The 2027 NFL Draft class enters the season with plenty of hype, especially at quarterback, but the strength of this group goes well beyond the most important position. My preseason top 50 features both bona fide difference-makers and depth to make this class really, really fun. The 2027 quarterback class has been called loaded for so long that it already feels like settled fact.
There are recognizable names, former five-star recruits and the physical tools to understand the excitement, but this isn't the 2024 class. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix were among the first 12 selections that year, and you could argue that all but McCarthy consistently flashed first-round potential during their final college seasons.
Right now, much of the optimism surrounding the 2027 class remains based on what these quarterbacks could become. Dante Moore and Arch Manning enter the season at Nos. 1 and 4 on my board, and Julian Sayin has already played like a first-rounder in stretches. But meaningful questions remain throughout the class.
Manning must make his late-2025 improvement the weekly standard. Sayin needs to become more effective outside structure, and gambling violations cost Brendan Sorsby his final college season. Jayden Maiava, Darian Mensah, Trinidad Chambliss and CJ Carr all have early-round ability, but each still needs to build on a promising 2025 season.
At this point, that makes this group look closer to the 2025 and 2026 classes -- a few strong candidates surrounded by some projections -- than what we saw in 2024. And quarterback isn't the only reason this class has a chance to be deep. Eight QBs made this initial top 50, but so did seven wide receivers, six edge rushers and five defensive linemen.
Jeremiah Smith remains the headliner at receiver because there really isn't much he can't do, but Cam Coleman isn't far behind — and better quarterback play at Texas could unlock an even bigger season (I'm half-joking, half-serious here). Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, Colin Simmons and Dylan Stewart enter the season as the two best edge prospects in the country. The interior group may be just as fun; Will Echoles has violent hands, terrific balance and a pass-rush plan from wherever he lines up.
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