The quarterback is still the position that decides how most NFL teams spend the top of a draft. Clubs start building those boards long before anyone turns in a declaration form. October is when the arguments get loud.
Early lists rarely stay put. A strong month can lift a passer who was an afterthought in the spring, and a few uneven Saturdays can cool a name that carried the summer hype. Scouts have spent the first month of the season sorting tape, scheme and remaining schedule.
The 2027 class has not lined up the way many fans drew it up before kickoff. A new ESPN ranking of the top quarterbacks for the 2027 NFL Draft puts Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker first.
The list, shared Thursday by reporter Evan Sidery, runs six deep. It places Mestemaker ahead of a Miami transfer, an Ole Miss starter on the rise and the most famous quarterback in college football.
Darian Mensah of Miami is second. Mensah moved to the Hurricanes after a big year at Duke, and evaluators have kept him near the top of the passer group as Miami has leaned on his arm.
Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss is third. Chambliss has climbed as the Rebels have given him volume, offering a smaller, aggressive style for clubs to weigh against the taller names around him.
Arch Manning of Texas is fourth. Manning entered the fall with heavier expectations than almost anyone else in the class, and the new order leaves him outside the top three for now.
Dante Moore of Oregon is fifth. Moore spent part of the early season as a favorite in some scout polls before the board moved around him.
CJ Carr of Notre Dame is sixth. Carr keeps the Irish in the published top group even if he is not the first name most clubs circle.
The order is a snapshot, not a forecast for April. Quarterback rankings in October often look different by the conference title games, and teams that need a passer will still draft need as much as grade.
Mestemaker’s place at No. 1 is the clearest shift from earlier boards. He followed coach Eric Morris from North Texas to Stillwater after a season in which he led the country in passing yards.
Mensah at No. 2 keeps Miami in the quarterback market. The accuracy and touchdown production that stood out at Duke have not fallen off the radar after the transfer.
Chambliss at No. 3 shows how fast a productive fall can reorder a class. The ranking treats his recent body of work as more than a short streak.
Manning at No. 4 does not take him out of the first-round mix. Name value and the rest of the Texas schedule still matter to every club shopping for a quarterback.
Moore and Carr close a list that leaves other passers just outside the top six. Individual team boards will not match ESPN’s line for line.
Sidery’s post, which included a photo of Mestemaker in an Oklahoma State helmet, drew quick pushback from fans who wanted more proof or who still preferred Chambliss. That split is normal for an October board.
None of the six has to declare yet. The ranking only marks where ESPN has them today, with a full regular season and a postseason left to move the names.
