Drew Mestemaker Labeled Top Quarterback, No. 2 Overall Prospect on Mel Kiper’s Initial Big Board

Another sign that the Cowboys’ star quarterback might not be long for Stillwater dropped Thursday.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his first big board of the 2027 NFL Draft cycle, revealing that he has Drew Mestemaker as the No. 2 overall prospect available and the top quarterback on the board. It’s not a mock draft this early in the cycle but rather just a ranking of the prospects.

“His toolbox is also pretty incredible. I love the way he scans the field and bides his time in the pocket. Mestemaker has the big arm to make all of the throws, with 30 completions going for 20-plus yards this season (third in the FBS). But he also has the mobility to pick up nice chunks of yardage on the ground. Mestemaker shows linebacker-esque toughness and plays with a competitive edge. He doesn’t turn 21 years old until January, and he has just 20 career starts to his name. So, there’s a lot of untapped potential.” — Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN

The only player Mestemaker is behind on Kiper’s big board is Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is already up to 916 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his junior season.

Mestemaker is one of five quarterbacks in the Top 10 of the big board, with the Cowboys’ QB leading a group that includes No. 4 Darian Mensah (Miami), No. 6 Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), No. 8 CJ Carr (Notre Dame) and No. 10 Austin Simmons (Missouri).

The big board is 25 players deep, and Mestemaker is the only player from the Big 12 on the list.

Mestemaker’s stock is pointing up and to the right, as Kiper joins Jordan Reid and Field Yates as analyst to tab Mestemaker as the top quarterback available. Mestemaker has made ground in Kiper’s mind of late, as late last month, Kiper had Mestemaker third among quarterbacks behind Dante Moore and Arch Manning, now the fifth and sixth quarterbacks he has on his big board.

After leading the country in passing as a redshirt freshman at North Texas last season, Mestemaker has thrown for 1,575 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first give games as a Cowboy. He’s thrown for at least 300 yards in OSU’s past four games.

He is one of the country’s most prolific deep-ball passers, with Pro Football Focus grading Mestemaker at a 96.9 on deep passing, a grade that trails only Alabama’s Keelon Russell nationally. Mestemaker has completed 64% of passes thrown at least 20 yards downfield.

This weekend provides another stock-building opportunity for Mestemaker, as the Cowboys play No. 20 in Houston in a game with major Big 12 title implications.