Forget Brendan Sorsby: 5 QB Projects Worth Waiting For in 2027 NFL Draft

Opportunity cost must be factored into the equation for any NFL team seriously considering the possibility of Brendan Sorsby's selection in this year's supplemental draft.

By selecting Sorsby, that franchise will be bypassing other options in next April's NFL draft. The class is currently projected as the strongest quarterback crop in recent memory, including prospects with as much or more upside than the second-team All-Big 12 performer.

Furthermore, those individuals don't bring the same baggage. The idea of a developmental option/backup quarterback becoming a distraction served as the driving force behind Shedeur Sanders going from a Day 2 talent to a fifth-round draft pick. A greater spotlight will be placed on Sorsby because of the gambling addiction that eventually forced him out of college football.

From a pure talent perspective, Sorsby is a 6'3", 235-pound prospect with ample arm talent and good athleticism. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, NFL decision-makers believe he'll be a second-round selection in the supplemental draft.

An opportunity to develop Sorsby an extra year is an added benefit of choosing him now instead of another quarterback later. However, more options will be available with a little patience. They won't join the roster with the same concerns, while presenting significant upside themselves.

Miami's Darian Mensah, Texas' Arch Manning and Oregon's Dante Moore are considered future top-10 draft picks by the Bleacher Report Scouting Department. Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker, Notre Dame's CJ Carr and USC's Jayden Maiava find themselves in the next tier capable of moving into the top status.

Five more prospects offer enough growth potential to emerge as future high draft picks or continue on their current paths as developmental options worth investing in later in the process.

Drake Lindsey, Minnesota

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Drake Lindsey is the name to watch as the quarterback prospect poised to skyrocket throughout the 2027 cycle.

At 6'5" and 230 pounds, the 20-year-old signal-caller has a prototypical frame and natural arm talent to get those within NFL circles very excited about his long-term potential.

The Minnesota quarterback faced an off-the-field incident this offseason, as Fayetteville (Arkansas) police arrested Lindsey last month in connection with allegations of underage possession of alcohol and carrying fraudulent identification, per the Associated Press.

"Drake's just got to make better decisions, just like all the players on our team," Gophers head coach PJ Fleck told reporters. "Take accountability for those decisions, learn from those decisions, and be better for it. That's the only thing you can do with your football team, is continue to educate him. And I know he'll be way better for it, and he has been."

An incident of this nature is unlikely to have a significant impact on Lindsey's draft stock, but it will still be part of teams' background work and a topic of questioning during interviews.

As a passer, Lindsey displays a quick release and confidently, borderline arrogantly, challenges the smallest of windows thanks to excellent ball placement. He's going to attack defensive backs and show some anticipatory traits when attempting to throw his receivers open. His continued growth with his decision-making and footwork will only elevate his status throughout the process.

LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

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LaNorris Sellers is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in college football. If the South Carolina signal-caller marries his explosive arm talent and outstanding athleticism with more consistency as a passer, he could be in contention for the No. 1 overall pick once he declares for the NFL draft.

The 20-year-old prospect creates easy explosives as both a passer and runner. He has also been blessed with a 6'3", 240-pound frame, which allows him to be a freight train when he finds himself in the open field as a runner.

During his two seasons as a starter in the SEC, he threw for 4,971 yards, ran for 944 more and contributed 43 total touchdowns.

Obvious issues arise when he's not comfortable in the pocket and does not see the play developing in front of him. When Sellers drops back to pass and knows where he wants to go with the ball, he can rip lasers into tight windows. Then, his accuracy becomes scattershot, with some bad misses even to available targets.

Sellers should benefit from the hire of Kendal Briles as offensive coordinator since the former TCU assistant head coach brings a quarterback-friendly scheme to simplify the process and give the junior prospects answers with quick reads and decisions.

"He's playing well and LaNorris is a football junkie, and loves the game and loves working at it, studying it and watching it," Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer said this spring. "The way that he's performing on the field this summer will be big for him, as he continues to master the details of everything that we're doing, but he's doing a good job with a lot of new faces around him at all positions ...

"So it's nice to see a guy now be able to take that next step, even though it's a different system. It's his third year starting, and fourth year in the program, which is a big deal."

If the game begins to slow down for Sellers and he builds on his understanding of where to go with the ball post-snap, his overall accuracy and ball placement will increase and, in turn, improve his draft status.

CJ Bailey, North Carolina State

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CJ Bailey's draft status is built upon tightening up everything within his game, while continuing to mature physically.

Few quarterbacks are built like Bailey, while retaining a high level of athleticism and movement skills. His build is reminiscent of Taylen Green, whom the Cleveland Browns drafted in this year's sixth round.

Bailey is listed at 6'6" and 213 pounds. According to North Carolina State's official website, the Wolfpack's QB1 already added 20 pounds since arriving on campus.

As is the case with nearly every tall and lankier quarterback prospect, Bailey's mechanics tend to be loose and require far more consistency in order to maximize his potential as a passer. However, his whiplike release and ability to throw on the move are impressive delivery mechanisms.

Since becoming the starter as a true freshman, the 20-year-old prospect has completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 5,518 yards and 42 touchdowns. He improved across the board as a passer in Year 2. However, this fall could be the telltale sign of whether he can build himself into an elite prospect based on an increased comfort level and greater emphasis on his play after North Carolina State lost last year's top rusher and top four receiving targets.

"He's not learning a new offense. He's literally learning what he knows to another level right now," North Carolina State head coach Dave Doeren told reporters. "It's been fun. I'm really proud of CJ for the way that he's attacking these practices right now. He's not attacking it like a guy that's a returning starter. Every day, he's trying to get better and better and improve himself to the guys on the field that he hasn't played with."

DJ Lagway, Baylor

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DJ Lagway is yet another prospect with immense physical tools yet needs more refinement to his game.

Lagway entered the collegiate ranks as a heralded 5-star recruit and started 19 games with the Florida Gators before transferring to Baylor this spring. The move should help ground the highly regarded talent since he's a Texas native and his father is a Baylor alumnus.

"I was in a bubble down there, I didn't feel like a normal person," Lagway said of his time in Gainesville, Fla., per Matt Hayes of USA Today. "I didn't even know what the campus looked like. I was really closed off. I didn't really hang out with my teammates. Yeah, I was depressed. I just stayed in my own lane. Stayed out of the way."

While experiencing the fame of a top, highly paid recruit and a starting quarterback, Lagway battled multiple injuries. He endured a significant shoulder issue, a pulled hamstring, a core injury that required surgery and strains to lateral muscles and his calves. The entire experience overwhelmed the 20-year-old.

A healthy Lagway remains an impressive specimen. He's a 6'3", 239-pound quarterback with a big arm and tremendous athleticism. Despite all of the previous issues he faced, the underclassman still managed 4,179 passing yards and 29 total touchdowns while playing an SEC schedule.

He's now more settled, working with a proven offensive coordinator in Jake Spavital and actually enjoying campus life. Plus, Baylor uses the same program that allowed Jayden Daniels and Fernando Mendoza to elevate their games.

"Baylor is one of a handful of schools currently using Cognilize, a German virtual reality software for quarterbacks," Hayes reported. "The immersive decision-making software allows players to rapidly improve progressions and decisions by generating team- and scheme-specific options without the physical wear and tear of a typical game."

Lagway has a real opportunity to realize his full potential as a member of the Bears. Once unleashed, he'll be almost impossible to stop.

Josh Hoover, Indiana

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Unlike those already named, Josh Hoover doesn't have the physical attributes to leave a scout's mouth agape when evaluating his play. Instead, the TCU transfer has a chance to benefit the most from a new situation.

Hoover is the Indiana Hoosiers' new starting quarterback. The senior prospect will attempt to fill the state of Indiana-sized void left by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who led the program to its first national championship and become the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft.

But Hoover's inclusion shouldn't be simply viewed as a quarterback riding the wave of a program's success. Indiana can identify talent at the game's most important position, properly develop it and place its QB in a position to succeed. While Mendoza's fairytale story now defines the Hoosiers football, his predecessor, Kurtis Rourke, also experienced significant success.

Regarding the team's latest transfer, Hoover threw for 7,421 yards and 56 touchdowns over the last two seasons. He posted the highest passing grade in the Big 12 during that span, per Pro Football Focus. While listed at 6'2" and 200 pounds, Hoover doesn't have the biggest frame. However, he makes sound, quick decisions, while showing good touch when throwing down the field.

The 22-year-old Texas native is already a proven collegiate passer. Yet he can enter the upper stratosphere thanks to Indiana's quarterback-friendly scheme, while throwing to wide receiver Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh—both of whom are garnering early first-round projections. Hoover will also face a top-notch defense every day in practice, while now playing a Big Ten Conference schedule.

Meanwhile, Indiana's coaching staff knows the plan of attack to turn him into a premium prospect.

"We'd like to see him play a little faster, practice with a little more urgency," Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti told reporters. "Drive every ball. I don't know what was asked of him where he came from in terms of practice, but no plays are like a throw off. You know, even walk through. We get on wide receivers for running half speed. Well, you know, we want him to drive every football."