The untouchable assets of this year's NFL Draft? The 2027 first-round picks

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The New York Jets are in position to control the 2027 draft after accumulating two additional first-rounders at November’s trade deadline, for cornerback Sauce Gardner (from Indianapolis) and defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (Dallas). This week, nobody was able to join them by tacking on those premium assets. “People are definitely holding on to those (first-rounders),” a team executive said, “because it could be an historic QB class.” Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin are the early headliners in the 2027 QB class, but there’s an extended tier of prospects behind them who could also make a jump. Of course, Manning, Moore and Sellers were all considered candidates at one point or another for the top pick in this draft, and they all returned to school to the delight of team executives who wanted to see more growth. There’s no guarantee that any of them pan out. “I think the ability of that class remains to be seen,” a coach said. “This past class was hyped extensively, and it didn’t turn out that way.” Notably, Penn State’s Drew Allar and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier were pegged as potential top-10 picks for a couple of years, but they were afterthoughts during Thursday’s first round. Allar went to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (No. 76) while Nussmeier will still be available when Round 4 begins Saturday. Miami’s Carson Beck, who commanded a bright spotlight throughout his college career, went to the Arizona Cardinals with the first pick of the third round, which was viewed by many executives as his realistic ceiling. Looking ahead, Manning and Moore feel like safe evaluations, while Sellers has high-end traits across the board but needs refinement. Sayin, who will be draft eligible next year, will be under a microscope like never before. If they all materialize, the class could rival the 2024 group, which boasted Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Bo Nix. Remember, Williams and Maye lived up to their massive hype campaigns, while Daniels enjoyed a meteoric rise and Nix steadily improved under a heavy spotlight for years. Fellow first-rounders Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy have yet to pan out in the NFL. “People say that every year,” a scout said of the QB hype. “You never know how next season plays out. All those QBs are ‘ifs.’” An aggressive competitor whose throws can win games — and lose them, too. Regardless, those 2027 first-round picks feel like lottery tickets at the moment, and their value could skyrocket throughout the next college football season. Even for teams that don’t need a quarterback, they can auction a pick and recoup enough assets to reshape the future of an organization. It wasn’t worth burning that opportunity this week. Last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars sent a 2026 first-rounder to the Cleveland Browns to jump from No. 5 to No. 2 for Travis Hunter. The Atlanta Falcons shipped off a future first-rounder to the Los Angeles Rams to leap from No. 46 in the second round to No. 26 for defensive end James Pearce Jr. (the move was heavily scrutinized at the time by teams that had off-field concerns with the player). Nobody felt so opportunistic this week — not when Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese fell to the New York Giants at No. 5, or when the Cleveland Browns were shopping No. 6, not even with the Dallas Cowboys exploring their options to jump into the top 10. There was nothing even close to a future first on the table. The Kansas City Chiefs jumped from No. 9 to No. 6 by attaching third- and fifth-rounders in this draft. The Cowboys sent two fifth-rounders to Miami in their move from 12th to 11th. Of the six trades in the back half of the first round, no one spent more than the equivalent of a third-day pick to move up. “It’s more that this class isn’t talented enough to move up drastically,” another executive said. The quarterback situation didn’t help. While the Las Vegas Raiders were locked into Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, there was no urgency around the league to pay a premium to get into position for Ty Simpson, who went to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 13. Beck was the next QB taken 52 picks later. “There’s not a player in this draft to move up for who is worthy of giving up a first-rounder,” a third executive said. “Usually, you’ll do that for a QB, and it’s just not worth giving up a No. 1 next year for anything this year.” So teams held tight, carefully protecting their 2027 first-rounders in the process. Right now, with hope still in the air, that QB class could change the direction of several well-positioned teams next spring. Spot the pattern. 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