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The 2027 NFL Mock Draft predicts the potential landing spots for top prospects like Arch Manning and Jeremiah Smith. The draft will take place in Washington, D.C., with early projections based on power rankings and Super Bowl odds.
NFL Mock Draft 2027: Predicting where Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith and more top prospects will go originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With the 2026 NFL Draft complete, it's time to flip the projections to the first, way-too-early, first-round mock draft for 2027.
Next year's class of prospects is just starting to develop its overall pro promise, but there are some NFL-ready talents who stand out as players to watch ahead of next April's first round, with Washington, D.C. playing host
Using a combination of Sporting News' upcoming updated power rankings and some consensus Super Bowl 61 odds to mock the order, here's looking at where the top QBs and other best players available might come off the board:
MORE: Big board of top 50 NFL Draft prospects for '27
Jeremiah Smith
The Dolphins did sign with the intention of him being their franchise QB for a while, but they are bound to take major lumps in their rebuilding everywhere else to the point they land this pick. Smith would be the no-brainer to give him a dominant No. 1.
The 2027 NFL Draft will be held in Washington, D.C.
Top prospects include Arch Manning and Jeremiah Smith, among others.
Predictions are based on updated power rankings and consensus Super Bowl 61 odds.
The 2027 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 2027.
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The grandson of Archie, the son of Cooper and of course, the nephew of Peyton and Eli, will finally make his much-anticipated leap to the NFL in what can be a Heisman-winning breakout for the Longhorns. He has a good chance of going from burnt orange to a similar shade of uniform.
The Cardinals drafted Carson Beck, which will make their post-Kyler Murray QB mess even messier with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. Moore's return to school will pay off with a high pick right behind Manning with a call to the desert to clean up in Arizona.
The Falcons revived their pass rush under Raheem Morris, but he's now with the 49ers, and they will need to go back to adding help next year. Simmons is a very productive sack artist and won't have to wait long after fellow Longhorn Manning.
The Jets did take a shot on Cade Klubnik to develop behind Geno Smith, but neither feels like a long-term franchise solution for Aaron Glenn. Carr makes sense to take over the pocket passing after New York invested well in receiving weapons in 2026.
The Titans did address their offensive line to help Cam Ward after giving him Carnell Tate at wide receiver, but here's their chance to land a lock of a pass blocker in the Colorado transfer.
The Raiders did add a little pass rush help in the draft with Maxx Crosby still on the roster. They can get a true starter for Rob Leonard's defense in this explosive Gamecock.
The Saints will be in the market more for edge rush help, too, but it will be tough to pass up this big corner with shutdown potential, the early Mansoor Delane of this class.
jamari johnson
The Panthers didn't land Kenyon Sadiq for some help at a receiving position of weakness in 2026, but they should be targeting his teammate to help Bryce Young in 2027.
Will the Kyler Murray experiment work? He's on a one-year deal as the team seems to be giving up on J.J. McCarthy. Here's saying it won't pan out in the system of Kevin O'Connell, leading to the Vikings trying again with the Buckeyes' best passing prospect in a while.
The Commanders got some help for their receiving corps with speedy Antonio Williams. Next year they can go get another big big-play target for Jayden Daniels to support Terry McLaurin on the outside.
The Buccaneers are battling some free-agency issues at this position, including big Vita Vea and A'Shawn Robinson, so Washington would make sense to reload Todd Bowles' defense.
The Jets went to work with offensive weapons early in 2026, so now they can focus on getting better protection should they invest in Carr early in 2027.
The Steelers will be due for some cornerback help next year. Robinson, a classic ballhawk, would be a big boost to their secondary playmaking.
The Jets did bring back Breece Hall on the franchise tag, but they should be ready to move on next year. Hardy stands out for now as the best overall back in this class with Hall-like receiving juice.
The Giants shied away from trying to replace Dexter Lawrence right away, but they can do it well on delay with Stone.
quincy rhodes jr.
The Bengals did get Lawrence and Cashius Howell in their quest to replace Trey Hendrickson's pass-rush production, but Rhodes would take it to another level with his power and quickness combination.
The Texans are loaded in the pass rush but could keep getting better to support Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre in the secondary next year. Brown would be the ideal target for No. 2 corner.
The Lions have some free-agency issues around the corner in their linebacker corps, and getting the active Villamu-Asa would boost their big plays through coverage and blitzing
The Jaguars should be in the market to give Josh Hines-Allen some extra pass-rush pop next year, and this Duck would provide plenty of it.
The Cowboys seem lukewarm on giving George Pickens a long-term deal. Given what they have done in the past replacing wideouts, Coleman-Williams would be a dynamic big-play threat to pair with CeeDeee Lamb.
The Broncos should also be looking to add some beef up front for Vance Joseph's defense next year, and Echoles has a good skill set with which to rise up boards during the season.
The Chargers need to keep going back to the pass rush, as both Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack are unsigned for 2027. Perkins still has plenty of potential to shoot up into higher first-round consideration.
The 49ers have some shaky safety play beyond Ji'Ayir Brown in coverage, so going for Bolden as the best at the position would follow.
The Eagles did take a shot on former Seahawks big corner Riq Woolen, but Jones should appeal to them more with steady coverage to go with big plays on the ball.
The Bears likely won't re-sign D'Andre Swift after the 2026 season and need to consider taking an explosive all-around back to support Kyle Monangai better in Ben Johnson's offense. Don't sleep on Lacy jumping Hardy at some point during the process.
The Patriots also will pay close attention to the top of a solid safety class. Perich, a Minnesota transfer, might be this year's version of Dillon Thieneman as his big-time playmaking will get a much higher-profile going from the Gophers to the Ducks.
The Ravens will find this prospect appealing with his size and strength in coverage and ability to support the defense well elsewhere.
The Bills will need offensive line retooling in 2027, and Green looks like a strong candidate to move to be a big run-blocking asset inside after supporting Hardy's production in college.
The Chiefs went to work on their defensive line with Peter Woods late, but now they can go after Chris Jones' direct interior successor.
The Rams didn't invest in wide receiver early as expected in 2026, but they will be more accelerated to do so with Davante Adams under contract for one more year. Wesco can replace that big scoring ability with some field-stretching juice.
Heldt, who started his career at Purdue, will be the ideal addition to the Seahawks' pass-rush rotation as a delayed replacement for Boye Mafe.