The 2027 NFL Draft class is shaping up to be historically deep, and with the college football season finally underway, the scouting picture is starting to crystallize.

Before diving into season-long evaluations, my co-host Joe DeLeone and I closed the book on our summer scouting by revealing the unexpected names that cracked our top 10 big boards and drafting our annual ultimate team to predict which prospects will hear their names called earliest.

The exercise revealed a couple of fascinating wrinkles about this class, from an Ole Miss defensive tackle who belongs in the conversation with the elite prospects to a Miami interior defender whose traits could carry him into the top five at his position.

Will Echoles is a top 10 player in this class

The player on my big board who will surprise the most people is Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles, who I have ranked No. 6 overall. The consensus boards I’ve seen have Echoles somewhere in the 30s, and I genuinely don’t know what people are missing.

Echoles is a massive kid at 310 pounds with a thick frame and strength everywhere, particularly in his lower body. He’s dominant at the point of attack in the run game.

But what separates him is his quickness. He can create negatives in the passing game, which gives him the dual-threat profile that first-round defensive tackles need. On top of that, even though he’s sometimes preconceived as a higher-floor player, Echols is only 20 years old.

He’s the youngest defensive tackle in this group of top-end prospects. I thought he was fantastic last year for Ole Miss, and he’s going to have a lot more people’s attention this fall.

Justin Scott’s traits paint a top 5 NFL defensive tackle

Joe’s unexpectedly highly rated player was Miami defensive tackle Justin Scott, whom he had at No. 5 overall as his final blue chip grade. He acknowledged the projection involved but pointed to Scott’s flexibility and disruptive flashes as evidence of a player who could become a top 5 defensive tackle in the NFL.

The reports out of Miami’s fall camp reinforce that belief. The one guy who keeps getting brought up as unblockable during camp is Scott. His disruption at his best is elite-level, and when you read the intel coming out of practices, the buzz around him is real. The inconsistency is the concern, but the traits are tantalizing.

Our top 5 big boards were nearly identical

Joe and I compared our top 5 overall prospects and found striking alignment. My top 5 was Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 1, Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore at No. 2, South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart at No. 3, Texas quarterback Arch Manning at No. 4, and Texas EDGE Colin Simmons at No. 5.

Joe’s top 5 was Smith, Moore, Simmons, Stewart, and Miami defensive tackle Justin Scott.

One notable divergence: Manning did not make Joe’s top 10. He gave him a first-round grade, but in a historically good draft class, he needs to see a lot more before placing him among the top 10 prospects. That’s not an absurd position to hold.

Another area of agreement was Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton. I had him at No. 8, and Joe had him at No. 9. His tape is phenomenal, and his tools are unbelievable.

Ultimate team reveals the class’s most projectable first-round picks

Joe and I drafted players at each position to predict who will be drafted highest. Some of the most revealing selections:

Joe opened by snagging Echoles, purely to prevent me from taking him, sacrificing efficiency for gamesmanship. I responded by grabbing Jeremiah Smith and Leonard Moore back-to-back. Joe took Simmons at edge over Stewart, citing Stewart’s back issue and the variance it creates.

I grabbed Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown, a former five-star with high NFS and BLESTO grades, and then took Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as a safe first-round quarterback selection.

Joe took Arch Manning at quarterback, betting he’ll be part of the class. He also selected Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman, whose AJ Green comparisons continue to build momentum.

At tight end, Joe grabbed Oregon’s Jamari Johnson as a safe late first or early second-round pick. He took Stewart at edge despite the back concern, arguing that a 6-5 player with that kind of bend and explosiveness will always find a first-round home.

I took Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone (Oklahoma), not because I’m a huge believer in his game but because the NFL is going to fall in love with his athleticism. I selected running back Jadan Baugh, though I caught some slack for that choice.

Baugh had just one run over 25 yards last season, and that run went for 26 yards. The lack of explosiveness is a real concern, even if the NFL will likely draft him in the first round regardless.

I closed with LSU offensive tackle Jordan Seaton. I’m not a Seaton fan, but the NFL is going to love a body-beautiful prospect with incredibly long arms playing in the SEC. The Kadyn Proctor comparison is instructive. Everyone agreed Proctor shouldn’t go in the first round, and then he went early to the Dolphins anyway. The league falls for physical tools, and Seaton fits that mold.

This class has tremendous depth and legitimate variance at nearly every position. The college football season will sort out the order, but the names at the top are becoming very clear.