New 2027 NFL Mock Draft Drops by Dane Brugler, Where Do Arch Manning, Dante Moore & Top Stars Land?

Get ready for the Arch Manning hype machine to slowly kick back into gear.

The Texas quarterback led off the early 2027 NFL mock draft from The Athletic's Dane Brugler.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Notre Dame corner Leonard Moore and South Carolina edge-rusher Dylan Stewart rounded out the top five.

Dane Brugler's Early 2027 Mock

Pick	Player
1. Cardinals	Arch Manning, QB, Texas
2. Dolphins	Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
3. Browns	Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
4. Jets	Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
5. Titans	Dylan Stewart, Edge, South Carolina
6. Raiders	Cam Coleman, WR, Texas
7. Saints	Colin Simmons, Edge, Texas
8. Steelers	Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State
9. Falcons	Jordan Seaton, OT, LSU
10. Panthers	A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon

After a bumpy start to his first season as a starter, things began clicking for Manning in the second half of 2025. Over the Longhorns' final six games, he threw for 1,714 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Brugler wrote might've even challenged for the No. 1 pick in this year's draft if he had declared:

"Had Manning been in the 2026 draft class, the Fernando Mendoza-vs.-Manning debates would have commanded all the pre-draft attention. If the Texas star continues to build off his improvements from the second half of last season, he will be the clear favorite to be 2027's top pick."

Dante Moore likewise might've been a top-five selection had he not returned to Oregon. The Ducks star is still a work in progress, as evidenced by his 10 interceptions, but he completed 71.8 percent of his passes and finished 2025 with a 163.7 passer rating.

A different quarterback led off Bleacher Report's initial projections for the 2027 draft. Darian Mensah, who spent his first two years at Tulane and Duke, beat out Manning and Moore to be the No. 1 pick.

Brugler didn't include Mensah in his mock but raised the question of whether the Miami transfer can send his stock soaring like Cam Ward did with the Hurricanes in 2024.

Smith will be an interesting prospect from the standpoint of how NFL teams value him against the best quarterbacks on the board.

The Buckeyes star was effectively pegged as a top-five pick midway through his freshman season. He had more catches (87) and averaged more yards per game (95.6) as a sophomore, further solidifying his on-field reputation.

Brugler drew a comparison to Larry Fitzgerald. The Arizona Cardinals selected Fitzgerald with the third pick, one place ahead of Philip Rivers. Ben Roethlisberger also went 11th that year.

Nobody will argue the Cardinals made a mistake, though, as they wound up getting a Hall of Famer.

Granted, Marvin Harrison Jr. was considered a sure thing too, and he has yet to make his breakthrough in Arizona.

That probably won't dissuade a franchise from positioning Smith as a centerpiece of the passing game next spring.