2027 NFL Draft Rankings 1.0

 by: Ben Embry (April 27, 2025)

I'm just gonna say it: making 2027 NFL Draft rankings right now feels like trying to predict who’s gonna be the breakout character in Euphoria Season 4 when half the cast isn’t even old enough to drive yet. You’re basically scouting college freshman who hasn’t even figured out how to do his own laundry yet. It's like if we ranked 8th graders based on who might be the next Batman. And yet, here we are — watching grainy Hudl clips at 1 a.m., convincing ourselves that some wide receiver from Florida with "elite twitch" is gonna be the next Ja'Marr Chase while conveniently forgetting that 90% of these guys are still figuring out their wingspan. It’s the NFL Draft version of betting your life savings on a 14-year-old AAU point guard because he can already dunk. Good times.

If you told me a decade ago that Ohio State would eventually have a receiver who looks like Julio Jones, moves like A.J. Green, and somehow catches everything thrown within a five-yard radius like peak Larry Fitzgerald, I would’ve assumed Urban Meyer built him in a secret lab underneath the Horseshoe. Enter Jeremiah Smith: a 6'3" cheat code with Inspector Gadget arms and the kind of body control that makes NFL scouts start buying Columbus real estate six months early. Watching him run a route is like watching young LeBron play high school football — it’s borderline unfair. Good luck to every Big Ten defensive coordinator who’s currently stress-eating Doritos just thinking about covering this dude.

At some point, Georgia coaches just started recruiting dudes who feel like they were created in a Marvel lab. KJ Bolden is the latest — a safety who moves like a corner, hits like a linebacker, and somehow covers more ground than the '07 Patriots secondary and your Uber driver combined. Watching him is like watching Ed Reed if Ed Reed had access to 2025 training methods and, like, an Iron Man suit. Every time there's a deep ball, you just see this flash of crimson streak across the screen and suddenly it’s an interception, or at worst, the receiver is wondering if life insurance covers getting absolutely de-cleated by a freshman. It’s almost unfair. You can already picture NFL GMs doing the "we're gonna need to trade up for this guy in 2027" nod.

Speaking of SEC freshman, you know that moment in a sports movie where the plucky underdog team finally finds the ringer who changes everything? That’s Ryan Williams for Alabama, except instead of some gritty "oh he’s scrappy" story, it’s oh no, this guy’s just a glitch in the system. He was only 17 years old last year, but every time he touched the ball, you could practically hear opposing defensive backs mutter "this is bulls---" under their breath. It was like when you’re playing Madden, realize your opponent’s 12-year-old cousin is way better than you, and you just start praying for lag.

Enough with the pop culture references, here's my way too early rankings for the 2027 NFL Draft:

1. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio St

2. KJ Bolden, S, Georgia

3. Colin Simmons, DE, Texas

4. Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama

5. David Stone, DL, Oklahoma

6. Dylan Stewart, DE, South Carolina

7. Eddrick Houston, DL, Ohio St

8. T.J. Moore, WR, Clemson

9. Terry Bussey, WR, Texas A&M

10. Dylan Raiola, QB, Nebraska

11. Cam Coleman, WR, Auburn

12. DJ Lagway, QB, Florida

13. Koi Perich, S, Minnesota

14. Justin Scott, DL, Miami (FL)

15. Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame

16. Jordan Seaton, OT, Colorado

17. Nate Frazier, RB, Georgia

18. Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida

19. Zabien Brown, CB, Alabama

20. Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville

21. Jaylen Mbakwe, CB, Alabama

22. Dominick McKinley, DL, LSU

23. LJ McCray, DL, Florida

24. Ellis Robinson IV, CB, Georgia

25. Anthonie Knapp, OT, Notre Dame

26. Justin Williams, LB, Georgia

27. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB, Notre Dame

28. Fluff Bothwell, RB, Mississippi St

29. OJ Frederique Jr., CB, Miami (FL)

30. Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson

31. Jayden Jackson, DL, Oklahoma

32. Caden Durham, RB, LSU

33. Bryant Wesco Jr., WR, Clemson

34. Mike Matthews, WR, Tennessee

35. Williams Nwaneri, DL, Missouri

36. Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio St

37. Francis Brewu, DL, Pittsburgh

38. Micah Hudson, WR, Texas Tech

39. Eli Bowen, CB, Oklahoma

40. Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri

2026 NFL Draft Rankings 1.0

by: Ben Embry (April 24, 2025)

So the 2026 NFL Draft is landing in Pittsburgh, and honestly, this feels like the NFL giving one of its old-school cities a big, juicy "thank you" for being ride-or-die through decades of frozen fingers, Iron City beer, and the occasional Duck Hodges era. We're talking about a city where football isn’t just a sport—it’s basically a religion with terrible weather. Acrisure Stadium (yes, we’re still pretending that name doesn’t feel like a weird crypto app) will be the epicenter, but the whole North Shore is getting turned into a three-day football carnival. Picture Terrible Towels everywhere, "Renegade" blasting out of Bluetooth speakers, and your buddy from college absolutely losing it when the Steelers reach for a linebacker you’ve never heard of.

Now, let's talk about the prospects.  First up: Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.  Number 2 in your program but number 1 on my big board.  Caleb Downs is one of those guys who shows up on the field and immediately makes you say, “Wait, why is *that* dude everywhere?”—he’s like the modern version of Ed Reed with a little bit of Jamal Adams pre-Jets implosion. Transferred to Ohio State like it was nothing, instantly became the best player on their defense, and started playing like the football gods injected him with Nick Saban’s defensive instincts and the closing speed of a heat-seeking missile. I watched one series where he made a tackle in the box, broke up a deep ball 30 yards downfield, and called out the opposing team’s play like he had the script. He’s not just a safety—he’s basically your team’s insurance policy against everything going wrong. If I’m a GM, I don’t care if he runs a 4.4 or a 4.7—just put him on my team and let him ruin Sundays for opposing quarterbacks.

Look, I don’t want to overreact, but Malik Muhammad might already be one of those guys—you know the type. The “Wait, how is he always in the right place?” guy. The “Did he just bait that quarterback like he’s playing Madden?” guy. Watching him fly around the field for Texas this season gave me serious early-‘00s Ty Law vibes, except if Ty Law had a little more swag and a TikTok highlight reel. He’s got that rare “island corner” gene, like he grew up shadowing Deion Sanders VHS tapes and challenging kids to 1-on-1s at recess. And the confidence? Off the charts. You can see it in how he walks back to the huddle after a pass breakup—he's not just playing defense, he’s playing mind games. If college football had a Real World/Challenge crossover episode, Malik’s the guy stirring the pot and locking you down in the final.

Okay, so here's the thing about Arch Manning: he’s not just a quarterback, he’s a Manning. That’s like being born into the Kennedy family but for NFL royalty—he’s got Peyton's brain, Eli's weird clutchness, and Cooper's cool-guy energy, all wrapped in this ultra-polished, 6’4” “chosen one” package. Watching him suit up for Texas feels like someone dropped a golden retriever into a lion's den and the retriever just started running the offense like a 10-year vet. He’s got that slow heartbeat, that “I’ve been groomed for this since toddlerhood” calm, like he was reading cover-2 defenses in between snack time and finger painting. And yeah, the hype machine is insane, but here’s the twist: he might actually live up to it. If Arch ends up leading Texas back to the CFP? We’re talking 30 for 30 status. Title: The Heir.

Alright, it’s time—cue the dramatic NFL Films music, and get ready to fire up the YouTube highlights—because my first 2026 NFL Draft rankings are below, and yes, I already regret ranking a tight end from Vanderbilt in my top 10.

1. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio St

2. Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas

3. TJ Parker, DE, Clemson

4. Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas

5. Arch Manning, QB, Texas

6. Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)

7. Peter Woods, DL, Clemson

8. Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt

9. Zane Durant, DL, Penn St

10. Duce Robinson, WR, Florida St

11. Nico Iamaleava, QB, UCLA

12. Drew Allar, QB, Penn St

13. Suntarine Perkins, LB, Ole Miss

14. Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

15. D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

16. Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn St

17. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

18. Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia

19. Damon Wilson II, DE, Missouri

20. Peyton Bowen, S, Oklahoma

21. Rueben Bain, DE, Miami (FL)

22. Khalil Barnes, S, Clemson

23. Spencer Fano, OL, Utah

24. DJ Hicks, DL, Texas A&M

25. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

26. Adepoju Adebawore, DE, Oklahoma

27. Nyck Harbor, WR, South Carolina

28. Jordan Castell, S, Florida

29. Raylen Wilson, LB, Georgia

30. Jalon Kilgore, CB, South Carolina

31. James Smith, DL, Alabama

32. Jahiem White, RB, West Virginia

33. Taurean York, LB, Texas A&M

34. Jake Slaughter, OL, Florida

35. Kevin Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

36. Jackson Arnold, QB, Auburn

37. CJ Baxter, RB, Texas

38. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

39. Cayden Green, OL, Missouri

40. Justice Haynes, RB, Michigan