It’s still early in the NFL season, but draft talk is already heating up, and ESPN veteran scout Mel Kiper dropped his Top 25 list for the 2027 class. While Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith sits pretty at No. 1, it’s Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker at No. 2, and Kiper naming him his top-rated quarterback, that has everyone talking.
The Ghost of Shedeur Sanders Haunts Kiper’s Latest Call
This isn’t Kiper’s first rodeo, we all know that. But his latest picks for the 2027 draft class have seriously raised some eyebrows among fans. Why? Because a lot of people remember when he famously predicted Shedeur Sanders would go No. 3 overall. Yikes, right? Sanders ended up landing in the 5th round, going to the Cleveland Browns. That’s a huge miss!
Fans immediately hit social media with their thoughts, and one comment pretty much summed up the vibe: “Didn’t he have Shedeur at the top of his list too? Yikes. He’s the OG, but the scouting game may have passed him by.” Ouch. Kiper tried to head off the criticism, making it clear this isn’t a mock draft or a prediction, just his personal ranking based on early evaluations. He said players will rise and fall as the season rolls on. Still, that Mestemaker pick at No. 2 feels like a gamble when your last big QB call went south.
Another Expert, Another Top QB, But A Different Order
Meanwhile, it isn’t just Kiper dropping early lists. CBS Sports’ own draft expert, Mike Renner, also released his rankings, and he’s got Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith at No. 1 too. So, that’s some consensus at the top there. But Renner sees things a bit differently for Mestemaker, ranking him at No. 4 overall. He’s still Renner’s top quarterback, mind you, but that’s a decent slide from Kiper’s No. 2 spot. Renner’s top five includes Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore at No. 2, South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart at No. 3, Mestemaker at No. 4, and Texas EDGE Collin Simmons rounding out the five spot. Renner also mentioned that it’s super early in the season, so things are absolutely bound to change.
Look, these are just early season rankings, and as both Kiper and Renner noted, things are gonna shift. But when an expert like Kiper puts his stamp on a guy like Mestemaker so high, especially with his past predictions, you can bet the conversation is just getting started. It’s a long season, and the scouting game is officially ON.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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