Arch Manning and Dante Moore Headline a Loaded 2027 NFL Draft QB Class. Buckle Up.
The 2026 NFL Draft was supposed to be the great quarterback class. Fernando Mendoza went first overall to the Raiders, and there were several other QBs off the board in the first round. It was a strong group.
The 2027 class might be better.
Two names are running the show early. Arch Manning from Texas. Dante Moore from Oregon. They are the two names at the top of every 2027 mock draft that has been released so far, and both are set up to spend one full year as college starters before making the leap.
The Arch Manning story is finally happening
Manning is the most talked-about prospect of the modern era. He has been on the cover of magazines since high school. He has been the presumptive future No. 1 pick since he committed to Texas. He has spent the last two years as Quinn Ewers’ understudy, watching, learning, and getting spot starts when Ewers was hurt.
Now the offense is his. Steve Sarkisian has one of the best returning receiver groups in college football, a veteran offensive line, and a defense that can win games on its own. If Arch Manning cannot put up huge numbers in this system, he is going to have some real questions to answer. If he does, he is the No. 1 pick.
The pedigree is real. He is Peyton’s nephew. Eli’s nephew. Cooper’s son. The last name has followed him since he could throw a football. Now we finally get to see if he lives up to the hype in a real starting role.
The Dante Moore twist
Here is what makes the 2027 class fascinating. Dante Moore could have entered the 2026 draft. He was widely projected to go in the top 10 if he declared, and some scouts had him as high as the No. 2 pick behind Mendoza. Instead, Moore chose to return to Oregon.
That was a calculated bet. Moore is playing in Dan Lanning’s system with real NFL pass concepts. He has a good offensive line and legitimate receiver talent. A big senior year in that offense could vault him to the No. 1 spot in the 2027 draft, ahead of even Arch Manning.
Moore is a lefty with real arm talent and good pocket presence. His decision to come back has been compared to Caleb Williams staying at USC one extra year. That worked out for Williams, who went first overall. It could work out the same way for Moore.
The rest of the class
The 2027 draft is not just a QB class. It has real depth at multiple positions. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is being talked about as a possible top-five pick, which is rare air for a receiver. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons and South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart are the top defensive players. Notre Dame corner Leonard Moore is the top prospect at his position.
Cam Coleman, the Auburn wide receiver, entered the transfer portal and is going to be at Texas next year. That adds another weapon for Manning and gives NFL scouts another skill player to watch.
Overall, this class has been described by scouts as potentially historic. Multiple prospects who could have gone in the first round of 2026 are back for another year. The talent at the top is real. The depth is real. And the QB position specifically has multiple guys who could go top five.
What NFL teams are watching for
Anybody looking to draft a quarterback next year needs to be paying attention to how Manning and Moore develop this fall. Are they consistent? Do they handle pressure? Can they win big games? Those are the questions that separate the true franchise QBs from the guys who fall into the second round.
Manning has the more natural physical tools. Moore has more college experience and probably starts the year as the polished option. By the time draft night rolls around next April, the pecking order could look completely different than it does today.
What is clear right now: teams tanking for a QB in 2026 might be about to hit the jackpot. This class has the talent to reshape franchises.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
