The 2027 NFL Draft QB class already has scouts talking about tanking

Coveting the upcoming year’s draft quarterback class, about a month after completing the annual NFL selection process, is an annual fetish in scouting circles. It’s a rite of passage of sorts, where needy teams comfort themselves that the real answer to their quarterback problem was not among the passers just secured, but rather is 11 months out.

Looking ahead is all the rage, especially after drafts in which the crop of quarterbacks was not particularly attractive or deep — and especially now that so many draft eligible QBs stay in school (or transfer to another school) for $8M paydays.

The NFL teams already being linked to the 2027 QB race

The Browns and the Cardinals are two particular NFL teams that seem to be in some version of tanking mode (the Browns and Cardinals) and very much in QB-purgatory. The Jets on the other hand are clearly all-in on landing a new QB in the 2027 draft, but they have bolstered their roster in the short-term in a more forthright manner than Arizona or Cleveland.

NFL execs continue to look at the Cardinals as a team that will be heavily targeted ahead of the midseason trade deadline, both to reshape the roster and potentially add the kind of draft capital necessary to maneuver for a QB in a loaded 2027 class. “They’ll be active,” one GM said of Arizona.

Names that have been brought up to me include quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who is coming off a career year and mired in a contract fight; running back James Conner, who is now more expendable after selecting Jeremiyah Love in the top five of the 2026 NFL Draft; safety Budda Baker, who previously sought a trade; and edge Josh Sweat, who is not taking part at OTAs and is believed to prefer to be on a contender.

As for the Browns, future Hall of Fame pass rusher Myles Garrett has yet to show up this offseason, and head coach Todd Monken doesn’t seem thrilled he has yet to meet his best player, who requested a trade a year ago and then accepted a massive contract extension to stay.

There tends to be a race to the bottom when league circles start talking this way, especially if these young QBs are impressing on Saturdays. We chatted with a few scouts and evaluators about the class, and interest extends well beyond just the latest member of the Manning dynasty.

The quarterbacks scouts keep bringing up

OK, Arch Manning is going to have every chance to be the first-overall selection even if he ends up having a somewhat middling campaign. The bloodlines from his grandfather and uncles, and his dad (even though not a QB himself), are beyond unique. His football IQ and processing will also be top notch, and he’s more than athletic enough.

“Pretty brutal start,” one scout said of the Texas QB, “but I think he really turned the corner. He’s got to be the top guy right now, as you project it out.” The Mannings are known to exhaust their eligibility though, and this young man does not have to declare for the 2027 draft.

Another evaluator said that if he had to select a 2027 draft-eligible QB right now, he’d go with Oregon’s Dante Moore. Based on body of work in college games, he prefers what he’s seen of Moore. But, again, if this QB wants to stay in school, he could, and Nike will undoubtedly put many, many zeroes in front of him to stay.

We also had two scouts say that of the quarterbacks with multiple years of eligibility remaining, they expect South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers to make major strides forward in what they believe will be a far more functional offense for the Gamecocks this season. Former play caller Mike Shula has a checkered past in that role and was fired late last season. Sellers also turned down $8M to stay in South Carolina and try to improve his draft stock in familiar surroundings, which is far from the norm these days.

“He’s going to surprise people this season,” the second scout said.

UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava, who also won games at Tennessee, is another name that came up repeatedly of the younger QBs. Of the juniors, both pointed to USC’s Jayden Maiava as the prospect these scouts are highest on, an excellent athlete with a strapping 6-4 frame who should flourish with another year with Lincoln Riley. He will face a trio of defenses with national title aspirations in conference play, providing ample opportunities to evaluate him against future NFL talent.

“He has the highest grade of the juniors and seniors for me,” the first scout said.

And it could be that Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby beats all of them to the NFL, pending the results of the school’s lawsuit against the NCAA after his attempt for reinstatement was rejected. Sorsby is out of treatment for a gambling addiction and could opt for the supplemental draft (the NFL would have to allow him to participate).

The first scout believes he is one of the five best QB prospects in this draft. “He’s a solid back-up option (in the NFL) right now, with the potential to be a functional starter.” The other scout believes Sorsby has NFL size, speed and strength “with a legit arm,” who is not afraid to “attack downfield in tight windows.”

Both believe Sorsby has a chance to win games as an NFL starter if developed properly (2026 would be a developmental year holding a clipboard, er, tablet) should be selected in the supplemental draft. He’d likely receive multiple bids in various rounds. In which case, the 2027 draft would lose a potential arm, but there would still probably be plenty of tank-worthy talent to go around.

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