# Justin Melo: Melo published a very early 2027 NFL first-round mock draft with four quarterbacks going in the top four picks, led by Arch Manning at No. 1 to Arizona, and Jeremiah Smith as the top non-QB at No. 5. **Claimed:** Aug 10, 2026 **Pundit:** Justin Melo — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/justin-melo **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/onsi/mock-drafts/2027-nfl-mock-draft-first-round-projection-before-college-football-season-changes-everything 32 checkable claims — 32 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 61 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 10 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 8. > If Manning continues developing in the right direction, he'll be the favorite to go No. 1 overall. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **A'Mauri Washington to be picked at number 27** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: A'Mauri Washington, New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet - **Drew Mestemaker to be picked at number 14** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Drew Mestemaker, Pittsburgh Steelers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tae Johnson to be picked at number 16** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Tae Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars - Verdict: not settled yet - **Julian Sayin to be picked at number 3** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Julian Sayin, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Yhonzae Pierre to be picked at number 28** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Yhonzae Pierre, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carson Green to be picked at number 31** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Carson Green, Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **C.J. Carr to be picked at number 4** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: C.J. Carr, New York Jets - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brice Pollock to be picked at number 19** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Brice Pollock, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Justin Scott to be picked at number 25** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Justin Scott, Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jadan Baugh to be picked at number 17** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jadan Baugh, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Nick Nash to be picked at number 26** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Nick Nash, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Drake Lindsey to be picked at number 15** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Drake Lindsey, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kade Pieper to be picked at number 21** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kade Pieper, Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Ellis Robinson to be picked at number 13** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Ellis Robinson, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Arch Manning to be picked at number 1** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Arch Manning, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carter Smith to be picked at number 24** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Carter Smith, Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kenyatta Jackson to be picked at number 32** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kenyatta Jackson, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Cam Coleman to be picked at number 10** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Cam Coleman, New York Giants - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jordan Seaton to be picked at number 6** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jordan Seaton, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Zabien Brown to be picked at number 22** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Zabien Brown, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Matt Moore to be picked at number 2** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Matt Moore, Miami Dolphins - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dylan Stewart to be picked at number 7** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Dylan Stewart, Tennessee Titans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Matayo Uiagalelei to be picked at number 29** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Matayo Uiagalelei, Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **David Stone to be picked at number 30** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: David Stone, Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jamari Johnson to be picked at number 20** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jamari Johnson, Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kelley Jones to be picked at number 18** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Kelley Jones, New York Jets - Verdict: not settled yet - **Colin Simmons to be picked at number 9** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Colin Simmons, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jeremiah Smith to be picked at number 5** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jeremiah Smith, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Charlie Becker to be picked at number 23** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Charlie Becker, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Leonard Moore to be picked at number 8** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Leonard Moore, Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Will Echoles to be picked at number 11** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Will Echoles, New York Jets - Verdict: not settled yet - **KJ Bolden to be picked at number 12** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: KJ Bolden, Washington Commanders - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - A'Mauri Washington — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/a-mauri-washington - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots - Drew Mestemaker — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/drew-mestemaker - Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/steelers - Tae Johnson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tae-johnson - Jacksonville Jaguars — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jaguars - Julian Sayin — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/julian-sayin - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/browns - Yhonzae Pierre — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/yhonzae-pierre - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/eagles - Carson Green — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/carson-green - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills - C.J. Carr — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/c-j-carr - New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets - Brice Pollock — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/brice-pollock - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Justin Scott — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/justin-scott - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Jadan Baugh — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jadan-baugh - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Nick Nash — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/nick-nash - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Drake Lindsey — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/drake-lindsey - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers - Kade Pieper — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kade-pieper - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - Ellis Robinson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ellis-robinson - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Arch Manning — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/arch-manning - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - Carter Smith — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/carter-smith - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/texans - Kenyatta Jackson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kenyatta-jackson - Cam Coleman — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/cam-coleman - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/giants - Jordan Seaton — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jordan-seaton - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/falcons - Zabien Brown — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/zabien-brown - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Matt Moore — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/matt-moore - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Dylan Stewart — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/dylan-stewart - Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/titans - Matayo Uiagalelei — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/matayo-uiagalelei - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - David Stone — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/david-stone - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Jamari Johnson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jamari-johnson - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Kelley Jones — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kelley-jones - Colin Simmons — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/colin-simmons - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Jeremiah Smith — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jeremiah-smith - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Charlie Becker — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/charlie-becker - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Leonard Moore — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/leonard-moore - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/panthers - Will Echoles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/will-echoles - KJ Bolden — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kj-bolden - Washington Commanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/commanders ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Kansas City Chiefs: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on New York Giants: Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Chris Long on Cincinnati Bengals: Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3df9ea25-e57f-4fd7-b20c-c910a1c3633a (scored 0) - Steven Ruiz on Las Vegas Raiders: Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a30ff469-4972-4c48-855b-ba984e4de9d0 (scored 100) - Nate Tice on Baltimore Ravens: Tice matched his guest on every Week 3 game, picking the Ravens over the Cowboys, the Jaguars over the Patriots in a close game, the Broncos to upset the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears and the Lions over the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b8378e16-ea5c-4107-a883-28aaf0e71134 (scored 100) - Sam Monson on Seattle Seahawks: Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0b810ffd-fd93-4ea2-a208-b1353dea5fb0 (scored 0) ## More mock draft picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Ryan Wilson on J.J. McCarthy: Recalling his pre-draft evaluation, Wilson notes he had ranked J.J. McCarthy as the fifth quarterback in the 2024 class and given him a second-round grade rather than a first-round one, citing the gap between Michigan's system and NFL demands. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/44cc5859-8b2b-4fbf-b5c0-62c635f2e357 (scored 36.92) - Gregg Rosenthal on K.C. Concepcion: Rosenthal disagrees most with Casey Concepcion being left out of the first round, arguing he could go as high as the top 15 and certainly won't last past receiver-needy teams in the late twenties. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8fae9a3a-7fd8-454c-99cc-0a8400c35d7d (scored 67.71) - Nick Shook on Francis Mauigoa: Shook walks through his full first-round mock draft, assigning a prospect to every pick from No. 1 to No. 32, headlined by Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, David Bailey to the Jets and Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals in the top three. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7d4209aa-2e2d-47a2-b6e5-791d16d209cb (scored 87.81) - Daniel Jeremiah on R Mason Thomas: In discussing teams without first-round picks, Jeremiah projected specific Day 2 picks: Clemson WR Antonio Williams to the Falcons at 48, Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez to the Colts in the second round, Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas to the Packers at 52, and Auburn edge Keiroon Crawford to the Broncos at 62. He also expects Riley Leonard to open as the Colts' starting QB and Travis Hunter to play cornerback full time in Jacksonville. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f60c916c-1b5f-4252-8733-1770c7809577 (scored 59.46) - Jeff Cavanaugh on Lorenzo Styles: Streaming from the NFL Combine, Jeff pegged safety Dylan Thienemann's draft range at roughly picks 20-35, said LSU safety AJ Halsey would cost a second- or third-round pick, and insisted Sonny Styles' brother would not be a top-50 selection despite a fast 40. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f1f48cc1-f9d5-44ca-b130-2c6447b49bc6 (scored 0.51) - Steve Mensch on Makai Lemon: Making the even-numbered picks in the mock, he sent Arvell Reese to the Jets at No. 2, Spencer Fano to the Giants at 5, Jordan Tyson to the Saints at 8, a Tennessee cornerback to Miami at 11, Keldric Faulk to Baltimore at 14, Akheem Mesidor to Dallas at 20, Kenyon Sadiq to Philadelphia at 23, Caleb Banks to Buffalo at 26, Ty Simpson to the Rams at 29 and Chris Johnson to Seattle at 32, plus Caleb Lomu to Detroit at 17. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f65851f3-1c53-4ae9-80ef-875db5ce2a3f (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=justin-melo