ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. released his initial top-25 Big Board for the 2027 NFL Draft on Thursday, placing Miami quarterback Darian Mensah at No. 4 overall and ranking him as the second-best quarterback in the class.
Kiper's board is led by Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, with Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker at No. 2 and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore at No. 3.
Mensah is the highest-ranked Miami player, and Kiper also included running back Mark Fletcher Jr. as the No. 2 running back on his positional rankings, while listing offensive tackle Samson Okunlola, edge rusher Damon Wilson II and defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. among the top five at their respective positions.
Kiper's top 25 contains seven quarterbacks, three wide receivers, three cornerbacks, three edge rushers, five offensive linemen, one running back, one linebacker and one defensive tackle.
2027 NFL draft Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper's top 25 prospects, best by position.https://t.co/Ay2Et9TmXt
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 15, 2026
Miami's placement on the 2027 big board
No. 4 overall, No. 2 QB Darian Mensah
Mensah has completed 112 of 133 passes for 1,438 yards, 15 touchdowns and no interceptions through five games this season while adding 79 rushing yards and two scores.
Kiper specifically praised Mensah's accuracy and pocket presence as key reasons for the ranking, and the quarterback leads the nation in completion percentage at 84.2%.
Mensah transferred to Miami from Duke after throwing for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2025 and previously threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns at Tulane in 2024.
No. 2 RB Mark Fletcher Jr.
Fletcher has carried 52 times for 307 yards and five touchdowns in four games, with four receptions for 26 yards. He returned for his senior season after rushing for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025.
No. 4 OT Samson Okunlola
Okunlola has started at left tackle for Miami this season and has not allowed a sack. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound redshirt junior appeared in all 16 games in 2025 while splitting time at left guard and allowed no sacks on 254 pass-blocking snaps.
No. 5 EDGE Damon Wilson II
Wilson has 3.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in five games, including 2.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss against Clemson. The Missouri transfer recorded nine sacks in 12 games for the Tigers in 2025 after spending his first two seasons at Georgia.
No. 5 DT Ahmad Moten Sr.
Moten has one sack and one forced fumble in limited snaps this season after missing the Central Michigan game. He recorded 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss in 2025 while playing in 14 games.
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