2027 NFL draft: Predicting 6 breakout candidates whose stock will skyrocket

You know most of the big names in the 2027 NFL Draft. Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Jeremiah Smith. These guys are very good football players and will hear their names called in the top 10 of next year's draft. But what about some of the lesser-known names who are just one good season away from being top picks?

People didn't think Cam Ward and Fernando Mendoza would go first overall at this point in the summer before their drafts. Likewise, these six players have a chance to really shoot up draft boards.

QB Sam Leavitt, LSU

I am so excited to watch the Lane Kiffin and Sam Leavitt pairing. Leavitt has been on the radar the past couple of years at Arizona State, but didn't really make the improvements in 2025 that he needed to make to become a potential high pick in this year's class, so he stayed in school and transferred to LSU to try it all again.

Obviously, we have to factor in that Leavitt played in six fewer games in 2025 in when analyzing his drop in production, but his per-play stats took a hit last season.

Leavitt is a strong-armed prospect whose biggest knock right now is his consistency. He can put the football anywhere as far as distance goes, but he can't always get it accurately where it needs to be in that zone. But at LSU, Leavitt will be playing with his best collection of weapons ever, and with more time to let things develop behind a stronger offensive line, we should get to see a version of Leavitt that starts to reel in some of the erraticness and begins to make more consistent throws.

WR Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson

I viewed Bryant Wesco Jr. as a potential 2025 breakout candidate in college football, but a back injury cost him the second half of the season, stalling out that momentum. Still, he was playing well before the injury, averaging 76.7 receiving yards per game in the seven contests he appeared in.

2026 should be a big year for Wesco, provided the Clemson quarterback situation in a post-Cade Klubnik world doesn't doom him.

Wesco has the upside to play both inside and outside, and he thrives when he can get into space in the middle of the field. Drops have sometimes been an issue, but if he can show that he's able to clean up those mechanical things, he has the physical skill set to be an impact NFL receiver, and his route-running skills will allow him to find empty pockets in the defense, especially against zone coverage.

TE DJ Vonnahme, Iowa

It feels like it's been a while since Iowa produced an elite tight end. It used to happen basically every year, but the last few haven't really worked out — Luke Lachey in 2025, Erick All in 2024, Sam La...okay, well Sam LaPorta in 2023 worked out VERY well, but three drafts in a row not producing an elite tight end out of Iowa feels wrong. It shouldn't be four in a row, though, thanks to DJ Vonnahme.

A former walk-on, Vonnahme is a bit of a project right now. His blocking skills are up there with some of the best collegiate tight ends and should help him transition to the league, though a lot of his offensive production is still theoretical. He has the athleticism to be a productive receiver and someone who can make things happen after the ball is in his hands, but he needs to really show out in 2026 to guarantee that he'll be a Day 2 pick.

But league-wide trends will help here. Teams seem to be using double-tight end sets more routinely these days, and in this year's draft, we saw a few teams go with blocking tight ends relatively early while better receiving prospects were still on the board. That should work heavily in Vonnahme's favor.

OT Lance Heard, Kentucky

Lance Heard is a fairly well-traveled guy already, starting his career at LSU before spending the past two seasons at Tennessee. Now, he's off to Kentucky, continuing his tour of the SEC.

A former five-star recruit and an SEC All-Freshman pick, it seems that Heard's stock has fallen a bit, even though he's an experienced starter who played well for LSU last season. He's got ideal size to be an NFL offensive lineman and has consistently shown good things in both pass and run blocking.

If there's a knock against him here, it might just be that there isn't a ton of room left for him to improve. But even if Heard is about as good as he'll ever be, that should still mean he's capable of being a mid-level starter in the NFL. Not an elite left tackle, but someone who could either man the right tackle spot for years or who could potentially work at guard if that's what a team wants to try.

EDGE Will Heldt, Clemson

Will Heldt's first season at Clemson was a strange one. He set a career high in sacks with 7.5 but also saw a sizable drop in solo tackles as he adapted to the Tigers' scheme.

Heldt is a super intriguing edge rushing prospect. At 6-foot-7, his length could be either an advantage or a disadvantage at the next level, depending on whether he can work on playing lower to the ground. He may struggle when rushing the quarterback because he won't be able to easily get underneath the blockers.

However, Heldt excels as a run blocker, so the worst-case scenario for him still finds him being a rotational piece who can make plays in the run game. If he can put all his tools together in the pass rush as well, he'll be one of the big winners of this college football season.

CB Zabien Brown, Alabama

Maybe this choice seems a little too conventional for an article like this. There are three players who I'd say are first-round locks if the draft happened right now among corners: Leonard Moore, Ellis Robinson IV and Zabien Brown.

Why is Brown here, then? Because I think everyone considers him the third-best of those guys, but I believe he's one big season away from winding up as the top cornerback picked in 2027.

Brown excels as an outside corner, using his speed and physicality to stick to his guy in man coverage. He's also a really good finisher when it comes to tackling, so even if he allows a catch, he has the ability to get the ball-carrier down quickly. The one concern is his lack of versatility, as he hasn't really played snaps as a slot corner. Can he slide inside when needed? That's a question that NFL talent evaluators will have to figure out.

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This article was originally published on fansided.com as 2027 NFL Draft: Predicting 6 breakout candidates whose stock will skyrocket.