ESPN analyst drops strong statement on where UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava will be selected in the 2027 NFL Draft
The former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback is having a strong season so far.
If everything goes to plan this fall for UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava, he’ll be off to the NFL in 2027.
And so far, everything is going to plan for the former Tennessee quarterback.
Iamaleava and the Bruins are 4-0 through the first month of the 2026 season, which includes a 54-3 blowout win on the road over Maryland this past weekend.
The California native has passed for 820 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions so far this season. He’s also rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown.
ESPN analyst drops strong statement on where Nico Iamaleava will be selected in the 2027 NFL Draft
ESPN college football draft analyst Jordan Reid shared some thoughts this week on where Iamaleava could be selected in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Reid thinks Iamaleava will “comfortably” be a third round selection if he declares for the draft.
“One that’s kind of grown on me over the past few weeks is Nico Iamaleava at UCLA,” said Reid. “I think he’s been steady so far in that offense. He has the big frame that you love to see — 6-foot-6 and 215 or 220 pounds. He has a really good arm. Coach (Bob) Chesney’s doing a really good job with implementing him in the system.
“The big thing for him was just overcoming what happened at Tennessee, as far as what happened with the background and the character — whether it was his fault or not. Him being able to overcome some of the things that he was able to overcome during that nasty exit divorce from Tennessee and being comfortable in this UCLA system [is big]. He’s a developmental prospect that I’m really, really intrigued by. He’s a really good athlete and they do a good job of using him on zone reads and getting him in the designed quarterback run game as well. He’s somebody that I’m definitely starting to warm up to as a late day two or early day three guy. But I think if he if he does end up coming out this year, I think he comfortably goes in the third round, somewhere in that range. I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody takes him at the end of the second (round) as a project type of quarterback if you miss out on some of these early names as well.”
Iamaleava has shown elite toughness during his time in college — which is something that NFL teams will love.
The traits are obviously there for the former Vol, it’s just a question of whether he can be a big-time player on the biggest stage. That’ll be something that NFL teams have to determine through a combination of watching film, interviews, and talking to coaches and teammates.
