Wilson's 2027 NFL mock draft: Browns trade up for QB, five passers land in Round 1

Hey, fun story: Remember when the 2027 QB class was supposed to be loaded? We spent the summer talking about six or seven potential first-rounders, including two names — Dante Moore and Arch Manning — who entered the season as my QB1 and QB2. Two months later, Moore's season is over after suffering a concussion vs. USC in late September, and Manning has been so inconsistent we're wondering whether he should even enter the draft.

And, now, for the third straight draft cycle, the preseason QB hype hasn't come close to matching what we've seen on the field. That doesn't mean there aren't first-round passers in this class; it just means figuring out which ones deserve to be there.

Darian Mensah is my QB1, and while the competition Miami has faced leaves some (possibly many) questions unanswered, he's been consistently outstanding. Meanwhile, Drew Mestemaker has gone from a quarterback few people were talking about to the most buzzworthy one after a hot start in Stillwater. I wrote about him after he outplayed Moore and Oregon early in the season, and we'll have to see if he decides to return to school for 2027.

And it's worth remembering that my preseason First-Round Readiness Score (FRED) model was higher on Mensah, Mestemaker and Jayden Maiava (all first-rounders in this mock draft) than some of the bigger names in this class. Meanwhile, Moore and Manning entered the season with more questions than their preseason draft projections might have suggested. Two months through the season, and what we've seen on the field has largely backed up what the model was telling us.

Of course, there's one name we haven't talked about, and he happens to be the best player in this class. He's also not a quarterback. The last time a non-QB went No. 1 overall was in 2022 when the Jaguars took pass rusher Travon Walker. The last time a wide receiver was the first overall pick? Thirty-one years ago, when the Jets selected Keyshawn Johnson. Which brings us to Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, who has been dominant since the day he arrived in Columbus.

I wrote back in September about why passing on him might be taking a bigger risk than drafting him high. He's big, physical, can win at all three levels and makes ridiculous catches look routine. Think Julio Jones or Terrell Owens or Calvin Johnson.

And yes, the still-winless Chargers (and current holders of the top pick in the 2027 draft) already have Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey, and they've invested plenty of draft capital at receiver in recent years. Doesn't matter. Because if you have the No. 1 overall pick and no one willing to trade up, you're taking Smith a million times out of a million. This isn't about filling the biggest need on your roster; it's about adding the best player in the draft. And when that player is that much better than everyone else, why overthink it?

So where does that leave us? With five quarterbacks in this first-round mock, no Manning for the second straight mock draft, and plenty of questions left to answer. As for the non-QB positions, offensive tackle leads the way with six players in this mock draft, followed by wide receiver with five.

Keep reading to see how all 32 picks shake out. 

Wilson mock draft: Five quarterbacks land in Round 1

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