For C.J. Carr and the college football landscape, there was a lot riding on the matchup between Notre Dame and Miami on Saturday night, and Carr might've come out as the biggest winner. But did his performance do enough to change where he could land in the 2027 NFL Draft?
Carr led the Fighting Irish to a victory with a 29-for-40, 319-yard, and three-touchdown performance. Facing the number-one-ranked team in the nation was a big step up for Carr and Notre Dame, and they needed to prove they could deliver. Now, three NFL teams could have an interesting decision to make if Carr continues climbing draft boards.
How C.J. Carr strengthened his 2027 NFL Draft case
Carr had been having a steady and productive season, as expected, going into Saturday night. The second-year starter had an impressive year as a freshman, but was surrounded by NFL talent. Coming into 2026, there were a lot more eyes on him.
Carr has been better than advertised. For the season, he's thrown for over 2,100 yards, completed 67 percent of his passes, and has 21 touchdowns and just one interception.
The Notre Dame signal-caller has been hovering around the top 10 on big boards since the end of last season. He's a high-IQ quarterback with good accuracy, timing, and the ability to read defenses, but with more average measurables, athletic traits, and arm talent.
With Arch Manning and Dante Moore falling behind Carr, we've seen Drew Mestemaker and Darian Mensah rise ahead of him. But as the engine of the offense against Miami, Carr proved he can be the reason his team wins in a big game.
The two-minute drive that showed another side of C.J. Carr
I'm going to cheat a bit this week. Usually, on NFL Mocks Watch, I highlight one play from the weekend to analyze. But this week, I need this whole drive.
ICYMI- CJ Carr is a baaaad man 😏
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 8, 2026
Another look at Notre Dame's two-minute drill to end the half.#GoIrish☘️ | @13Cjcarr
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/e5kjZICsSf
On this drive, we see everything we expect from Carr. Accurate throws with good timing and ball placement. But the escapability, toughness in the pocket, and willingness to throw into tight windows are what really impressed me.
On the first play, we get an excellent display of playmaking from Carr. He escapes the blitz first by trying to move to his right within the pocket before ultimately needing to escape completely with a spin to the left. Then we get an accurate throw on the run to his left for the first down.
We get a completion on his second throw to the right-hand side, but his third completion in this reel is more impressive. He shakes off a would-be sack, steps up in the pocket, and delivers a strike to his receiver on a comeback route, just out of reach of the defender.
The next completed pass is another dart into an open window of the defense that leads his receiver perfectly. This is a trait I've discussed Mestemaker and Manning needing to work on, so to see Carr execute it so well is very encouraging.
And finally, we have the touchdown strike. It's a simple throw, but it's good to see the timing and zip on the ball for a quick slant in the end zone with plenty of bodies in the way.
This two-minute drill was extremely well executed by Carr and showed not only the typical traits we think of when it comes to the Notre Dame quarterback, but also some additional skills that are important to see from a draft perspective.
Why Carr's 2027 NFL Draft stock is on the rise
Carr has been one of the steadiest prospects when it comes to the 2027 NFL Draft, especially at quarterback. NFL teams are going to value the consistency he plays with week in and week out.
It was big for Carr to have this game, specifically against Miami. Just two weeks ago, Carr had his second-biggest game for yardage in 2026 against another top-10 team, BYU, but he only completed 55 percent of his passes and threw zero touchdowns in the loss.
Proving he could not only be productive but also have his best all-around game in a win against another highly ranked opponent was a big box checked for his scouting report.
3 NFL teams that could CJ Carr in the top five
I'm not ready to call Carr "QB1" in the draft just yet. There are too many quarterback prospects with the physical traits I covet for that title. But he might've ascended into the top-five conversation from the top 10 with his performance on Saturday.
So here are three teams that should at least consider Carr if they end up with a top-5 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Miami Dolphins
As the team perpetually living in the top five of the draft order, we have to bring the Miami Dolphins up again this week. After things took a positive turn in Week 8 against the Jets, there were some expectations for Miami's offense and Malik Willis against Detroit on Sunday.
But in their 19-9 loss, Willis was 13-for-25 with just 128 yards and an interception. That's about as discouraging as it can get for the entrenched starter against this defense, especially when you consider some of the performances we've seen this year from backups making their first start of the season.
If Willis doesn't do enough to keep the starting quarterback job in the back half of the season, Miami will need to consider every quarterback prospect in the draft, including CJ Carr.
New York Jets
With things unraveling for both the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts, who are sending their first-round pick to the Jets this year, New York is currently slated to have picks four and six in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The idea for New York in this draft was always that they could package two of their first-round picks in 2027 and move up for the top quarterback in the class.
But if Carr looks like a worthy top-5 pick, maybe they let someone take a swing on Mestemaker ahead of them, take Carr with their first pick, then build around him the rest of the draft.
New York already has an excellent offensive line and a number-one receiver. Carr, plus the top available wide receiver and top available defender with their other two picks, could really jump-start New York for its next coaching staff.
Baltimore Ravens
Let's get weird! There has been a ton of smoke about the Ravens and Lamar Jackson since the former MVP seriously injured his thumb in Week 8 and could be done for the season.
Jackson is entering the final year of his contract in 2027 and currently has a cap hit of over $84 million on the books for Baltimore next year. With the history of tough contract negotiations and injuries, it's not impossible to believe Baltimore could deal Jackson, especially if he's ready to move on from the team.
In a scenario where Baltimore is able to trade Jackson for a top-five pick, immediately taking its next franchise quarterback is entirely possible. And that quarterback could be CJ Carr.
Baltimore is not the complete roster we think of it as being, but with some pieces on each unit of the roster, taking a quarterback who is good at everything and great at some things would be a good way to raise the floor of a team that is letting go of one of the best players in the league.
Carr has remained a projected top-10 to top-12 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft going back to the summer. But the big win over Miami, while showing off the skills we've known about as well as a few that may surprise people, could convince teams he's worthy of an even more valuable selection next April.
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