Whether they succeeded in 2026 or not, the New York Jets were bound to target the top quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL draft. Armed with three first-round picks and lacking a long-term answer under center, the Jets have long been gearing up to acquire one of the top signal-callers of the 2027 class.
While the 2027 quarterback class was the subject of intense hype entering the 2026 college football season, it has underwhelmed compared to its lofty expectations. With that said, there are still some standout passers scheduled to come out, and Jets general manager Darren Mougey is already getting an up-close-and-personal look at one of them.
On Saturday afternoon, Mougey was spotted in Manhattan (no, not that one) speaking to Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Sean Brophy ahead of the Cowboys’ game against the Kansas State Wildcats. Oklahoma State’s quarterback is 20-year-old Drew Mestemaker, who is currently ranked as the consensus QB1 and No. 3 overall prospect at NFL Mock Draft Database.
As of this writing, the Cowboys (5-3) have a 49-14 halftime lead over the Wildcats (4-4). Mestemaker has completed 15 of 19 passes for 207 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, adding three carries for 11 yards and a touchdown.
Pending the second half’s results, it continues a breakout season for the native of Austin, Texas. In his first year with Oklahoma State after transferring from North Texas, Mestemaker entered Saturday’s game with 184 completions on 281 attempts (65.5%) for 2,649 yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, averaging 9.4 yards per pass attempt. He added 33 carries for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
A redshirt sophomore, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback has impressed as a deep passer this season, tying for the lead among Power Four quarterbacks with 23 deep completions (20+ air yards). His main concern is ball security, as he also leads Power Four quarterbacks with 15 turnover-worthy throws, per Pro Football Focus.
Entering their Week 9 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Jets currently hold the fourth (via Indianapolis), sixth, and 10th (via Dallas) picks in the 2027 draft order. Mougey is early in the process of determining whether Mestemaker is worth one of those selections, or perhaps multiple, if the Jets must trade up for his services.
