Week 1 of the 2026 college football season already allowed us an opportunity to assess potential 2027 NFL Draft prospects. To celebrate, we released a first-round mock. We've also dissected that mock, posing tough questions about the evaluation process.Prospects like Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Jeremiah Smith, and Leonard Moore thrived in Week 1 as expected. But there were other lesser-known prospects who began putting together 2027 resumes, too. Several underrated players will emerge throughout the scouting process.We've identified 10 sleeper prospects who could potentially emerge as first-round selections in the 2027 NFL Draft. We'll spend the Fall familiarizing ourselves with the entire class of prospects. The following talents should already be on your watchlist.2027 NFL Draft: 10 Way-Too-Early Sleeper Prospects With First-Round AspirationsKJ Duff, WR, RutgersJeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman will dominate the discussion at wide receiver, but Rutgers' KJ Duff made our way-too-early positional rankings, too. The big-bodied athlete enjoyed quite the 2026 debut in Week 1. Duff registered nine receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns, doing all he could in a disappointing loss to UMass. He's a traditional X-receiver with a massive catch radius. He understands how to box out defenders at the catch point and can adjust his frame as required.Clev Lubin, EDGE, LouisvilleLouisville's Clev Lubin possesses overwhelming size as a pass rusher. He displays extremely powerful hands around the line of scrimmage, and uses the length attached to his 6-2, 267-pound frame to disengage from blockers. Lubin has consistently improved as a pass rusher throughout his career, recording 64 pressures and 8.5 sacks during the 2025 season. A repeat effort in 2026 could establish him as a first-round selection in April.Jayden Maiava, QB, USCUSC quarterback Jayden Maiava is off to an excellent start. Through two games, the Palolo, Hawaii native has completed 48-of-54 passing attempts for 635 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Maiava is proving he's a very efficient and accurate quarterback. Scouts have questions about his physical traits, but he's currently positioning himself to at least force a conversation. His passing touch is gorgeous.Tavion Gadson, DL, KentuckyKentucky defensive lineman Tavion Gadson is currently among the more slept-on prospects in the nation. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds, he's incredibly quick and explosive on the interior. Gadson led the Power Four in pass-rush-win-rate last season, winning 16.9 percent of those reps. He shows first-step quickness on tape and effective hand usage. His bend is also impressive for a lineman of his size.Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB, Notre DameNotre Dame linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa missed the opening contest versus Wisconsin, but is expected to play this weekend against Rice. He recorded 48 tackles, 7.5 for loss, and three sacks last season. He plays with a violent mindset around the line of scrimmage, meeting blockers with knock-back power. Vliamu-Asa showcases high-level athleticism, with the versatility in Marcus Freeman's defense to play off-ball linebacker, or to come screaming off the edge.Greg Johnson, IOL, MinnesotaGreg Johnson doesn't really qualify as a sleeper, but it's notable when an offensive lineman from Minnesota is trending towards being a first-round pick. Scouts are already enamored with a prospect who possesses experience at all five spots. Center and guard are his best positions, but he's filled in at tackle as required. Johnson possesses the size, toughness, strength and football I.Q. needed to start on an NFL offensive line.Brice Pollock, CB, Texas TechTexas Tech cornerback Brice Pollock is among our favorite underdiscussed prospects at this stage. The Red Raiders standout nearly registered a pick-six touchdown in the opening win over Abilene Christian, but had to settle for a pass breakup on the play instead. Pollock has good size for the position (6-0, 195) and displayed ball skills in 2025 by notching five interceptions. He's an experienced corner who earned a coverage grade of 82.5 from Pro Football Focus last season. He's also extremely willing and physical in run support.Niki Prongos, OT, StanfordIt's unfortunate that Stanford left tackle Niki Prongos missed the opener versus Miami through injury. It could have potentially been a resume game for the talented blocker. A UCLA transfer, Prongos has taken an unconventional journey to this route, having not played football until his senior year of high school. He possesses the desired size and length at 6-7, 315 pounds, and he's a nimble mover with a baseball and basketball background.Evan Tengesdahl, IOL, CincinnatiAmong the more underrated interior offensive line prospects right now is Cincinnati guard Evan Tengesdahl. He was stellar in the Bearcats' dominant Week 1 win over Boston College. Tengesdahl allowed just 11 pressures and zero sacks last season. He's an athletic mover in space with eye-popping burst and range. He's also extremely physical as a run blocker, possessing a profile of a future NFL starter.Omarion Miller, WR, Arizona StateArizona State absolutely steamrolled Morgan State in Week 1, winning 70-7. Wide receiver Omarion Miller, who eventually sat, recorded eight receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown before departing. Miller is a bigger wideout at approximately 6-2, 195, and he tracks the ball incredibly well. He's a big-time contested catch winner, and he generates explosive plays, with a career average of 19.1 yards per catch entering 2026.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow