With the NFL season less than a month away from the trade deadline, rumors are stirring around big names potentially on the trade block, led by two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert, who is currently serving as the scapegoat for the winless Los Angeles Chargers and their struggling offense.
If the Chargers continue to spiral without a win, those rumors will intensify.
While a blockbuster trade already dominated headlines with Marvin Harrison Jr. landing with the Texans, expect the Herbert chatter to only grow as the Chargers face a franchise-altering decision that could have a major impact on the 2027 NFL Draft.
With possible trade destinations being explored, one landing spot that caught the attention of NFL Mocks was a trade scenario offered by our mothership site, FanSided.com, which sent Herbert to the Pittsburgh Steelers for multiple first-round picks.
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This week’s 2027 NFL Mock Draft is inspired by that trade possibility, but that is not the only blockbuster trade reshaping the draft board and sparking surprise quarterback destinations. After six quarterbacks went in Round 1 of our previous Mock Draft , this projection takes the quarterback frenzy even further.
2027 NFL Mock Draft: Jets make their move for a franchise quarterback
No. 1 New York Jets via trade with Titans: CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
The Jets trading up to make sure they get one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL Draft makes sense given that the team has the draft capital to afford such a move. They give up the No. 9 and No. 12 overall picks in the 2027 NFL Draft and a 2028 second-round pick to the Titans for an opportunity to select Notre Dame’s CJ Carr with the No. 1 overall pick.
With a young offensive core in place, Carr looks like a quarterback who is NFL-ready. The pocket presence, the accuracy and the decision-making have all been consistent strengths, making him a safe choice in the top three for a QB-needy team, especially a Jets team with all the other pieces in place offensively. It's also why Carr sits atop of our latest Power 5 QB rankings.
No. 2 Los Angeles Chargers: Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State
In this mock draft, the Chargers move on from Justin Herbert and find his replacement in Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker. With his elite arm strength and dual-threat capability, Mestemaker has leapfrogged the likes of Arch Manning and Dante Moore as one of the top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft as of Week 6 of the college football season.
If that trajectory continues, he is the ideal quarterback for the Chargers at No. 2 if trade rumors come to fruition and the franchise moves on from Herbert.
No. 3 Miami Dolphins: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
There is no way Jeremiah Smith slips past No. 3 in this draft. Despite the need for a quarterback, the Miami Dolphins pull the trigger on the Ohio State star, making him the top non-QB off the board.
Does this mean the Dolphins are fully committed to Malik Willis as the quarterback in 2027? It does not, but it gives them an elite playmaker who can make his life easier. In a deep QB class, there is still an opportunity for the Dolphins to select Smith and still add a worthy QB talent later in the draft. Stay tuned.
No. 4 Houston Texans: Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas
This almost seems unfair with how dominant Will Anderson Jr. has been off the edge this season. But with the No. 4 overall pick, the Texans select another generational talent off the edge in Colin Simmons.
While the Texans may not end up with the No. 4 overall pick once the season is over, the idea of selecting Simmons is to give the Texans an eventual successor to Danielle Hunter on the opposite side of Anderson Jr. Imagine an Anderson and Simmons duo in Houston for years to come?
No. 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
The Buccaneers could entertain trade options here, but they hold onto the pick and take the top cornerback in the draft class with the selection of Leonard Moore to round out the top five in this draft.
An elite press-man defender, Moore gives the Buccaneers their shutdown corner and a player with great instincts in any defensive scheme he is aligned in. In a division that has some of the NFL's elite wide receivers, Moore would instantly become one of the more important additions in the NFC South.
No. 6 Arizona Cardinals: Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Don’t expect Arch Manning to slide too far down. The talent is too elite for a team like the Arizona Cardinals to pass on. With elite arm talent and mobility, Manning is a quarterback who needs to land in the right situation and system to succeed at the NFL level.
I think Mike LaFleur could provide that situation as his offensive scheme centers around play-action and bootleg execution.
Manning could excel in designed rollout plays, and we already know about the down-the-field arm talent. He would just need to work on his decision-making and limit mistakes when under pressure.
No. 7 New Orleans Saints: Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina
Dylan Stewart was back on the field for South Carolina and was instrumental in the team’s upset win over Florida. That version of Stewart is a top-10 pick and one of the top defensive players in the draft.
The New Orleans Saints take him here at No. 7 as they get their Cam Jordan successor, but most importantly, a player who can impact the game with big play after big play. With this pick, two of the top defensive prospects land in the NFC South.
No. 8 Washington Commanders: Charlie Becker, WR, Indiana
The Commanders select Charlie Becker with the No. 8 overall pick, making him the second wide receiver off the board. Washington found a stud in Antonio Williams in the 2026 NFL Draft. Adding Becker gives them a duo of young receivers for Jayden Daniels to grow with for years to come.
No. 9 Tennessee Titans via trade with Jets (Dallas pick): Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
The Titans trading back and accumulating additional draft capital does not mean they are fully committed to Cam Ward. It does mean they will give him another season to find his groove in the NFL.
Selecting Dante Moore here gives the Titans a backup plan if things continue to spiral in the wrong direction for Ward. However, if things do work out and Moore also shows his promise at the NFL level, the Titans set themselves up for an opportunity to gain more future draft capital by trading one of the young QBs.
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