2027 NFL Draft Scouting Notebook: The top CB after Leonard Moore, an outstanding DT class, and the next Jake Matthews
The 2027 NFL Draft has a chance to be a tremendous class. Here are a few of the top prospects to keep a close eye on.
The 2026 college football season is less than 2 months away, and for NFL draft analysts, that means summer scouting is entering its final stretch. Over the next several weeks, draftniks will be finalizing preseason evaluations and setting their boards ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft.
As I work through a long list of talented prospects, I wanted to begin putting together these scouting notebooks each week to showcase some of the top players you need to know, share thoughts on position groups, and provide as much detail as possible on players who could become the next wave of future NFL stars.
Here is the early intel from the first summer scouting notebook.
OT Trevor Lauck, Iowa
The Hawkeyes have a couple of talented offensive linemen who could hear their names called in the 2027 NFL Draft, and that includes starting left tackle Trevor Lauck. Verified at about 6-5 5/8 and 314 pounds, Lauck is an extremely intriguing football player. He was overshadowed last season by several other future NFL players on Iowa’s offensive line, but his film graded at a high level.
Lauck might not be the most physically imposing of that group, but I believe he has the best all-around profile of any Hawkeye offensive lineman. He hits size thresholds, length thresholds, and he’s a good athlete with core strength and the ability to finish as a run blocker. Heading into the watch, I had some preconceived notions about what the pass protection would look like, but Lough was steady and consistent.
His game reminds me of Atlanta Falcons longtime starting left tackle Jake Matthews. There isn’t a ton of flash to Lauck’s tape, but like Matthews, he just wins reps. The reps he does lose, he loses slowly, which is a skill that doesn’t get discussed enough. Not every rep at the college or NFL level will be perfect, but if you can win the majority and then lose slowly when you don’t, that gives you a strong baseline to become a long-term starter.
CB Ashton Hampton, Clemson
Perhaps my most exciting watch of the offseason so far has been Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton. I’ve known the name because he’s been a starter since his true freshman year with the Tigers, but I was not familiar enough with the overall upside and physical profile he brings to the table. At a hair over 6-3 and 204 pounds, Hampton is the prototypical press man corner with tremendous length, physicality, and patience near the line of scrimmage.
He’s also twitchy, working back toward the line of scrimmage with the foot fire to match receivers in man coverage while also exploding in zone coverage to close on short-area throws. Hampton is a physical player who comes to balance in the run game and pass game, delivering vicious hits. If he improves his technique at the catch point and becomes more consistent in locating the football, this is a player who has a chance to be the second cornerback off the board behind Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore in the 2027 NFL Draft.
CB Vicari Swain, South Carolina
One player I didn’t love as much as some preseason grades I’ve seen is South Carolina cornerback Vicari Swain. Swain is one of the best return men in college football, and his explosiveness, long speed, and length create an impressive profile. His film at cornerback, however, left a lot to be desired last season.
He can be disruptive at the catch point, and he can run with most players, but his technique working out of off man is lazy and lackluster, which allows for too many easy completions. The technical overhaul that needs to happen is significant. I see the upside, but for now he’s a wait-and-see player for me as a true cornerback.
DT Will Echoles, Ole Miss
Perhaps the easiest evaluation of the offseason has been Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles. This is a first-round defensive tackle any way you cut it. He has the size profile to play multiple alignments, and his floor is easy to project. He’s strong, physical, plays with natural leverage, and is dense, but he also brings a good first step and has disruption numbers attached to his profile.
To cap it off, Echoles is one of the younger players potentially in the 2027 NFL Draft. I’m buying full stock. He’s my top defensive tackle in the class this summer. The floor is easy, and the ceiling is good enough to get excited about the next step of development given his age.
DT Horace Lockett, Central Florida
The last player on this list is one of the more volatile prospects in terms of ceiling versus floor. Central Florida defensive tackle Horace Lockett stands 6-4 5/8 and 362 pounds, a massive presence who entered the portal this offseason before Central Florida was able to retain him. His flash plays are some of the best of any defensive tackle in the 2027 class.
The problem is that the durability and consistency are not there yet. If you grade to the flashes, you can potentially see a top-100 player, but the floor needs to be raised. He needs to be more consistent from a snap-to-snap perspective, and his pad level remains a work in progress. If the consistency matches the tools in 2026, Lockett could become a massive riser at defensive tackle in the 2027 NFL Draft.