Arch Manning is the most recognizable quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft class. According to PFN’s first board of the cycle, he is not the best one.
On the latest Hot List, analyst Ian Cummings ranked his top five quarterbacks for 2027, and Oregon’s Dante Moore claimed the top spot. Manning landed at No. 2, a placement Cummings conceded might raise eyebrows.
Why Dante Moore Leads PFSN’s 2027 QB Rankings
Moore’s path to No. 1 runs through a familiar comparison. Cummings sees a young passer built in the image of a recent top-three pick.
“He’s kind of in the mold of C.J. Stroud,” Cummings said, crediting Moore with “a really compelling blend of athleticism, natural arm talent, easy velocity generation and angle freedom, but then also off-platform ability and in-structure ability.”
The production backs the projection. Moore threw for 3,565 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2025, then bypassed the 2026 NFL Draft, where he projected as a possible top pick, to return to Oregon. Cummings leaned on PFN’s QB Impact metric, which graded Moore at 85.9, and pointed to his work in tight moments, including a 0.71 EPA per dropback in two-minute situations.
“All of this showing the clutch gene that he has when the pressure is rising,” Cummings said, citing Moore’s performances against Iowa and Penn State. His ceiling, in Cummings’ framing, is steep: “a quickly ascending prospect who I think at his maximum has CJ Stroud ability as an in-structure operator, but also an out-of-structure creator and elevator of an NFL offense.”
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
Manning’s runner-up spot comes with its own momentum. The Texas quarterback finished his first full season as a starter in 2025, throwing for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns across 13 starts, and he returns in 2026 as a Heisman favorite. Cummings flagged a late-season surge, calling Manning’s game-to-game improvement “almost unheard of” and tagging him a quickly ascending prospect with the physical tools to match the bloodline.
“He’s got the legacy, he’s got the pedigree,” Cummings said. “Still needs to become a little bit more accurate.” Cummings is not alone in nudging Moore a half-step ahead, a debate already brewing in national draft circles.
Drew Mestemaker Headlines the Next Tier of 2027 QB Prospects
At No. 3, Cummings tabbed Drew Mestemaker, the former walk-on who led the FBS with 4,379 passing yards at North Texas before transferring to Oklahoma State.
A former high school safety and backup, Mestemaker “emerged in such a volcanic way last year,” Cummings said, praising a “high-end athlete with high-level arm talent” while cautioning that “the lower arm slot can induce some mechanical volatility” and footwork that turns “toesy and uncontrolled.” Clean it up, Cummings argued, and Mestemaker has “impact starter potential at the NFL level.”
Notre Dame’s CJ Carr checked in fourth. Cummings praised a redshirt freshman season built on poise rather than flash, citing “the blend of cerebral, old-school stylistic elements” and a “situational malleability that I think helps him withstand adversity.” Carr threw 24 touchdowns against 6 interceptions in 2025.
REDRAFT THE ENTIRE NFL: PFN’s FREE NFL Ultimate Redraft Simulator
Rounding out the five is Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey, a 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman who started all 13 games for the Gophers. Cummings sees raw upside worth tracking. “He’s a big-arm passer at his maximum,” Cummings said, one who “could draw some echoes to Big Ben.”
Cummings was first to note the obvious caveat: a full college season sits between now and the next time anyone seriously ranks these names. Boards move. But the top-line read is worth sitting with. The best quarterback in the 2027 class, for now, is not the one with the famous last name.
