We began the college football campaign believing Arch Manning and Dante Moore were the top-ranked quarterback prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft. Six weeks into the season, that is no longer the case. Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker finds himself firmly in contention for the QB1 spot.
We recently released our updated QB big board. Mestemaker clocked in at No. 2 overall behind Notre Dame's CJ Carr. In truth, that decision was a coin-flip, and Mestemaker is currently the hottest name of NFL Big Boards.
Mestemaker has some upcoming resume-game opportunities on the schedule. The Cowboys are underdogs against Houston this weekend. Scouts have also circled the Nov. 14 date with Texas Tech as another opportunity to evaluate whether or not Mestemaker is QB1 in this class.
Drew Mestemaker is Firmly in Contention for QB1 in 2027 NFL Draft
Mestemaker went from a high school punter and safety to walk-on quarterback at North Texas. He began thriving in a spread offense, throwing for an FBS-high 4,379 passing yards last season, with 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Following his breakout season, Mestemaker decided to follow Coach Eric Morris to Stillwater. Remember that Morris has quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Cam Ward, and Baker Mayfield on his resume.
The opportunity at Oklahoma State has provided Mestemaker with a chance to be evaluated on much bigger stages. The Austin, Texas native has already produced 1,575 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions in five appearances.
The strong-armed quarterback struggled in Week 1 versus Tulsa, but bounced back in outstanding fashion against Oregon in Week 2 by completing 26-of-43 passes with 317 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while adding another 109 rushing yards and a score in a massive upset over one of the nation's top defenses.
Drew Mestemaker's Scouting Profile: Strong-Armed QB
Mestemaker possesses stellar arm strength with enough velocity drive to successfully test tight throwing windows. He currently showcases unconventional unorthodox mechanics, which reminds scouts of his unique background and inexperience with playing quarterback. Like most quarterbacks who have played in Coach Morris' aggressive spread offense, Mestemaker has a tendency to go big-play hunting.
Mestemaker's growth areas are typical of a quarterback who didn't really play the position in high school. That same aggressive mindset you appreciate also leads to occasional turnovers and off-target throws (he's currently averaging one interception per game). Fixing his wonky mechanics and going through progressions are areas of improvement.
Mestemaker has made just 20 career starts, with less than a handful occurring versus Power 4 competition. He's a raw product who scouts initially believed would be likelier to enter the 2028 class of quarterbacks. Mestemaker's fast success now has NFL decision-makers wondering if he'll be QB1 in 2027. He wouldn't be the first quarterback in recent years to emerge from relative obscurity.
Upcoming showdowns with Houston (Oct. 17) and Texas Tech (Nov. 14) will help settle Mestemaker's true positioning with scouts. Thus far, he's been the story of the 2027 quarterback class. If Mestemaker keeps this up, he could be the first quarterback selected during the 2027 NFL Draft.
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