The 2026 NFL Draft just wrapped up a few days ago, but it’s never too early to look ahead to what might be next year. I began the scouting process for the 2027 class a few weeks ago, and while it’s no secret, it bears repeating — this next class is a very strong one, especially at the premium positions.

As usual, it’s virtually impossible to project specific prospect-to-team fits this far out. So other than quarterbacks, I didn’t overthink it. These way-too-early mocks are best viewed as a primer on the class, not a prediction for which prospects each team will target. This is a pretty loaded group, and there are plenty of great prospects I didn’t have room for.

Draft order based on Tankathon‘s projections.

1 — Miami Dolphins: Miami QB Darian Mensah

I’m standing on business with this one. A transfer from Duke (and Tulane before that), Mensah would’ve been my QB1 in the 2026 class had he chosen to declare following his redshirt sophomore season. It’s not just me, either — he was getting buzz as a potential first-round pick with rumors teams wanted him to declare (similar to the Rams with QB Ty Simpson).

Mensah is a dynamic, playmaking, pocket-passing quarterback. He has the mobility to escape pressure and make big plays on the move, but he’s at home reading the field from the pocket and dissecting defenses from it. With a rocket arm, he makes eye-popping throws on the regular, with plus accuracy and ball placement. Mensah is still not getting enough love in this class.

2 — Arizona Cardinals: Texas QB Arch Manning

After a horrifically rocky start to the season, a lot of people wrote off Manning as a prospect in the 2026 class. About the time that happened, he turned his season around, with a scintillating finish to the year that had his name rising up draft boards again. There was even talk of him challenging Fernando Mendoza for No. 1 overall before he officially announced his return to Texas.

Manning’s ceiling is still crazy high. He has the size, the arm, the athleticism, the timing, all of it. He grew so much over the course of the 2025 season, and if he stays on that path, he can be as good a prospect as we’ve seen in years. The key for him in 2026 will be to show consistency and continue to grow with more experience.

3 — New York Jets: USC QB Jayden Maiava

Another player who would’ve been my QB1 had he declared, Maiava is a little bit older but has all the tools and touch you could want. He operates a high-volume passing attack under HC Lincoln Riley, showing off his versatile throwing platform, plus accuracy and quality arm talent. There might not be a quarterback in this class with as many different kinds of throws in his bag, and Maiava throws a gorgeous deep ball as well.

4 — Cleveland Browns: Ohio State QB Julian Sayin

I know the end of the season wasn’t ideal for Sayin, but he’s still a hyper-accurate quarterback who can tear apart defenses from the pocket. His plus ball placement and consistent mechanics give him a high floor as a prospect, though he’ll need to showcase better play under pressure in 2026. That’s all that’s holding him back from being ranked even higher among the quarterbacks in this class.

5 — Las Vegas Raiders: Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith

Yes, we finally get to discuss Smith as a draft prospect. He’s been a top-10 caliber prospect since his true freshman season, with an elite combination of size, speed and agility that makes him nearly impossible to cover. Smith’s route running is artistry, and he makes insane catches look easy with good body control and long arms to reel in passes outside his frame.

6 — Tennessee Titans: Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore

Name one of college football’s best wide receivers, and Moore has shut him down. He blanketed Eagles WR Makai Lemon, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2026 draft. He held Browns WR KC Concepcion (another first-round pick) in check, too, and battled Smith to a draw in the national title game as a true freshman.

Moore is built to be a lockdown, press-man corner. He’s so fluid and has long arms, mirroring receivers through their routes without letting them get comfortable, then closing off the passing lane at the catch point. But it’s more than just physical tools, as Moore is a cerebral player who knows what the quarterback wants to do before he does it. He’s as complete a cornerback prospect as you’ll find.

7 — New Orleans Saints: Texas ED Colin Simmons

The only real negative on Simmons’ scouting report is his size. Everything else is elite. He has a lightning-quick first step off the line and plays with a ton of power, bulldozing tackles to get after the quarterback. He can rip around the edge in an instant and is continuing to develop a devastating array of pass rush moves.

8 — Atlanta Falcons: Texas OT Trevor Goosby

I really liked Goosby as a prospect this year, but he returned to school and now has a chance to develop into a top-10 pick. Many parts of his game are still raw, but he has such enticing physical tools — he’s so fluid at his size, good in pass protection and versatile enough to thrive in man or zone blocking schemes.

9 — Carolina Panthers: South Carolina ED Dylan Stewart

I might like Stewart even more than Simmons. He’s such a powerful pass rusher, blowing through tackles on his way to the quarterback and outworking every other player on the field. He’s a twitched-up athlete who can take advantage of any opening he gets, creating his own at will and punishing blockers for getting in his way.

10 — Pittsburgh Steelers: Oregon QB Dante Moore

Moore would have been the No. 2 overall pick had he chosen to declare, but he still has a great chance to go early even in what’s expected to be a much stronger quarterback class. He’s a traditional big-bodied pocket passer, standing tall and delivering tough throws. Moore might have the best arm in the class, but he needs to get better at reading the field — if he does that, the sky’s the limit for his draft stock.

11 — New York Giants: Oregon DT A’Mauri Washington

Washington probably would’ve been a top-20 pick had he declared this past cycle, and he was one of the most surprising returnees to college football. Nevertheless, he’s still a dynamic interior pass rusher who can play 3-tech or true nose. People that big shouldn’t move the way Washington does, though he needs to get more consistently impactful down-to-down to pay off this projected draft slot.

12 — Washington Commanders: Texas WR Cam Coleman

Coleman has size and speed for days, making him one of the best deep-ball threats in the class. He dusts cornerbacks off the line of scrimmage if they don’t get hands on him, and he can make tough catches in traffic. He high-points the football well and makes himself a real weapon in the red zone, running a pretty diverse route tree as well.

13 — Minnesota Vikings: Notre Dame QB CJ Carr

Carr put together a pretty impressive freshman season for the Fighting Irish, and now he can continue building on that success. His play out of structure is what sets him apart, as he’s adept at dodging the rush and finding receivers downfield on the move. With great accuracy and a solid NFL arm, Carr is another intriguing prospect in this loaded quarterback class.

14 — New York Jets (via IND): Texas A&M WR Mario Craver

As good as Concepcion was last season, there’s an argument that Craver was the better of the two A&M receivers. He’s small and will be limited to the slot in the NFL — so this might be a little high for him — but his speed and agility are game-breaking. Good luck catching him in the open field, and he shakes coverage loose with insane cuts that leave cornerbacks grasping at air.

15 — New York Jets (via DAL): Georgia S KJ Bolden

A souped-up athlete, Bolden is aggressive attacking downhill. He’s a big playmaker from the secondary, routinely making tackles around the line of scrimmage and delivering big hits in space. In coverage, he’s fluid enough to cover slot receivers one-on-one and can play from single-high or two-deep alignments.

16 — Cincinnati Bengals: Missouri OT Cayden Green

A true mauler at the tackle position, Green pairs that strength with impressive fluidity in space for someone who plays the way he does. He can get out on the move and erase defenders from the play, but he’s best when drive-blocking, creating tremendous displacement at the line of scrimmage. In pass protection, he anchors strongly and has good hand usage to battle pass rushers.

17 — Jacksonville Jaguars: Oklahoma DT David Stone

High-level attacking nose tackles are rare, but this class has two. Stone boasts elite length and size for the position, pairing those traits with a downhill mentality seeking to always be aggressive. His plus run defense abilities combined with a wildly quick first step at his size give him a rare profile.

18 — Chicago Bears: LSU OT Jordan Seaton

A ridiculous athlete, Seaton erases pass rushers one-on-one. He moves so fluidly on an island, with long arms to dissuade rushers and the awareness to shut off counters and stunts. His foot speed is electric and it lets him stay in front of pass rushers, mirroring them around the arc consistently. He has a strong base, too, and doesn’t get bulldozed by dedicated bull rushes.

19 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Georgia CB Ellis Robinson IV

Despite his smaller frame, Robinson is as tough as they come. He’s feisty against the run, throwing his shoulder in there and making plays. He thrives in man coverage, using his long arms and strong mirroring skills to stay sticky with receivers and make life tough for them at the catch point.

20 — Houston Texans: Notre Dame LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa

Two ACL tears put Viliamu-Asa’s true draft stock in a little bit of limbo. But when he’s been on the field, he’s done nothing but produce. A thunderous tackler, he’s adept at navigating traffic to reach the ball carrier, disengaging from blockers to make tackles in crowded areas. A plus athlete, he explodes to the ball like a heat-seeking missile, making people feel him when he makes plays.

21 — Denver Broncos: Indiana OT Carter Smith

When Smith locks onto a pass rusher, the rep is over. He’s got monstrous grip strength and the functional power to devastate defenses. Line this man up in a power scheme and watch him go to work, it’s so much fun to watch. Though he has some length and quickness concerns, Smith has gone up against the best pass rushers in the sport and stepped up to the plate as one of the most battle-tested and proven tackles in the game.

22 — New England Patriots: LSU TE Trey’Dez Green

Right now, Green is all tools. But those tools are pretty enticing: size, speed, physicality, twitchiness, fluidity. He doesn’t project as a great in-line blocker, at least not yet, but he’s a matchup nightmare in the slot. At 6-7, he’s simply too big for traditional nickel corners to cover, but he runs like a receiver and is a devastating red zone weapon.

23 — Dallas Cowboys (via GBP): Alabama WR Ryan Coleman-Williams

After his freshman season, Coleman-Williams looked like the next great Crimson Tide receiver. He was phased out of the offense a little bit down the stretch of 2025, as he struggled with drop issues and inconsistent play. If he gets back to the player he was in 2024, this might be a low projection for him. At his best, few can match Coleman-Williams’ speed and ability to take the top off a defense.

24 — San Francisco 49ers: Oregon TE Jamari Johnson

Yes, the Ducks are tracking to have a tight end drafted in the first two rounds for the third straight year. Johnson is built like a traditional in-line tight end, but he has great straight-line speed and soft hands over the middle. He’s a good blocker and averaged nearly 10 yards per reception after the catch last season.

25 — Detroit Lions: Texas Tech DT A.J. Holmes Jr.

Four of the five starters on the defensive line for the Red Raiders in 2025 got drafted already. Now it’s Holmes’ turn. He’s a monster in the middle, a plus run defender with some real juice in his pass rush. It’ll be interesting to monitor how he plays now that he’s “the guy” on that Texas Tech front.

26 — Los Angeles Chargers: Iowa G Kade Pieper

Pieper played guard last season and is reportedly moving to center to replace Logan Jones on that Hawkeyes’ front. He’s got the classic Iowa power profile, a true mauler on the interior with solid athleticism and the versatility to play any position on the interior.

27 — Kansas City Chiefs: Rutgers WR KJ Duff

It’s easy to see why evaluators are so enamored with Duff — he’s got the size/speed combo everyone wants. As a true sophomore, he dominated down the stretch of the season, with huge contested catch numbers and a diverse route tree to attack defenses from multiple alignments.

28 — Seattle Seahawks: Oregon S Koi Perich

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Oregon takes a transfer safety from a fellow Big Ten school who goes on to be a first-round pick. Perich was one of the best players in the country as a true freshman and had a solid follow-up as a sophomore. He’s such a versatile piece on the back end and is an ace return man, too.

29 — Philadelphia Eagles: Tennessee ED Jordan Ross

Yeah, Tennessee has another bendy edge rusher I’m intrigued by. Ross played a rotational role in 2025, but now he’s set to step into a starting spot and showcase his talents. He’s got a quick first step and great pound-for-pound strength, holding fast against the run despite his leaner frame. Now he needs to showcase his talents in a full-time role.

30 — Baltimore Ravens: Indiana CB Jamari Sharpe

A true outside corner, Sharpe thrives on an island. He’s got great length and uses it well, jamming receivers at the line and closing them off at the catch point. With the recovery speed to slam throwing windows shut and the awareness to play in zone, Sharpe is a versatile piece who can excel in multiple schemes.

31 — Buffalo Bills: Georgia RB Nate Frazier

A burner at the running back position, Frazier is a big-play threat whenever he touches the ball. He plays strong through contact and produces in the passing game, as well, with soft hands and the ability to make people miss in space. His play strength took a big jump in 2025, making him all the more dangerous, especially between the tackles.

32 — Los Angeles Rams: Texas WR Ryan Wingo

A blazingly fast receiver with some real size to play on the outside, Wingo is a weapon after the catch. He turns into a running back out there, weaving through the defense for big plays. That’s if he doesn’t take the top off the coverage in the first place, which he’s liable to do. He does need to kick his drop problems to go this high.