2027 NFL draft Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper's top prospects - ESPN

I'm already getting excited for the 2027 NFL draft. This class could be really, really good. We have elite wide receivers, standout defenders and a bunch of excellent quarterback prospects. I've been holding off on ranking the best players available until we had a big enough sample of tape, but with roughly half the 2026 college football season in the bank, I'm ready to debut my Big Board for 2027.

My normal disclaimer: This is not a mock draft. What follows isn't any form of prediction for when or where players will get picked once we hit Round 1 on April 29 in Washington D.C. Instead, this is simply my personal ranking of the best players in the class. The list below is based on my own evaluations from what I see on film and some conversations I've had around the NFL. And remember that a lot can change here. Players will rise and fall on the board, and some will even return to school for another year at the collegiate level before turning pro in the future.

Here is my current ranking of the top 25 prospects in the 2027 draft class, which includes a ton of QBs. And at the bottom, I've included the best players at each position. Check back regularly right through draft day — I will keep this list updated as the class continues to take shape. But one spot that might not change at all is No. 1 ...

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Positional rankings

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 222 pounds

2026 stats over six games: 48 catches, 916 receiving yards, 11 touchdown catches

Smith is very clearly the best player in this draft class. He's big, fast and physical, and he snatches the ball on the run cleanly. On 281 career targets, he has just six drops. And Smith has the body control to make tough catches. I love the way that he is always looking to improve,