Mel Kiper's Sleeper Prospects for 2027 NFL Draft Revealed in New Video with Field Yates

The 2026 college football season will officially begin this weekend, and some experts are already looking ahead to the 2027 NFL draft.

ESPN NFL draft gurus Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates dropped a new video breaking down the top sleeper prospects in college football this season. The full list of prospects is as follows:

• Yhonzae Pierre, Edge, Alabama
• Damon Wilson II, Edge, Miami
• Terrance Carter Jr., TE, Texas Tech
• Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida
• Adon Shuler, S, Notre Dame
• Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson
• Chris Cole, LB, Georgia
• Kade Pieper, G, Iowa
• Anthony Smith, Edge, Minnesota
• Anto Saka, Edge, Texas A&M

"You go with guys who could maybe be in the first, early second round discussion, but right now aren't being discussed that way," Kiper explained. "I know there's gonna be somebody that has them, but we're talking about the consensus. And we're also talking about guys that you have to bring to light other than quarterbacks."

Among the sleeper prospects Kiper and Yates listed, Baugh, Hampton, Cole and Pieper were projected as 2027 first-round picks in the latest mock draft from B/R's NFL Scouting Department.

All of these players will have the chance to improve their NFL draft stock throughout the 2026 college football season, which will kick off on Saturday.