After no first round picks for more than 30 years, could IU football see multiple first round selections in back-to-back years?
Could the Hoosiers tie or break records just set in 2026 with two or even three first round selections in the 2027 NFL Draft?
There’s a long way to go to next year’s draft, and much will change between now and then. So chalk this up to pure entertainment at this point.
But here’s what some outlets are thinking as it relates to IU football players one year out from the 2027 NFL Draft.
Three players on the 2026 Indiana team are regulars in various way-too-early 2027 mock drafts published since the conclusion of the 2026 edition.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has wide receiver Charlie Becker going at No. 11, and his fellow Hoosier wideout Nick Marsh at No. 20.
PFF has left tackle Carter Smith going No. 18.
CBS Sports has Charlie Becker going No. 32.
USA Today has Nick Marsh going No. 23
FOX Sports has Carter Smith going No. 13
Sports Illustrated has three Hoosiers going in the first round, with Carter Smith going No. 25, Charlie Becker No. 26, and Nick Marsh No. 32.
NBC Sports also has three Hoosiers in the first round, with Carter Smith going No. 31, Nick Marsh going No. 28, and Charlie Becker going No. 31.
And Bleacher Report has Nick Marsh going No. 11 and Charlie Becker at No. 18.
So if you’re keeping score at home, in eight mock drafts, Becker and Marsh appear in five, and Smith appears in four.
WHERE’S JOSH HOOVER?
After IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 overall in 2026, and Kurtis Rourke was drafted in 2025, it’s reasonable to wonder if Josh Hoover will be the third-straight Hoosier quarterback to be drafted.
Hoover didn’t appear in any first round mock 2027 NFL Draft we surveyed. But to be fair, Mendoza was not a projected first-rounder at this time last year either.
ESPN conducted a poll of 10 NFL scouts for their way-too-early top three quarterback projections for the 2027 NFL Draft. Nine quarterbacks received a vote, but Hoover was not one of them.
Oregon’s Dante Moore, Texas’ Arch Manning, and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin led the way in the ESPN survey.
OTHER HOOSIERS ON THE NFL DRAFT RADAR IN 2027:
Can IU meet or exceed the eight total players drafted in 2026 next year?
Beyond Becker, Marsh and Smith, here are some of the other top contenders to hear their names called at some point in the 2027 NFL Draft:
- Running back Turbo Richard
- Guard/Center Drew Evans
- Guard Joe Brunner
- Defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker
- Defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi
- Defensive end Chiddi Obiazor
- Linebacker Isaiah Jones
- Linebacker Rolijah Hardy
- Safety Amare Ferrell
- Cornerback A.J. Harris
- Cornerback Jamari Sharpe
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