Summer Scouting Begins!
Today’s Podcast & Substack features the first eight Summer Prospect Profiles for the 2027 NFL Draft. The Podcast for the Summer Scouting Series will focus on important background details, key takeaways & ranking/grade, as well as the most important Pros & Cons for the prospects entering the 2026 CFB Season.
The write-up today will feature primarily the key takeaways with some additional background. The Pros & Cons — which feature a few more numbers — are all available on the Podcast for Free, but the full 2027 Scouting Guide with all 32 Scouting Profiles already released can be found through the PAID/EARLY ACCESS Tier of the Substack.
As always, Questions & Comments are welcome including anything about the players mentioned on today’s show.
PART 1
Arch Manning, QB, Texas
6’ 4” 226 lbs || (23.04*)
GRADE: QB Tier 1 (QB1-2 || QB1)
Caught between two extremes. There are many who see Arch Manning as the obvious 1.01 and a clear & obvious 1st Round pick, but that position does come with significant assumptions: Progression isn’t always continuous, and regression back to early 2025 is certainly possible. Similarly, many see Manning as nothing more than a name on the back of a jersey – a legacy that Arch individually has played no part in. However, while it is true that Manning would never get the level of recognition & popularity (good & bad) he does without his last name, putting everything on just the name ignores a rare combination of traits that specifically will hold value in Fantasy Football if he becomes a starter at the NFL Level. Additionally, while improvements do need to be made, his ability to move in the pocket, step-up, and select when to run create foundational building blocks that set him apart from other mobile QBs like LaNorris Sellers.
*Age Reminder: All ages are Year.Month as of September 1st, 2027 to compare to players in previous seasons.
Darian Mensah, QB, Miami (FL) via Duke
6’ 3” 205 lbs || (22.07)
GRADE: QB Tier 2 (QB3-7 || QB6)
Can Mensah become a CONSISTENT high-level performer in 2027? Mensah may have enough arm talent to go in the 1st Round, but he’s in that category where performance has to matter a great deal. There were some flashes last year, but the level of consistency did not necessarily translate to a 1st Round QB. Mensah is still young with a strong possibility that the Miami situation helps to elevate him into a clear 1st Round prospect.
Summer Scouting QB Rankings (Part 1)
Arch Manning, Texas
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Darian Mensah, Miami (FL) via Duke
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Nate Frazier, RB, Georgia
5’ 10” 205 lbs || (21.11)
GRADE: RB Tier 1 (RB1-3 || RB3)
Flashes of 3-Down explosive potential. Frazier needs to become a more consistent RB, which includes building on his late 2025 performance & continuing to hold on to the Football. The appeal for Frazier is simple, and becomes a bit more obvious in the context of PART 1: while some RBs are thunder (Fletcher) & others are lightning (Brown), Frazier shows just enough potential to be both alongside a game that seems to transition smoothly to the NFL level – if he can show that his lack of pass catching so far is a result of the system.
Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville
5’ 9” 190 lbs || (22.06)
GRADE: RB Tier 2 (RB4-10 || RB8)
Small, but explosive. It is becoming more rare than unheard of, but Brown’s size is still a massive negative for a RB prospect. And while Brown has had solid volume, when comparing to Achane who came into the NFL at a very similar size to Brown, Achane didn’t just have 15 Touches/G like Brown – Achane had 23.2 Touches/G in the SEC during his final season. Brown needs to show substantial improvement in some of the finer details, like Receiving Performance & reducing Fumbles.
Mark Fletcher Jr., RB, Miami (FL)
6’ 2” 225 lbs || (22.10)
GRADE: RB Tier 2 (RB4-10 || RB10)
Brings the Thunder. Fletcher reminds me of Jonah Coleman this time last year – if you’re looking for a higher floor RB who might have a good chance of going in at least the 3rd/4th Round, Fletcher may be your guy, but that also may be closer to his ceiling. Fletcher will need to be more consistent with explosive plays & as a pass catcher to prove his ceiling is a bit higher.
Summer Scouting RB Rankings (Part 1)
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Nate Frazier, Georgia
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Isaac Brown, Louisville
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Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami (FL)
Nick Marsh, WR, Indiana via Michigan State (FULL PROFILE SAMPLE)
6’ 3” 213 lbs || (20.11)
Eligibility Remaining (including 2026): 3 Years*
Pros:
Fantastic Size with potential to be prototypical outside WR
Flashes rare elite Missed Tackles Forced ability for a 6’ 3” WR
Instantly the #1 WR in a Big Ten Offense (Michigan State) in first two years as a Top 200 HS Recruit
Extremely Young Prospect who, while not as young as Ryan Coleman-Williams, would be younger than any Day 1-2 QB/RB/WR/TE Drafted in the last Five Year, turning 21 after September of his Rookie Season.
Cons:
Took a step up in Targets in 2025 (62 → 97) but did not come with any added production (649 → 662) ; Y/RR dropped from 2.11 → 1.72
Drops are a modest question with 10 Drops (9.2%) over the course of his career alongside a poor contested conversion% in 2025
The transfer likely puts Marsh in a better offensive system, but now he’ll need to compete with fellow 2027 WR Charlie Becker to be the WR1 even in this Indiana room
GRADE: WR Tier 3 (WR3-10 || WR4)
Elite do-it-all potential. At 6’ 3” with elite YAC potential and as the #1 WR for his team the previous two seasons, Nick Marsh flashes the potential to be a bonafide #1 Target monster in the NFL. And with Sarratt & Cooper Jr. departing Indiana, Marsh should have plenty of opportunity to have the big season he still needs before the NFL Draft.
T.J. Moore, WR, Clemson
6’ 3” 205 lbs || (21.05)
GRADE: WR Tier 3 (WR3-10 || WR6)
A “good” prospect or a “great” prospect. As a 5-Star prospect, potential 21 YO Rookie, and a player who has at least 800+ Yards already in a 13-G season, Moore has a good argument for Day 2 of the NFL Draft right now. But trajectory – reaching his milestones so quickly – is Moore’s biggest advantage; he hasn’t wowed in particular advanced metrics, and the level of performance on the field is that of a contributing player, not an elite performer. Taking that next step forward will be crucial if Moore wants to enter the 1st Round conversation in this class.
Summer Scouting WR Rankings (Part 1)
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Nick Marsh, Indiana via Michigan State
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T.J. Moore, Clemson
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Trey’Dez Green, TE, LSU
6’ 7” 237 lbs || (3rd Year Unlisted; Estimated 21.01-22.03)
GRADE: TE Tier 1 (TE1-2 || TE2)
The “basketball player” TE. While there aren’t many NFL hits at his size – which could create some doubt – the potential is clear for Trey’Dez Green to be a difference-making Red Zone threat with big play potential.
Summer Scouting TE Rankings (Part 1)
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Trey’Dez Green, LSU
The Podcast was about 80 minutes today, and that is right around the goal for this Series moving forward.
Part 2 will feature the next 8 Prospects in the Summer Scouting Series, Dante Moore, QB, Oregon; C.J. Carr, QB, Notre Dame; Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri; Antwan Raymond, RB, Rutgers; L.J. Martin, RB, BYU; Bryant Wesco, WR, Clemson; Ryan Coleman-Williams, WR, Alabama; & Ryan Wingo, WR, Texas
I will continue to fill out these Rankings above as we move through the Summer Scouting Series.
Question & Comments welcome,
Thanks as always,
C.J.
