The college football calendar is in Week 10. We're learning more about 2027 NFL Draft prospects with each passing contest . Scouts have large sample sizes to evaluate in ongoing preparation for April's festivities.
Rising prospects and initial sleepers are changing big boards across the league . Positional rankings are being discussed and finalized. Various changes have been made since preseason rankings.
We've identified the five biggest sleeper prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft at the midseason point . The following prospects have played terrific football throughout 2026. Some may even be included in first-round mock drafts.
Virginia Tech tight end Luke Reynolds is changing what we thought about those positional rankings . The former Penn State transfer struggled to get on the field for the Nittany Lions. Reynolds transferred to VT and has been an outstanding pass catcher in 2026, producing 50 receptions for 493 yards and six touchdowns so far.
Reynolds also contributes as an in-line blocker and appears to possess a complete "Y" skill set. Jamari Johnson (Oregon) and Trey'Dez Green (LSU) have dominated early conversations at the position. Reynolds is challenging that.
UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho is in contention for LB2 behind Georgia's Chris Cole . After being stuck as a reserve with Oklahoma, he entered the transfer portal and has taken full advantage of his opportunity with the Bruins. Omosigho has been everywhere, recording 62 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and three pass breakups to date.
Omosigho is an outstanding athlete for the position. The Crandall, Texas native showcases sideline-to-sideline ability and shoots downhill with aggression. Omosigho is also a converted safety, and it especially shows up in coverage.
Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) and Colin Simmons (Texas) are the unquestioned top EDGE-rushing prospects . After them, there's been ongoing competition for the EDGE3 spot. Among the emerging contenders is Notre Dame's Boubacar Traore.
Traore has already recorded 3.5 sacks this season, building on last year's 6.5-sack campaign. He's showcased an assortment of moves and terrific get-off. Traore is currently performing like a first-round selection.
Kingston Lopa is another prospect who entered the transfer portal in search of bigger opportunities. His move from Oregon to Cal has paid major dividends . Lopa has been a complete revelation for scouts this season.
Lopa has already compiled 39 tackles, seven pass breakups, and five interceptions. He possesses an extremely unique frame (6-5, 210) that makes him Kyle Hamilton-like when it comes to contesting plays with length and range that most safeties can't match. Lopa has also shown capable of defending in man coverage.
The Ahmad Hardy situation has made finalizing running back rankings complicated for scouts. Boise State running back Dylan Riley is among those who have taken advantage of the uncertainty. He's been extremely shifty and explosive this season.
Riley had a huge campaign in 2025, registering 1,125 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as Ashton Jeanty's replacement. Scouts wanted to see Riley replicate that production in 2026 and he's already surpassed the 1,000-yard mark while averaging a career-high 6.4 yards per attempt. Riley is in the RB3 mix behind Jadan Baugh (Florida) and Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss).
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/draft/onsi as 2027 NFL Draft: 5 Midseason Sleepers Turning Heads Everywhere .
