This was an underwhelming year for quarterbacks in the NFL Draft. But next year, the quarterback carousel might go for a wild ride when the draft is held in our nation’s capital.
Even though we’re still a year out, 2027 looks to be a very strong quarterback class, potentially as deep and talented as the 2021 class, which had six picked in the first 15 picks, three of which have already guided their teams to playoff victories. FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang had five quarterbacks taken in the first round of his 2027 NFL mock draft, including three taken in the top-four picks. That’s a far cry from this year’s draft, when only two quarterbacks went in the first two rounds — that’s only happened one other time (one in 2022) in the last decade.
Which quarterbacks headline that group? Texas’ Arch Manning is the current favorite to go No. 1, but other talented passers like Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and others could threaten to be top-five picks.
So, with next year’s quarterback class looking to be promising, it might be a good offseason to be a quarterback-needy team. With that in mind, we tried to project the 10 teams that will most likely be in need of a quarterback in the potentially loaded draft class.
Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones’ contract doesn’t include guaranteed money for 2027. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis Colts gave Daniel Jones a two-year, $88 million contract, but there’s nothing guaranteed in the second year, so if he doesn’t look good coming off a torn Achilles tendon, they could move on. It would mean $35 million in dead money for 2027, but it’s something we’ll note as an unlikely but possible outcome. It’s less likely that Anthony Richardson sticks around and plays well enough to be part of their plans, so there’s a worst-scenario world where the Colts — potentially with a new coach and general manager — look at drafting a quarterback as part of a complete reboot in 2027.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield is entering a contract year in 2026. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Baker Mayfield is a free agent after this season, but it’s still likely the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will give him a lucrative extension after three solid seasons taking over for Tom Brady. If they don’t, there’s no heir apparent on the current roster, so they’d be on this list, though they’ve had good luck in the last two veterans they’ve found in free agency. They’ve drafted only one quarterback (Kyle Trask) in the last decade.
New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough showed some promise as a rookie in 2025, but he’ll need to prove he’s the Saints’ long-term solution in 2026. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The New Orleans Saints got an encouraging nine-game look at Tyler Shough in the second half of 2025, as he went 5-4 as a starter and threw 10 touchdowns against six interceptions. He’ll have every chance to entrench himself as the long-term starter this year, and the Saints have set him up with upgraded talent all over, from running back Travis Etienne to first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson and three other pass-catching draft picks. But it’s possible that Shough doesn’t continue where he left off, which could leave the Saints drafting a quarterback for the fourth time in five years.
Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. is working his way back from another ACL tear. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Falcons have Tua Tagovailoa on a minimum contract while Michael Penix Jr. comes back from another knee injury. He’s still only 28, so this is a chance for him to reset himself, and it’s possible Penix returns healthy and fares better than his 4-8 career record as a starter. If neither are a resounding success, an offensive coach like Kevin Stefanski will want a talented quarterback to build his team around after not having a first-round pick in this year’s draft.
Minnesota Vikings
Now with the Vikings, Kyler Murray is on a prove-it deal that could land him a contract elsewhere in 2027, even if he plays well. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings landed Kyler Murray on the cheap, so it’s possible he shows enough to become a long-term answer for the Vikings, and it’s less likely but possible that J.J. McCarthy beats him out and shows he’s better than a rough 2025 that saw him throw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11). Or Murray plays so well he Sam Darnolds himself to a big contract elsewhere, which would put Minnesota high on this list.
Miami Dolphins
Malik Willis signed with the Dolphins over the offseason. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The Miami Dolphins just gave Malik Willis a three-year contract worth $67 million. So, there’s certainly a chance he plays well and shows his promising glimpses in limited work (three starts in the last two years with the Packers) can translate to a full season. Miami has moved on from a huge Tua Tagovailoa contract, one that will count $55 million against this year’s salary cap. If Willis is unconvincing this season, he still has his $21 million salary fully guaranteed for 2027, but the Dolphins have also shown they’ll move on from a quarterback once they’ve decided he’s not the answer. Miami has shed enough talent in the past year through trades and cuts that this will be a rebuild, but if new coach Jeff Hafley wants to make it to a third season, having a long-term answer at quarterback is a must, so that could include a high draft pick next year.
New York Jets
Geno Smith is back in New York to be the Jets’ quarterback, but for how long? (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
At age 35, Geno Smith is a stopgap quarterback, someone who can get the New York Jets started in the right direction but probably won’t be back for another season once the team has the chance to put a high draft pick into a long-term answer. They haven’t done that since Zach Wilson in 2021, and they should improve from a 3-14 record in Aaron Glenn’s first season, meaning they’ll pick later. New York used a fourth-round pick this past weekend on Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, but he took a big step back this past season, going from 36 touchdowns in 2024 and high draft expectations to just 16 in a disappointing 2025. There just aren’t many success stories from quarterbacks taken that late — in today’s NFL, it’s pretty much Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Even if Aaron Rodgers is back for 2026, the Steelrs might need to find another quarterback in 2027. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
Is Aaron Rodgers coming back? Either way, he’s 43, so the franchise has to plan for a near future without him. The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t had a losing record once since 2003, and they’ve managed to extend that streak despite mediocre quarterback play in the four years since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Much like some other teams on this list, they semi-addressed the position in this year’s draft, taking Penn State’s Drew Allar in the third round, and they also have 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard. Could Allar be a long-term answer? He had 50 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 2023-24, missing half of the 2025 season with an ankle injury. If Rodgers is back, Pittsburgh likely won’t see enough of Allar to evaluate him in 2026, leaving them with enough uncertainty that they’ll be tempted to draft a quarterback, though their relative success will mean they’re picking too late in the first round to get one of the top two or three options.
Cleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders showed some promise in 2025, but he’ll likely need to be better than that if he wants to Browns to hold off on drafting a quarterback in 2027. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
How can an NFL team have four quarterbacks, and yet have none? That’s likely the Cleveland Browns, who still have the albatross of Deshaun Watson’s $230 million contract and have taken three middling quarterbacks in the last two drafts. Watson may actually play this season — he last did in 2024, going 1-6 with five touchdown passes in seven starts — but we also might see Shedeur Sanders, who had seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in seven starts as a rookie last year. There’s also 2025 third-rounder DIllon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-rounder Taylen Green, but the odds of them leaving 2026 with a quarterback they’d want back as a starter are slim. Watson’s contract is up after this year, though he’ll count $86 million in dead money against their 2027 cap, which is just another reason Cleveland would do well to build around a rookie quarterback — with an inexpensive contract — as it works toward a franchise reset under new coach Todd Monken. Using first- and second-round picks on receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston this year will help them have a viable pass game for the next quarterback.
Arizona Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett’s set to be the Cardinals’ Week 1 starter in 2026. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals moved on from Kyler Murray this spring at a considerable expense, and are content to move forward with Jacoby Brissett as the presumed starter. Brissett is 33 and wasn’t bad last year, throwing 23 touchdowns against eight interceptions, but he went 1-11 as a starter and this would be the first time in his NFL career he’s started more than five games in back-to-back seasons. Arizona used a third-round pick on Miami (Fla.)’s Carson Beck, who should get a look at some point in what should be a long 2026 season at the bottom of the toughest division in the NFL. It’s unlikely that Beck would show so much promise that the Cardinals wouldn’t enter the 2027 draft with both a high pick and a clear focus on finding a starting quarterback there. Arizona hired an offensive-minded coach in Mike LaFleur, who has worked under both Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, and they have a promising young back in rookie Jeremiyah Love, so this should be a good situation for a quarterback to help spark a franchise turnaround.
