17 of 25 scouts pick Drew Mestemaker as top 2027 draft QB

Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker has become the clear favorite to be selected first among quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL draft. Seventeen of 25 scouts and executives polled by ESPN in a midseason survey chose him as the top prospect. That total marks the highest vote count for a quarterback in the three years the publication has conducted the poll.

The shift in sentiment is stark compared to the start of the year. In the August poll, Mestemaker received zero votes. The initial consensus favored Oregon’s Dante Moore, who had 14 votes at the time. The current results reflect a decline in confidence across the board following a choppy start to the college football season.

Notre Dame’s CJ Carr placed second in the midseason vote with four selections. Miami’s Darian Mensah followed with three votes, and Moore received one. The previous class was viewed as deep, with players like Texas’ Arch Manning and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers expected to be surefire top picks. Those expectations have not yet been met on the field.

Scouts pointed to Mestemaker’s Sept. 12 performance against Oregon as the turning point. Oklahoma State won 39-31 as a nearly three-touchdown underdog. Mestemaker completed a 317-yard, two-touchdown game. He also ran for a 75-yard score, a display of athleticism that highlighted his dual-threat capabilities. In that game, he outplayed Moore, who is now expected to sit out the remainder of the season after suffering a concussion in a hit at USC on Sept. 26.

The physical profile of Mestemaker is a major draw for NFL evaluators. He stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 211 pounds. A veteran scout noted that the size, body type, and arm strength stood out immediately. The scout described him as having arm talent, power, and accuracy. His path to prominence is unusual; he did not start for his varsity high school team and rose from a walk-on position at North Texas to become a headline prospect.

Other players in the class are moving in different directions. Mensah is on pace to break the FBS completion percentage record. He currently stands at 81.4 percent, which is four points higher than the 77.4 percent Bo Nix recorded at Oregon in 2023. Carr and Mensah both have the potential to rise significantly if their teams advance deep into the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame hosts Miami in South Bend next Saturday, a game that could define the rest of this draft class.

Arch Manning remains a subject of intense scrutiny. Despite struggles with accuracy and turnovers, multiple scouts believe his tools and pedigree could still place him in the first round. He faces a decision about his future, with the option to return to college, potentially at a different school, to regain momentum. The NFL has not written him off despite the current on-field issues.

Brendan Sorsby presents a different variable. The former Cincinnati and Texas Tech quarterback admitted to making thousands of sports bets. He is now working out with veteran NFL assistant Rich Scangarello to learn the San Francisco 49ers offense. A veteran scout stated that Sorsby must perform well in the all-star game to answer questions about his character and secure a first-round selection. For now, Mestemaker holds the top spot by a wide margin.