The 7 2027 NFL Draft prospects who can make a Fernando Mendoza-like leap

The ink had barely dried on the 2026 NFL Draft class than everyone had started looking ahead to 2027. And for good reason: While this year's draft was a little light on star power at the top, next year features potentially generational prospects like Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith and South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart, not to mention QBs like Oregon's Dante Moore and Texas' Arch Manning. It's a class so talent-rich that teams are already hoarding picks in preparation for it, and the bidding war to get to the top of the board could be truly legendary.

But while it feels like the first round is already more or less set in stone, recent NFL history shows us that's far from the case. A whole lot can change in 12 months' time, after all; when our own Cody Williams did his way-too-early 2026 draft last spring, he had Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik as his first two players off the board, while eventual No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza was nowhere to be found.

Will there be another Mendoza in this year's class? That's a tall ask. But we can be pretty confident that at least a few prospects will come out of relative obscurity to crash the first round — so let's try and figure out ahead of time who they might be.

QB Jaden Craig, TCU

Even beyond the obvious names at the top of the 2027 QB class, there are some juicy names to choose from — from Mendoza's replacement at Indiana, Josh Hoover, to guys like LSU's Sam Leavitt and Washington's Demond Williams. But instead we're going to go with Hoover's replacement at TCU.

If you weren't chopping up Harvard film this offseason, we don't blame you. But Craig was stellar in two seasons as the starter for the Crimson, and now he heads to a very QB-friendly coach in Sonny Dykes and a rising offensive coordinator in Gordon Sammis (who managed to build an exciting offense at UConn of all places last season). It remains to be seen whether Craig can handle the bump up in competition, but he looks the part physically at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, and he could put up some very big numbers this season.

RB Hollywood Smothers, Texas

There's a chance that Smothers isn't even the starter in Austin, as Texas also brought in former Arizona State star Raleek Brown as part of a massive transfer haul for Steve Sarkisian. But when you watch Smothers in the open field, it's hard not to dream about his potential in an NFL for which the ability to hit home runs has become the most important thing.

And man, it's Smothers a home-run hitter. He's not the biggest guy at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, but he averaged nearly six yards per carry at NC State last season despite not having a ton of help around him, and he can turn a 10-yard gain into a 60-yarder if you take a wrong angle. Sarkisian has a history of producing huge stat lines for his running backs, and Smothers could be next in line if this offensive line comes together.

WR Nick Marsh, Indiana

Marsh isn't the buzziest NFL prospect in his own position group; that would be teammate Charlie Becker, who is justifiably rising up 2027 draft boards after balling out down the stretch of Indiana's run to a national title. But overlook Marsh at your own peril.

Sure, he put up just 662 yards on less than 12 yards per reception at Michigan State last season, but that's because the Spartans passing attack was actively disintegrating around him. He averaged 15.8 yards per catch as a true freshman in 2024, and he's got prototypical traits at 6-foot-3 and just over 200 pounds. He's a special athlete with a rare combination of size, strength and long speed, and we've seen enough flashes over the last two years to dream on what he might be able to do with a more functional quarterback in Hoover and a more reliable ecosystem under Curt Cignetti.

WR Ian Strong, California

We're doubling up on receivers here, mostly because I couldn't bring myself not to mention Strong. It was KJ Duff, not Strong, who led Rutgers in receiving last season, but it's also worth noting that he only finished eight games due to injury. And in those eight games, he averaged nearly 100 yards per contest with five touchdowns.

Now he heads across the country to Cal, where he'll be catching passes from former five-star Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele — one of the nation's most promising young quarterbacks as a true freshman last season. Strong looks the part at 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, and he's a legit ball-winner on the outside in the X receiver role. With (much) better QB play than he got in 2025, he has a chance to take off.

TE Trey'Dez Green, LSU

At 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, it's safe to say that Green is the sort of guy you want getting off the bus first on game days. But despite that crazy frame (and even crazier athleticism), and despite being one of the most highly rated prospects in the 2024 recruiting class, it's yet to fully come together for him — he's caught just 46 passes for 534 yards across his first two seasons at LSU.

That could change in a major way this season. Lane Kiffin is now at the helm in Baton Rouge, and whatever else you want to say about him, he usually knows how to put up a bunch of points. With Sam Leavitt at the controls of this offense, the ceiling is sky-high, and Green will be a matchup nightmare either as an in-line tight end or even out wide as a receiver. He's shown flashes in the past, including a 119-yard effort against South Carolina and 80 yards (with two scores) against Houston in LSU's bowl game; if it all comes together this year, NFL scouts will be jumping at the chance to draft him next spring.

EDGE Boubacar Traore, Notre Dame

Traore got rotational snaps as a redshirt freshman in 2024, and he was on his way to a breakout campaign with a team-leading 6.5 sacks in 2025 until an injury cut his season short in November. But he's back healthy now, and he should be one of the leaders of what might be the very best defense in the country this fall.

At around 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Traore can play in multiple alignments, whether you want him standing up or putting his hand in the dirt. He's also got positively freaky length and athleticism for a guy his size. The Irish return as much defensive production as just about anyone in college football, and Traore at the tip of the spear should garner a ton of attention.

LB Payton Pierce, Ohio State

Ohio State, on the other hand, loses as much defensive production as just about anybody, including three top-11 picks in this year's draft in Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs. When you recruit and develop like they do in Columbus, though, that's simply an opportunity for the next guy to step up — and Pierce sure looks like he fits the bill replacing Styles at middle linebacker.

Granted, those are some pretty big shoes to fill, and Pierce isn't Styles as a physical specimen (really, who is?). He's "only" 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds, and he doesn't have Styles' coverage skills as a former safety. But he's a true thumper as a box linebacker against the run with enough juice to go sideline-to-sideline and not be a liability in space. He got his feet wet as an understudy on a historic OSU defense last season; this is his time to shine, and he's already receiving rave reviews in spring ball.

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