10 Biggest Risers, Fallers In 2027 NFL Draft: Is QB Drew Mestemaker A First-Rounder?

One of the many lessons I’ve learned as I’ve evolved from a strictly online NFL draft analyst to a professional scout who attends summer workouts on college campuses and games throughout the fall is that only occasionally do prospects surprise true talent evaluators and dramatically change their stock over the first month of the season. 

But that is the case with the 10 prospects listed below. 

These players have either answered key questions to boost their stock or have stumbled out of the gate. Either way, scouts will be keeping a close eye on their progress as the 2026 college football season unfolds and we progress toward the 2027 NFL Draft.  

RISERS

Just ask the Oregon Ducks how quickly QB Drew Mestemaker has made an impression. The wunderkind redshirt sophomore combines prototypical size and rare athleticism for the position with a strong and accurate arm, but he comes with very limited experience after serving as a backup throughout his prep career. Still, with a dazzling performance to upset Oregon in mid-September and an impressive win on the road versus West Virginia this past week, Mestemaker has risen from a curiosity to a legitimate early-round candidate. 

With so much attention heaped upon Oregon’s flashy skill-position talent on offense and a defensive front that will have at least four players selected in the 2027 NFL Draft, burly right guard Dave Luli has flown relatively under the radar. He plays with the physicality one might expect given his 6-foot-3, 332-pound frame, boasting a first punch that former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson would appreciate. But Luli is more than just a brawler. He’s also quick off the snap and shows good lateral agility to mirror in pass pro. Guards rarely earn anything higher than a Day 2 grade, but Luli has the look of an early and effective NFL starter. 

USC offensive tackle Elijah Paige doesn’t get much attention from media or even draft fans, but scouts recognize him as one of the more intriguing pass blockers in the country. At 6-foot-7, 315 pounds, Paige is absolutely massive. And, unlike many of the other top-rated tackles in the 2027 class, he has the requisite arm length and agility to remain at left tackle in the NFL — where each of his 24 career starts have come at USC. Paige has barely allowed edge rushers to even get close to star quarterback Jayden Maiava, surrendering just two pressures and zero sacks through the first four games. 

This past January, linebacker Sammy Omosigho transferred to UCLA after struggling to crack the starting lineup for three years at Oklahoma. Today, he is one of several breakout stars for the upstart 4-0 Bruins, leading the country with four forced fumbles, including the timely punchout against Purdue shown below. An explosive athlete who closes with jarring force, Omosigho routinely generates the kind of bone-rattling hits that knock ballcarriers to the turf immediately and force scouts to sit up and take notice. He has also impressed with his pre-snap diagnostic skills and communication, 

With three punt return touchdowns a year ago, Vicari Swain entered the 2026 season already well known, earning third-team All-SEC accolades from league coaches. And he’s only reinforced that impression so far this season, taking back two more punts for touchdowns to break Dickie Harris’ 55-year mark at South Carolina. Scouts knew Swain had the vision, courage and speed to excel as a returner, but it is his improved recognition in coverage and physicality as a tackler this season that really has his stock climbing. 

FALLERS 

There may not be a quarterback in the country with a more tantalizing combination of physical talent and intangibles than South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, but he made several critical errors in a 49-18 beatdown by Alabama last week that will force scouts to question whether he’ll ever play with the consistency needed to start in the NFL. On the interception shown below, for example, Sellers fails to account for the underneath defender, resulting in a catastrophic pick-six that extended the Crimson Tide’s lead to 35-3. This game was the 28th start of Sellers’ career. While his film is full of highlight-reel plays that suggest he could become an All-Pro one day, there are just as many lowlights. Coaches expect to see improvement as players gain experience, and Sellers’ touchdown-to-interception ratio has actually worsened throughout his career (18:7 in 2024, 13:8 in 2025, 6:4 this year).

After rushing for 18 touchdowns while averaging a gaudy 7.73 yards per carry over his first two seasons at Louisville, Isaac Brown looked like a shoo-in to be one of the first five running backs selected in the 2027 NFL Draft. But the sledding has been much tougher so far this season, with his yards-per-carry dropping to a pedestrian 4.1. Brown added weight during the offseason to give him a better chance at being a true bell-cow runner, jumping from 186 to 198 pounds, and he still possesses enough burst to create big plays. But in doing so, he’s lost a bit of the explosiveness that made him so dangerous. 

Xavier Chaplin was thought to be a future first-round pick after earning All-American honors as a redshirt freshman at Virginia Tech back in 2023. Alas, he didn’t look like one against Alabama two weeks ago, surrendering multiple pressures. Even for a player of his mass (6-foot-8, 346 pounds), Chaplin looked heavy-footed and off-balance, struggling to handle the Crimson Tide’s speed rushers and counters. The Seminoles face some terrific edge rushers in the coming weeks, including road games at Louisville (Clev Lubin) and Miami (Damon Wilson II) before a home game against Clemson and star defensive end Will Heldt on Halloween night. 

Jyaire Hill entered the season as one of my favorite cornerbacks, but he really struggled last week against Iowa, missing a couple of tackles and allowing four receptions — each of which resulted in either a first down or a touchdown. NFL teams are always in search of tall cornerbacks, but they must possess the loose hips and quick feet to change direction in a flash. Hill has struggled with that, too, often guessing on routes and leaving receivers with plenty of space to make plays on critical downs. Although Hill didn’t give up the last-second touchdown that clinched Iowa’s stunning victory, he was badly beaten inside by the same receiver (Reece Vander Zee) earlier in the game for this score. 

Two weeks ago, safety Ty Benefield was left lunging at air a few times in LSU’s emotional loss to Ole Miss, raising concerns about where he’ll fit best in the NFL. Scouts are intrigued by the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder’s speed and physicality, but the position is called “safety” for a reason. Benefield will need to take safer angles in pursuit and show better wrap skills — rather than just relying on his knockdown power — if he is to develop into the top-100 candidate LSU hoped when luring him to the SEC after he began his career at Boise State.