The 2027 NFL Draft QB1 race took another interesting turn Saturday night as Notre Dame's CJ Carr and Miami's Darian Mensah went head-to-head in a matchup that lived up to the hype. But did either quarterback do enough to separate himself from the rest of the field?
While Carr and Mensah made their statements, another quarterback put together a historic performance that could shake up the entire QB1 conversation. This week's NFL Draft Rapid Fire also looks at a defensive star solidifying his draft stock, a familiar name making a comeback and a sleeper who stumbled in a big test.
CJ Carr vs. Darian Mensah: Who gained the QB1 edge?
When it comes to the 2027 NFL Draft QB race, I've had Nov. 7 marked on my calendar and have mentioned this matchup between Notre Dame and Miami week after week in my QB Power 5 rankings, with Mensah and Carr consistently ranked among the top three quarterbacks.
Saturday night did not disappoint, and both quarterbacks walked away proving they belong in the Heisman Trophy conversation and, of course, the race to become QB1 in the 2027 NFL Draft.
In this battle, however, Carr came out on top. The Notre Dame quarterback went 29 of 40 passing for 319 yards with three touchdowns in the big win over Miami. In a matchup like this between two of the nation's top quarterbacks, it really came down to which quarterback would make the costly mistake. In this game, it was Mensah with his one interception, but he still passed for 276 yards and three touchdowns of his own as Notre Dame outlasted Miami 31-24.
As far as NFL Draft stock, I think both quarterbacks solidified their positions as potential top-10 picks in the draft. Who gets drafted first may come down to this game, but with the trajectory both teams are on, there may just be another matchup looming that could settle the Heisman and QB1 races.
Stock still soaring: Drew Mestemaker makes historic QB1 statement
Well, not so fast, because Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker is staking his claim as QB1 in the 2027 NFL Draft if he does declare for the big event next April.
In Week 10, Mestemaker put together a historic performance in leading the Cowboys to a 66-28 blowout victory over Kansas State in a Big 12 matchup. He literally did it all in this game, filling out the stat sheet in just about every statistical category except kicking. Who knows, maybe he can do that as well.
Along with passing for 313 yards and four touchdowns, Mestemaker rushed for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass. The overall performance put Mestemaker in two historical categories. In recording his eighth consecutive 300-yard passing game, he broke Mason Rudolph's Oklahoma State school record of seven straight games. With passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns, Mestemaker became just the fifth FBS player to accomplish that feat.
Maybe we shouldn't be calling him a dual-threat quarterback anymore. Maybe he's moving more into the triple-threat conversation.
Stock solidified: Leonard Moore proves he's CB1
The Mensah vs. Carr showdown had a scene-stealer named Leonard Moore.
The top cornerback prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft wasn't just going to be part of the supporting cast in the primetime showdown. Despite missing several drives in the second half after getting poked in the eye, Moore was outstanding in this game. Miami couldn't get going offensively until Moore was out of the game, which showed just how dominant he can be as a pass defender.
Moore finished the game with four total tackles and one forced fumble. Beyond the stats, he proved to be exactly the type of shutdown cornerback who deserves top-five consideration. When he was on the field, Mensah and Miami were held to just three points at halftime. When he was off the field, the Hurricanes cut a 24-3 deficit to 24-17 before Moore returned to help restore stability to the Notre Dame secondary.
Prior to the matchup, NFL Mocks' John Blair envisioned the Baltimore Ravens as a great landing spot for Moore. Currently, the Ravens may be out of range to draft the nation's top corner, but with Lamar Jackson out and the team struggling to win games, Moore landing in Baltimore could be more of a possibility.
As a team that should be looking to move on from aging veteran Marlon Humphrey, landing a shutdown corner like Moore could be the silver lining to a season that appears to be a lost one for the Ravens.
Stock back up: Arch Manning answers a big question
I still believe Arch Manning will have something to say about the 2027 NFL Draft QB1 race before the season is over. In leading the No. 10 Texas Longhorns to a 34-20 road win over No. 19 Missouri, Manning was efficient, completing 73.7 percent of his passes. He was still a little erratic under pressure, but he threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns and, more importantly, no turnovers.
This week, NFL Mocks' Simon Shortt highlighted Manning's struggles with making reads against zone coverage. Against Missouri, he flourished by picking the defense apart and getting the ball to playmakers like Jermaine Bishop Jr. Could this be a turning point for Manning? He will need a few more games like this against zone coverage to get back in the conversation as a top-10 quarterback prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Stock down, but not for long: Jamal Roberts faces tough test
Sticking with the Texas vs. Missouri matchup, we also had our eyes on Missouri running back Jamal Roberts as a potential mid-round selection for the New England Patriots.
In highlighting his potential as an eventual Rhamondre Stevenson replacement, I circled this as a big test for Roberts as a draft sleeper. In the game, the Texas defense did a good job of limiting him as he rushed for 66 yards on 19 attempts and had just one carry of 10 yards or more. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian emphasized limiting Missouri's zone-stretch running schemes, which took away Roberts' opportunities to break off big plays.
I believe this is just a down game for Roberts against a team focused on taking him out of the game. He is still a mid-to-late-round running back prospect that NFL teams, particularly the Patriots, should be paying attention to as the rest of the season plays out.
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