2027 NFL Draft Big Board: Joel Klatt Reveals Way-Too-Early Top 10

Let the debate over the top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft begin. As we put a bow on the 2026 NFL Draft, next year’s draft class is set to be loaded with talent at the top. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith will be draft eligible, but he isn’t the only wide receiver who could be a top-10 pick next April. There are a pair of edge rushers who have top-10 promise as well. Of course, we can’t look over the quarterback talent in next year’s class, either. Texas’ Arch Manning is the biggest name of the group, but is he the top quarterback prospect? He’s just one of a handful of signal-callers I’m keeping my eye on as potential top-10 picks in the 2027 draft. So, let’s get into my way-too-early top 10 prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft. I hope Trinidad Chambliss is able to duplicate what he did last year, specifically what he did in Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff run. He’s so dynamic as a player. He spent last season becoming a leader that I don’t think anyone anticipated he would become. He’s dynamic as a passer. If he had entered this year’s draft, I think there was a chance he would’ve been a first-round pick. But he’s going to be back at Ole Miss after winning his eligibility case. The knock against him will be his size as he’s listed at 6 feet tall. There have been other guys who have succeeded at that size, though, especially if they’ve got that ability to move. CJ Carr is going into his second season as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback, so he’ll get some more experience this year. He closed his first season by helping the Fighting Irish go on a 10-game win streak after getting thrown into the fire early with games against Miami (Fla.) and Texas A&M. They lost those games, but they were pretty close. Carr had his struggles and threw some interceptions at times. However, he’s got the ability, stature and pedigree. He’s easily a guy who can play himself into becoming a top-10 pick. Cam Coleman could have a monster season at Texas, and if the Longhorns are going to be the team some believe they can be, he’s going to need to do that. Texas wasn’t great at wide receiver a year ago, so maybe the 6-foot-3 Coleman can give the Longhorns a boost with his explosiveness. He can really go up there and get it. He was actually right there with Jeremiah Smith as the No. 1 wide receiver recruit out of high school a few years ago. But he was stuck with a bad quarterback situation at Auburn the past two years. Now, he gets to play with Arch Manning in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. Sarkisian knows how to isolate and get a guy like Coleman opportunities and touches. Coleman could have a monster year and be a top-10 pick. Colin Simmons is a hell of a player. He has 21 sacks already in just two years. He’s going to be a really good player again in 2026, and he’s clearly a guy who is going to be on the radar for a top-10 selection next year. We’re staying at edge rusher here for No. 6. Remember, edge rusher, along with quarterback and wide receiver, is among the positions that are among the most valued in the draft. Dylan Stewart’s listed at 6-5 and 245 pounds as he enters his junior year. He was a freshman All-American in 2024 and backed that up with a huge year as a sophomore in 2025. I view him a bit more as a do-it-all edge player over Simmons. So, that’s why Stewart gets the edge. Jordan Seaton transferred from Colorado to LSU over the offseason. He was a five-star recruit out of high school and started for Coach Prime at Colorado for two seasons, protecting Shedeur Sanders when he was a freshman. Colorado never materialized from an offensive line perspective, but it wasn’t his fault. Now, he goes to LSU and I think he could have a big year for Lane Kiffin. If Seaton does, I think he could be a top-10 pick. Arch Manning reminds me of a poor man’s Andrew Luck. Maybe not in his production, but in his playing style. He can throw it downfield. He’s big. He’s faster and more mobile than you would anticipate. Now, I know he didn’t have a great year and that first start against Ohio State didn’t go the way he wanted. I don’t know if Manning was fully healthy early in the year, but Texas didn’t run the football as effectively as it needed to. The Longhorns certainly didn’t protect him well enough, either. But Manning can make the throws down the field and, guys, he’s a Manning. Let’s not overthink this. An organization is going to look at him and see him have a better year in 2026 after he turned the corner late last season. He had 20 total touchdowns to two turnovers in his last six games. So, Manning and Texas should be better in 2026. I thought Dante Moore would’ve been the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft had he declared. However, he opted to remain at Oregon following a good year. He’s got good command, great stature, athleticism, and he throws it well. But he’s also smart, as former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein told me that Moore prepares like a pro. Oregon is going to be really good, and the Ducks might be my No. 1 overall team in my top 25 post-spring rankings, thanks to players like Moore. I just can’t put Leonard Moore any lower than this. He was a unanimous All-American as a sophomore last season and a freshman All-American a year before that. When Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was asked who was the toughest corner he’s faced, he said Moore. He’s got good length (6-2) and great ability in coverage. NFL teams will be all over Moore because of that. Speaking of Smith, you all know he would be No. 1 on this list. Smith should be the No. 1 prospect on everyone’s board. The only reason he wouldn’t go No. 1 next year, though, is because of quarterback need at the top of the draft. Smith is 6-3 and 220 pounds, lighting up college football since the moment he stepped on the field in Columbus. He’s got over 2,500 yards and 29 total touchdowns in just 29 games. He’s an absolute monster. No wide receiver has gone in the top three of the NFL Draft since Calvin Johnson in 2007. Smith will be the first non-quarterback off the board. You can write that down.