AUSTIN, Texas — Mel Kiper Jr. took Texas quarterback Arch Manning second overall to the New York Jets in the first 2027 NFL Draft mock of the season on ESPN’s First Draft, the podcast he co-hosts with Field Yates. Kiper and Yates alternated picks through the top 10, and the order came from ESPN’s Football Power Index rather than from projected records.
Yates held the odd-numbered picks and opened by sending Oregon quarterback Dante Moore to the Miami Dolphins at first overall. Kiper had the evens and went to Manning without hesitating, framing the pick around the family line: Eli Manning with the Giants, Arch Manning with the Jets.
Kiper said Moore has to get better this season and put Manning in the same category.
“Arch better get better in terms of accuracy,” Kiper said. “If you’re going to run around, you’re going to beat teams with your legs running, you’ve got to be able to extend plays and hit those receivers, not just putting it in the area. It’s making a precise and accurate throw, not missing easy opportunities.”
Mel Kiper Jr. On The Talent Around Arch Manning
Manning’s start total is no longer two, by Kiper’s count, and Kiper does not treat him as a young quarterback anymore.
“He’s going to have tons of weapons,” Kiper explained. “With Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers in the backfield and Cam Coleman coming in to join Wingo on the other side, they have the weapons around the quarterback. I know Goosby’s a little banged up. He’ll get back to full strength. They move Baker to guard. The line should be fine. There’s no excuses for Dante. No excuses for Arch.”
Cam Coleman arrived from Auburn in January and caught 56 passes for 708 yards with 5 touchdowns for the Tigers last season. Ryan Wingo led Texas in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2025 with 54 catches for 834 yards and 7 scores, and he had wrist surgery in the offseason.
The Texas Longhorns rebuilt the backfield through the portal in January with Raleek Brown from Arizona State and Hollywood Smothers from NC State. Brown carried 186 times for 1,141 yards and 4 touchdowns for the Sun Devils in 2025. Smothers ran 160 times for 939 yards and 6 touchdowns for the Wolfpack and added 39 catches for 189 yards.
Left tackle Trevor Goosby hurt his left knee in a non-contact drill at practice on Aug. 17 and has a bone bruise, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the following day after an MRI. Brandon Baker started all 13 games at right tackle in 2025 and moved inside to right guard for this season, with Wake Forest transfer Melvin Siani taking over on the right edge of the line.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said on Aug. 24 that Manning had a great fall camp, his first extended stretch of full practice since foot surgery in January.
Field Yates Ranks Dante Moore Ahead Of Arch Manning
Manning at second overall did not surprise Yates. Later in the episode, Yates said Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker would climb as high as second overall with a big season, not first, if the top quarterbacks all play to expectation.
“If these guys play to expectation, Dante Moore is my favorite and my pick to be the number one quarterback taken,” Yates said. “That’s where I would land. Dante Moore, I would have a larger sample size. I would see the pristine passing. I think there’s improvement as a runner available for Dante Moore.”
Moore completed 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for Oregon in 2025.
Manning completed 248 of 404 passes for 3,163 yards with 26 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in his first season as the full-time starter, and he ran for 399 yards and 10 touchdowns. Texas finished 10-3 and missed the College Football Playoff. Manning was born on April 27, 2004.
Kiper closed the mock by taking Coleman 10th overall to the Giants and saying Manning is fortunate to have him. Coleman was rated behind only Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith in Kiper’s recollection of the ESPN top 300 when the two came out of high school in the 2024 class.
Arch Manning And The Texas Longhorns Schedule
Texas and Oregon are both national championship or bust this season for Kiper, because both quarterbacks are back and both rosters are loaded.
“I think Arch is going to have a heck of a season,” Kiper said. “They got to beat Ohio State. They got to beat Ohio State when the Buckeyes come to Austin. That’s a must-win game, and Arch has got to play great throughout the year, as Dante does.”
Ohio State beat top-ranked Texas 14-7 in last season’s opener in Columbus, holding Manning to 170 passing yards in his first road start as the Longhorns went 1 for 5 on fourth down.
The Longhorns open No. 5 in the Associated Press preseason poll and No. 4 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Texas hosts Texas State on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN, then hosts Ohio State on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
