ESPN Draft Analyst Tabs Drew Mestemaker as First Round-Caliber Quarterback

The preseason buzz surrounding Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker doesn’t seem to be slowing down as the season approaches.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid on Friday tiered 31 college quarterbacks by what round of the draft he expects them to go in, while noting that not all 31 of those guys will enter the draft next season.

Reid had four first-round caliber selections: CJ Carr (Notre Dame), Arch Manning (Texas), Dante Moore (Oregon) and Mestemaker.

“Many evaluators are intrigued by Mestemaker’s raw tools. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has a strong arm that’s coupled with daring confidence. He has never played a Power 4 opponent, but Mestemaker will have a chance to showcase his skills in the Big 12. And there are scouts who believe he could make a meteoric rise.” — ESPN

Reid’s Mestemaker breakdown also came with this quote from an AFC scout:

“He’s the one that I can see being the one that goes before all of them.”

So, that obviously adds to the excitement that’s already overflowing in Stillwater.

Mestemaker led the country with 4,379 yards last season as a redshirt freshman at North Texas, as he also threw 34 touchdowns to just nine interceptions.

Last month, NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay said he expects Mestemaker to be at OSU for two seasons, meaning he would be back in Stillwater in 2027. That seems to be the popular sentiment among draft experts in the preseason, but obviously that can change should Mestemaker and the Cowboys come out and light the world on fire.

Along with all the draft buzz, Mestemaker is on just about every preseason watchlist he’s eligible for. Just this week, Mestemaker popped up on the lists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm (given to the top upper-classman QB) and the Davey O’Brien (given to the best QB in college football). He was also on the watchlist for the Maxwell Award (given to the best player in college football) earlier this month.

This preseason hype has to be nearing its boiling point, but thankfully, we’re now just two weeks from OSU kicking off its season in Tulsa.