NFL
Why Banking on Arch Manning to Lead the 2027 Draft Could Backfire
2 minread2 minutes read
Texas v Ohio State by Gregory Shamus | Getty Images
There is no shortage of NFL teams who enter spring practices already playing for 2027.
Yes, 2027, not 2026.
There are teams with a major quarterback need who are content to just merely attempt to get buy at that all-important position while hoping that the long-term solution will come next spring in the form of a college draft that should be far more robust with options at that position.
There are no guaranteed, of course, and the landscape of college sports, with top prospects getting millions to stay in school, continues to create new challenge for NFL front offices.
Which is to say that Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who has a truly unique lineage in his grandfather (Archie), and uncles (Peyton and Eli) were all historically significant NFL quarterbacks, is by no mean’s a sure thing to be a part of that 2027 class.
Yes, he will have eligibility to take part, and yes, even if he has another relatively mundane campaign in 2026 like he did become a full-time starter for the first time in 2026, he will be a very high pick.
But this is an unusual circumstance for more than one reason.
Strong School Ties
But he also comes from a family in which his uncles stayed in school longer than they had to, and he is from a family with tremendous wealth and he is playing for a team that runs a pro style offense overseen by a coach with NFL chops in Steve Sarkisian, who knows how to develop quarterbacks. And he’s making millions while getting to enjoy college life.
“I’d bet you right now he stays in school,” said one longtime NFL personnel exec.
“We’ve seen it with Peyton and Eli. There’s the risk of getting hurt, but otherwise, there is a case to be he stays in school unless he has a season like (Indiana’ QB and top overall pick Fernando) Mendoza had. Study the family.”
Another personnel exec said: “Being around Eli, and having a feel for that family, sure I could see him staying in school.”
It should be a better class than this year no matter what, and scouts seem most excited for Oregon’s Dante Moore as a possible first-overall pick. But for the Cardinals and Jets and others wanting to pick from a Manning as well, they might not get the chance in 2027.
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.