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Drew Mestemaker is Everyone's New Favorite QB in the 2027 NFL Draft Class. Here's Why.
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- Drew Mestemaker is Everyone's New Favorite QB in the 2027 NFL Draft Class. Here's Why.
Heading into the 2026 college football season, there was a ton of buzz surrounding the potential 2027 NFL Draft class at quarterback. A deep group headlined by big names like Arch Manning at Texas, and proven producers like Oregon's Dante Moore had fans of QB-needy teams in the NFL excited about what the future could hold for their franchises.
But halfway through the year, it's a redshirt sophomore at Oklahoma State who has flown up the board and launched himself into the QB1 spot as we look ahead to April.
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Drew Mestemaker has gone from intriguing sleeper to absolute stud over the past two months, putting out the kind of film that will have those NFL teams desperate for a franchise passer champing at the bit to get him in their uniform in the offseason.
ESPN regularly polls scouts and executives throughout the league about where they would rank the top quarterback prospects in a given class, and after not getting a single QB1 vote back in August, 17 of the league personnel polled at the mid-season mark put Mestemaker in the top spot:
So, why is Mestemaker all of a sudden the belle of the ball?
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Well, because he keeps making throws like this:
A transfer from North Texas, Mestemaker put up huge numbers for the Mean Green as a redshirt freshman, but many wondered if that production could continue against Big 12 competition. So far this season, Mestemaker has not only answered those questions with a resounding yes, but he continues to show impressive development in all of the intangible areas required to beat NFL defenses on a consistent basis.
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Whether it's deep-ball accuracy, tight-window throws at the intermediate level, or perfect ball placement on back-shoulder throws in the red zone, Mestemaker continues to check every single box:
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Listed at 6-3, 215 pounds, Mestemaker checks the size box when it comes to projecting NFL success at the game's most important position. Some might be tempted to make Josh Allen comparisons, but Allen is bigger, faster, more athletic, and has a bigger arm. That said, Mestemaker continues to prove he's plenty athletic enough to beat defenses as a runner when they don't respect that area of his game, and he knows how to use his mobility to extend plays outside the pocket and still make accurate throws on the run:
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He's also tough enough to play through contact, both in the face of the oncoming pass rush, and when it's time to get those few extra yards as a runner:
Obviously, there's still plenty of room to grow for Mestemaker. After throwing just nine interceptions all of last season at North Texas, he's already thrown seven in eight games so far this year. As with many top quarterback prospects, you can see Mestemaker's arm arrogance backfire at times, where his mind writes checks his arm just can't cash.
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On the plus side, every young quarterback can benefit from taking those calculated risks and learning from them, creating a useful catalog moving forward about which windows are too tight, and which ones are just open enough to fit the ball between defenders. You don't know what you're capable of unless you test your limits, and Mestemaker seems to be striking a solid balance between taking those risks and coming out on top far more often than not.
2027 NFL DRAFT RANKINGS
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | Interior OL | Edge | Interior DL | LB | CB | S
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Is Manning's disappointing play so far this season, and Moore's injury absence, impacting Mestemaker's rise to the top of the quarterback class? Possibly, given their receding draft stock has created a void at the top of the board. But this class still looks fairly deep, with Miami's Darian Mensah playing some fantastic football so far this season, and new names like Missouri's Austin Simmons flying up the board. It still looks like a strong group that could land a handful of promising passers in the first-round conversation.
But looking at the tape, it's easy to see why decision-makers across the NFL continue to be impressed by what Mestemaker brings to the table. He's got the physical traits necessary to be a franchise passer at the next level, and it sure looks like he's got the mental and intangible side of things down, as well.
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There's still plenty of refinement and growth that will be necessary for him to live up to his potential, but at this point in the process, it's not hard to imagine Mestemaker being the first quarterback selected when April rolls around.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
