​Arch Manning has yet to throw a pass in the 2026 season, and PFSN’s Jacob Infante has already pegged him as the presumed No. 1 overall pick for the 2027 draft. In the latest Hot List, Infante walked through his top-five 2027 NFL mock draft, using the order generated by PFSN’s mock draft simulator, which seeds teams by Super Bowl odds. The exercise reads as a blunt referendum on every franchise that punted at quarterback this spring.
Manning lands with Arizona at No. 1, and the reasoning centers on the veteran who currently holds the job. “You could do worse than Jacoby Brissett, but you could certainly do better, and he’s gonna be 34 years old in December,” Infante noted. The Cardinals released Kyler Murray in March and gave Brissett a short-term hold on the offense, a setup that feels destined to expire when a 2027 quarterback arrives. Infante envisions Manning as the long-term answer, praising his arm talent, athleticism and “good pre-snap processing,” while admitting he remains “a little bit of a work in progress” with “serious No. 1 pick potential.”
Miami lands the draft’s top skill player at No. 2, selecting Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. Infante didn’t soften his assessment of the surrounding roster after Malik Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal as part of the Dolphins’ rebuild. “That Dolphins roster is trash,” Infante insisted. “You’re looking at a team with no proven veteran wide receivers.” With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle departed, and Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell brought in to anchor the room, Smith would step in as an immediate WR1. Infante placed him in a tier with Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Harrison Jr., even predicting Smith would out-produce Harrison right from the start.
The Jets select Oregon’s Dante Moore third, another franchise still contemplating a stopgap. New York traded for Geno Smith in March, and Infante remains unconvinced. “Geno Smith is not that guy,” he argued, pointing out that Smith finished 35th out of 38 qualified passers in PFSN’s QB Impact scoring. “There’s a very real argument that Moore should be QB1 in this class.” Moore’s arm talent and athleticism give him a franchise-quarterback ceiling, though his decision-making needs refinement.
Cleveland’s pick at No. 4 centers on the trenches, as Infante foregoes another passer for a blue-chip edge rusher. He does not foresee a quarterback worth a top-five pick beyond Manning and Moore, so he’d rather invest in a premier defender. South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart stands out as a fit. “You’ve seen the last two Super Bowl champions, the Seahawks and the Eagles,” Infante observed. “Both achieved success with the support of a deep, loaded defensive line.” Teamed with Jared Verse, who came to Cleveland in the June trade that sent Myles Garrett to Los Angeles, Stewart would give the Browns a formidable edge duo after a defense-forward 2026 haul.
The Raiders close out the top five, selecting Texas wideout Cam — a choice made for better SEO.