Is the 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class suddenly becoming a one-man race?
There is still plenty of football left, but through Week 7, the quarterback race is becoming more unpredictable. Oregon's Dante Moore remains sidelined, Ohio State's Julian Sayin is now out indefinitely, and perhaps the biggest disappointment has been Arch Manning's inability to hold his ground as one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation.
What this has led to is Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker emerging as a legitimate threat to become the first quarterback off the board next April. Notre Dame's CJ Carr and Miami's Darian Mensah will have something to say about that, but is Mestemaker closing in on the No. 1 spot, or has another quarterback already done enough to claim the top ranking?
Let's get into this week's NFL Mocks 2027 NFL Draft QB Power 5 rankings.
2027 NFL Draft QB rankings: The top 5
No. 1 Darian Mensah, Miami
Following a bye week, Miami's Darian Mensah reclaims the No. 1 spot in this week's top five, but just barely.
In a rivalry game against Florida State, Mensah came up clutch in a 43-35 victory over the unranked Seminoles. The Hurricanes needed double overtime to knock off their ACC rivals, but the quarterback did his part by completing 23-of-34 passes for 326 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Despite the turnover, Mensah showed in this game that he can come through when it matters most. He delivered a clutch 3-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Toney in the second overtime, setting up a successful two-point conversion that gave Miami an eight-point lead.
While it had been relatively easy for Mensah leading up to this game, it was good to see him come through in a close contest. There are still a few tests ahead of him, but the Miami quarterback continues to keep his team undefeated on the season.
When it comes down to the Heisman Trophy race, that may be one of the factors that keeps him as a frontrunner.
No. 2 Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
It's getting harder week to week not to just crown Drew Mestemaker as the king of the 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class.
In facing a tough Houston team in Week 7, Mestemaker threw for 365 yards and made some impressive throws throughout the game. Unfortunately, he was outdueled by Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman, who threw for 343 yards and five touchdown passes.
The performance was impressive because of the toughness and execution Mestemaker showed against a Houston defense that tested him throughout the game. Along with his three touchdown passes, Mestemaker added 34 rushing yards on six carries as he continues to showcase his dual-threat ability and give NFL teams more reasons to watch him closely.
While it was a tough loss for Oklahoma State, their quarterback is proving week after week that the team has a chance to win because of the elite passing ability he has been showcasing.
Most importantly, Mestemaker is proving to be a tough, competitive passer who will do whatever it takes to help his team win.
He proved it in Week 2 against Oregon and almost proved it again against Houston, two ranked opponents.
At this point, the question isn't whether Mestemaker belongs in the QB1 conversation. It's whether anyone can slow his rise to the top.
No. 3 CJ Carr, Notre Dame
The Notre Dame quarterback faced his biggest test against BYU in Week 7 and struggled for the first time this season.
In the 28-24 loss, Carr's accuracy was off as he completed just 55.1 percent of his passes, well below his usual standard. He also had a fumble while attempting to spike the ball, an error that took points off the board at the end of the first half.
It was an overall performance that dropped him from No. 1 to No. 3 in this week's Power 5.
Carr finished the game completing 27-of-49 passes for 261 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Despite the offensive struggles, Notre Dame still had a shot at winning the game on the final drive as Carr marched the Fighting Irish down to the 9-yard line with four seconds left.
His final attempt fell short to end a frustrating night, but the positive is how he continued to battle and still put his team in a position to win the game.
One disappointing performance shouldn't erase what Carr has accomplished this season, but with Mensah and Mestemaker continuing to make their cases, the Notre Dame quarterback now has something to prove.
No. 4 Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Trinidad Chambliss leaps back into the Power 5 this week after leading Ole Miss to a 31-3 win over Missouri.
In this game, Chambliss outperformed Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons, who was overpowered by the Ole Miss defense throughout the game.
The dual-threat quarterback was just that throughout the contest. He completed 20-of-36 passes for 241 yards and four total touchdowns, including one rushing score.
What stood out in this game, and what puts Chambliss back in the top five this week, was his red-zone efficiency.
We know what he can do between the 20-yard lines, but inside the 20, he was terrific. He connected on a 10-yard touchdown pass to start the game, added a 4-yard touchdown strike in the third quarter and finished the game with an 8-yard touchdown pass.
While his size remains a reason his draft stock isn't higher, Chambliss is giving NFL scouts something to think about as a first-round option given his efficiency, competitive nature and ability to impact a game with both his arm and legs.
The more he continues to produce, the harder it will be for teams to overlook what he brings to the quarterback position.
No. 5 Jayden Maiava, USC
Despite being idle in Week 7, USC's Jayden Maiava rounds out the Power 5 this week.
Going back to the team's Week 6 win at Penn State, Maiava was fantastic, passing for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers in the road victory.
With the Trojans sitting at 6-1, Maiava has a big test coming up against Wisconsin in another Big Ten road matchup.
If he puts together another great passing performance that results in a win, Maiava will not only become a serious contender in the Heisman Trophy race, but he will also be a quarterback NFL teams must consider as a first-round pick.
As of now, he is at least an early Day 2 prospect, but with how the season is playing out, the USC quarterback is looking like one of the top five quarterbacks in the nation.
Arch Manning falls out, but which quarterbacks are rising?
Well, the big story here is who fell out of the top five.
After another lackluster performance, it has become time to face the realization that Arch Manning may not be ready yet as a potential top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Maybe the thrilling win over Ohio State took something out of him, but the season didn't end after Week 2 for Texas.
The disappointment when it comes to Manning is that he looked to get over a hump by leading the Longhorns to a come-from-behind victory over the then-No. 1 team in the nation. Since then, he has served up nothing but doubt.
The good thing is there is a lot of season left for Texas. If he can turn it around and turn it on like he did during the second part of the season in 2025, Manning could and should be back in the top five before the season is said and done.
As far as quarterbacks rising this week, Houston's Conner Weigman made a statement by outdueling Mestemaker this week.
Weigman showed off his own dual-threat ability by passing for 343 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 52 yards on 11 carries.
While I wouldn't expect Weigman to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, he has high Day 2 value and could be a starter at the next level if he lands in the right situation.
In all, it was a week of upsets and skeptical quarterback performances that is starting to expose the 2027 NFL Draft class as not quite as great as we thought it was.
That doesn't mean it's not a deep class at the position.
Chambliss and Maiava leaping into the top five is a testament to that, as is the emergence of less-talked-about quarterback talent like Weigman and Austin Simmons. On any given week, these quarterbacks can elevate their games and put their teams in position to win.
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