Drake Lindsey Is Already Generating First-Round Buzz for 2027 NFL Draft

About 10 years ago, Todd McShay projected Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner as a potential first-round pick in a way-too-early 2017 NFL mock draft. A decade later, Minnesota's new QB1, Drake Lindsey, has received similar hype as the No. 24-ranked prospect in Nate Tice's way-too-early big board for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Tice, a native of Edina, Minnesota, played quarterback at Wisconsin from 2009 to 2012. He has since become a well-respected voice in NFL Draft media, and he's currently a staff writer at Yahoo Sports. He released his top 25 prospect list for the 2027 NFL Draft on Tuesday, and it featured Lindsey at No. 24.

"Lindsey is the classic quarterback archetype of the big-armed pocket passer in the vein of Drew Bledsoe," he wrote. "Listed at 6-5 and 230 pounds, Lindsey is willing and able to stand and deliver the football in the (constantly) muddy pockets he has to deal with behind Minnesota’s offensive line."

Gophers got a live one pic.twitter.com/JvYtQ7arQJ
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) April 27, 2026

"Despite his size, he has a quick delivery, is a solid athlete, and has clean footwork to throw on the move or after turning his back to the defense (he has a good amount of reps already from under center). He’s still young as a redshirt sophomore, so he might still be a year away, but Lindsey is definitely one to keep an eye on as a potential riser."

Lindsey is entering his redshirt sophomore season of college football, so he will be eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft. After a relatively down 2026 class, next year's crop of talent is already being hyped as a historic class. Arch Manning, Dante Moore and LaNorris Sellers are QB prospects ranked ahead of Lindsey on Tice's list. Minnesota's QB1 would probably need a special season for it to even make sense for him to declare early.

Will Lindsey enter the 2027 NFL Draft? The chances are unlikely, but his place on Tice's list is more evidence that well-connected people appear to be high on his long-term ceiling. Renowned QB coach Quincy Avery has been well-documented, calling Lindsey a future first-round pick before his first season as a starter even began last fall.

There are even more potential first-round QBs that Tice didn't have in his top 25, such as C.J. Carr from Notre Dame, Drew Mestemaker from Oklahoma State, Julian Sayin from Ohio State, Darian Mensah from Miami (FL) and more.

If Lindsey is even in consideration to leave early for the 2027 NFL Draft at the end of the 2026 college football season, it would mean that Minnesota has a special year. When Leidner was dubbed as a potential first-round pick 10 years ago, he proceeded to throw more interceptions than touchdowns in his final season, and the Gophers finished with a 9-4 record.

Lindsey showed a ton of promise in his first season as a starter. He completed 63.2% of his passes for 2,382 yards, 22 total touchdowns and six interceptions. First-round hype in 2027 might be a little presumptious, but it's clear that the NFL might be in Lindsey's future.

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