Mel Kiper Doesn't Think Arch Manning Is Lock To Go No. 1 Overall

Arch Manning has been touted as a future No. 1 overall draft pick ever since he was in high school. But as he approaches his final year of college eligibility, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. believes that the spot he seemed destined for could go to another.

Appearing on the First Draft podcast, Kiper argued that Oregon QB Dante Moore could challenge Manning for the mantle of top QB in the 2027 NFL Draft. Kiper argued that Moore's outstanding numbers and playmaking ability can make him the guy who can challenge Manning for the role everyone expects him to take.

"He could be the guy that challenges," Kiper said of Moore. "If you go to the Penn State game and you just watch that game in its entirety, you'd be hard pressed on a quarterback you like better."

In 2025, Moore's first year as a starter, he led Oregon to an 11-1 regular season record followed by dominating wins over James Madison and Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff before falling to eventual national champion Indiana. He finished the season with 3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and a 71.8-percent completion rate with just 10 interceptions.

Following that standout campaign, Moore was widely expected to come out in the 2026 NFL Draft. He ultimately decided to return to Oregon for a final season.

The Star of 2026?

This coming season is slated to have a ton of quarterbacks who could take the NFL by storm in 2027. Moore and Manning are two of the biggest stars right now, but as we saw with Fernando Mendoza last year, there's almost always room for someone to come out of absolutely nowhere and become the dominant face of college football.

Moore and the Ducks were just one win away from playing for a national title last year and it's expected that he'll have them contending for both the Big Ten Conference and the top seed in the playoffs this year. Should the season end in national title honors or even Heisman honors, he may very well follow in Mendoza's footsteps.

As for Manning, expectations are much more tempered after a solid but underwhelming first year as a starter. He is still destined to be a first-round draft pick, but fans might not be as pumped for the idea as they were one or two years ago.

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