Early NFL mock draft suggests impressive QB run with top picks
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The 2027 NFL Draft may be several months away, but that’s not stopping ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates from coming out with a mock draft.
Kiper Jr. mocked the odd numbers in the top 10, while Yates mocked the even numbers. They used ESPN’s FPI forecast of the top 10 picks in the mock draft.
Kiper Jr. started things off with Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore to the Miami Dolphins before Yates countered with Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning to the New York Jets. Kiper Jr. continued the quarterback run with Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr to the Cleveland Browns.
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The analysts have three quarterbacks being selected with the first three picks of next year’s draft, per Yates’ post on X. That has happened four times in NFL draft history, and one of them featured Arch Manning’s grandfather: 1971 (Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning, Dan Pastorini), 1999 (Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith) and 2021 (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance), 2024 (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye).
All three quarterbacks are among the best in the country heading into the 2026 college football season and are top contenders for the Heisman Trophy. The three quarterbacks are also being mocked to teams that aren’t expected to be good and don’t have long-term answers at quarterback.
Quarterback stats from last year
Moore finished the 2025 season with 3,565 yards through the air, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Manning grew as the 2025 season went along, racking up 3,163 yards through the air, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Carr was electric for Notre Dame, compiling 2,741 yards through the air, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He’ll look to lead Notre Dame back to the College Football Playoff this season after the program barely missed out last year as did Manning’s Longhorns.
Time will tell whether all three quarterbacks will be picked inside the top five of next year’s draft.
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