QB | Ole Miss | 1,435 yards, 11 TD, 5 rushing TD (5 games) |
| 7 | Chris Cole | LB | Georgia | 30 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 7.5 TFL (6 games) |
| 8 | CJ Carr | QB | Notre Dame | 16 TD, 1 INT (6 games) |
| 9 | Dylan Stewart | EDGE | South Carolina | 1 sack, 10 pressures (3 games) |
| 10 | Austin Simmons | QB | Missouri | 1,434 yards, 14 TD, 1 INT (6 games) |
| 11 | Charlie Becker | WR | Indiana | 30 catches, 529 yards, 8 TD (6 games) |
| 12 | Cam Coleman | WR | Texas | 17 catches, 318 yards, 5 TD (5 games) |
| 13 | Ashton Hampton | CB | Clemson | 1 INT, 9 pass breakups (5 games) |
| 14 | Jadan Baugh | RB | Florida | 672 rushing yards, 12 TD (6 games) |
| 15 | Greg Johnson | G/C | Minnesota | 0 sacks allowed (6 starts) |
| 16 | Will Echoles | DT | Ole Miss | 3 TFL, 9 pressures (5 games) |
| 17 | Jordan Seaton | OT | LSU | 0 sacks, 0 pressures allowed (6 starts) |
| 18 | Yhonzae Pierre | EDGE | Alabama | 2.5 sacks, 1 INT (6 games) |
| 19 | Kade Pieper | G | Iowa | 0 sacks allowed (6 starts) |
| 20 | Kelley Jones | CB | Mississippi State | 6 pass breakups (5 games) |
| 21 | Trevor Goosby | OT | Texas | 0 sacks, 0 pressures allowed (5 starts) |
| 22 | Ellis Robinson IV | CB | Georgia | 1 INT, 4 pass breakups (6 games) |
| 23 | Trevor Lauck | OT | Iowa | 0 sacks allowed (6 starts) |
| 24 | Arch Manning | QB | Texas | 1,122 yards, 10 TD, 5 INT (5 games) |
| 25 | Dante Moore | QB | Oregon | 926 yards, 9 TD, 0 INT (4 games) |
Stats are the ones Kiper listed when the board was published, before the October 17 games.
Smith first, Mestemaker second
Kiper points out that Smith has only six drops on 281 career targets, is seeing more than 10 targets a game and has 38 touchdown catches in three seasons. His September game against Illinois, 12 catches for 217 yards and four scores, is the example he gives of a player “nobody can cover.” Of the boards we have tracked, Mike Renner’s also has Smith first, while Brian Lamb’s puts South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart ahead of him. Kiper has Stewart ninth, saying his traits “jump off the tape” but the production has to catch up after a back injury and a one-game suspension.
Mestemaker’s rise is the story of the board. Kiper calls it “an incredible story”: the quarterback was a punter and backup in high school, walked on at North Texas in 2024, threw for more than 4,000 yards in 2025 and followed coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. He likes how Mestemaker “scans the field and bides his time in the pocket,” notes his 30 completions of 20-plus yards and adds that he does not turn 21 until January. Dane Brugler also has him as his top quarterback, and Josh Edwards’ latest mock sends him to the Miami Dolphins at No. 1.
Seven quarterbacks, and Manning at QB6
Behind Mestemaker come Miami’s Darian Mensah (4th), who led the country in completion rate at 84.2% with no interceptions, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss (6th), Notre Dame’s CJ Carr (8th) and Missouri’s Austin Simmons (10th). Kiper calls Chambliss “the ultimate point guard at the quarterback position” despite his 6-foot frame and an age of 25 before his rookie season. Simmons, he concedes, “might be a little bit of a surprise,” but “there is no better thrower of the football in the collegiate ranks right now than this young lefty.” His worry is experience: Simmons has started only eight college games.
Manning “has dropped to QB6 on my board — but he’s still a top-25 player because of the skill set,” Kiper wrote. He sees the size, mobility and arm strength teams want, but says Manning is “too inconsistent, especially when it comes to accuracy and decision-making,” and that any game of his is a roller coaster. Oregon’s Dante Moore, out since a September concussion, is 25th. Kiper still thinks the toolbox “is full” but wants to see him take over games against top opponents, most notably Ohio State.
Two games are already circled on the board: Miami’s trip to Notre Dame on November 7, which Kiper says will “say a lot” about Mensah after a light schedule and will also test Carr, and Moore’s meeting with the Buckeyes the same day.
Defenders and linemen
Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore is third and the top defender, “exactly what NFL coaches look for in a lockdown cornerback,” with seven interceptions and 22 pass breakups in his career. Texas’ Colin Simmons is fifth after leading the nation in sacks, tackles for loss and pressure rate; he had 5.5 sacks against Tennessee alone, and Kiper calls him “the type of closer most NFL defenses want rushing off the edge.” Georgia linebacker Chris Cole, seventh, “looks like a safety at the second level” at 235 pounds.
Cornerback is the deepest position in the top 25 with four, ahead of edge rusher, wide receiver and offensive tackle with three each. Iowa has two linemen on the list, guard Kade Pieper (19th) and left tackle Trevor Lauck (23rd), and neither has allowed a sack this season. Texas places four players: Colin Simmons, Cam Coleman, Trevor Goosby and Manning. There is no tight end or safety in the top 25.
Kiper’s top five at each position
| Position | No. 1 | Nos. 2-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State | Mensah, Chambliss, Carr, Austin Simmons |
| Running back | Jadan Baugh, Florida | Mark Fletcher Jr., Kewan Lacy, Nate Frazier, Hollywood Smothers |
| Wide receiver | Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State | Becker, Coleman, Nick Marsh, KJ Duff |
| Tight end | Trey’Dez Green, LSU | Jamari Johnson, Luke Reynolds, Andrew Rappleyea, Peter Clarke |
| Offensive tackle | Jordan Seaton, LSU | Goosby, Lauck, Samson Okunlola, Carter Smith |
| Interior line | Greg Johnson, Minnesota | Pieper, Anthonie Knapp, Evan Tengesdahl, Austin Siereveld |
| Edge rusher | Colin Simmons, Texas | Stewart, Pierre, Devan Thompkins, Damon Wilson II |
| Defensive tackle | Will Echoles, Ole Miss | Xavier Gilliam, David Stone, A’Mauri Washington, Ahmad Moten Sr. |
| Linebacker | Chris Cole, Georgia | Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Arion Carter, Tony Rojas, Sammy Brown |
| Cornerback | Leonard Moore, Notre Dame | Hampton, Kelley Jones, Robinson, Chris Peal |
| Safety | Brauntae Johnson, Notre Dame | Kingston Lopa, KJ Bolden, Koi Perich, Adon Shuler |
Florida’s Jadan Baugh, 14th overall, is the only running back on the main board. Kiper notes he was tied for the FBS lead with 12 rushing touchdowns and has fumbled once in more than 1,000 career snaps.
What has happened since
The weekend after the board came out was a big one for several of the names on it. Indiana’s Charlie Becker (11th) caught nine passes for 165 yards against Ohio State, and Chambliss threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another in Ole Miss’ win over Austin Simmons and Missouri. Kiper has promised to keep updating the list through draft day. The 2027 draft runs April 29 to May 1 in Washington, D.C.
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