Mel Kiper, Field Yates Sound Off On If 2027 NFL Draft Will Be Greatest Class Ever in New Video

The dust has barely settled on the 2026 NFL draft, but the league is already eyeing what could be a memorable 2027 class.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates discussed how special the upcoming class could be Tuesday with the former saying (one-minute mark), "We're very intrigued by this draft class. It's going to be loaded. It's potentially a record-breaking class in terms of the number of players we have high grades on if they all come out."

Yates added (1:20 mark), "This is not the media creating a narrative. This could be a special class. NFL teams are operating under the same presumption."

Even the name of the video, GREATEST NFL DRAFT CLASS EVER?!, indicates how many marquee names will be available, including at the quarterback position.

Arch Manning is the headliner as the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli, but he is far from the only one. In fact, B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected Manning to go No. 2 overall in its early mock draft behind Miami quarterback Darian Mensah.

Quarterbacks Dante Moore (Oregon) and LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) went third and fourth, respectively, while Texas offensive lineman Trevor Goosby rounded out the top five.

Perhaps nothing indicates how talented the 2027 class will be better than B/R's NFL Scouting Department projecting Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith as the sixth overall pick.

After all, it called him a "franchise-changing talent" who "is everything the NFL wants in a truly special pass-catcher. He has the requisite speed, acceleration, route running/separation, strength, football IQ and ball skills."

In most drafts, someone with that description who has been under the spotlight since the moment he walked onto the field in his freshman season would be a surefire candidate to go No. 1 overall. Kiper compared him to Julio Jones, and he will have an opportunity to continue adding to the hype during the 2026 campaign.

Throw in players such as Dylan Stewart, Colin Simmons, Leonard Moore and Cam Coleman, among many others, and picking anywhere near the top 10 will give a number of teams the chance to select franchise-changing prospects.

"We started here by saying this class has a chance to be special and maybe people will say it's hyperbole and this is what you guys do every year. I don't think we're in over our skis, Mel." Yates said (36:30 mark). 

"The first draft that you and I did together in this show was the 2024 class. We had six QBs go into the top 12. We had Brock Bowers go 13th overall. Three great receivers, two very highly rated offensive tackles. This class feels to me, Mel, like it's got a chance to look a lot like what that 2024 class will look like. And by the way, that 2024 class so far, pretty darn good."

The hype has already started.