It's no secret that the Atlanta Falcons lack a true franchise quarterback, as their quests to find one have left them in QB purgatory ever since Matt Ryan retired. Michael Penix Jr. has showed promise this season, but has not been consistent enough to get the Falcons to commit long-term to him.
For as crazy as it sounds, Kevin Stefanski has never hand-picked a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft in seven seasons as a head coach. The two first-round QBs he's worked with, Penix and Baker Mayfield, were Day 1 picks drafted by previous coaches and he inherited them, while the QBs he did help draft such as Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders were investments later on in the draft.
Part of why Stefanski took the Falcons' job to begin with is because it would offer him the chance to pick his own guy. We all know Penix has clear holes in his game, especially with his injury history, and this new regime deserves to pick their young signal-caller rather than hitching their wagon to No. 9.
Atlanta's new front office is more than likely going to do their fair share of homework on the 2027 quarterback class, which includes guys such as Drew Mestemaker, LaNorris Sellers, and Darian Mensah, among others in order to help Stefanski find his guy, which is a storyline to keep monitoring although it's more likely than not that Penix is starting Week 1 of next season.
And in doing so, we're going to evaluate some of the top 2027 QB prospects every week and go over how they performed this weekend--and figure out who is and isn't getting Stefanski's attention.
An update on the Atlanta Falcons' search for a new franchise QB
Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker
Let's start with the guy who has had the biggest up the draft board this season in Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker. Mestemaker is currently second in the nation in passing yards (2,962) and leading the nation in passing touchdowns (29), and is coming off arguably his best start of the season
In a 66-28 victory over Kansas State, Mestemaker completed 22 of 28 pass attempts for 313 passing yards, four touchdowns, and an interception, and recorded a rushing and receiving touchdown as well. Yes, you read that right. He completed the trifecta on the road against a quality Big 12 opponent.
It's crazy to think that this guy didn't start in high school and walked on at North Texas, because you wouldn't even know he had no previous Power Four experience before this year. I'm not sure if it's because of the No. 17 jersey, his cannon of an arm, or both, but he feels like a Josh Allen-lite to me.
Unfortunately for Kevin Stefanski, this is unlikely. Drew Mestemaker is playing himself right out of the Falcons' draft range. Frankly, I'd venture to say he's the first QB taken in this draft and could be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft--but pairing him up with these weapons would be a dream come true.
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss
While Mestemaker turned in the best start of his career, another QB option for the Dirty Birds, Trinidad Chambliss, struggled mightily. Chambliss has found himself on the first-round radar due to his anticipation and mobility, but remains one of the more divisive prospects in the 2027 Draft class.
The No. 10 Rebels hosted No. 2 Georgia on Saturday, and, maybe we should be less sold on him after Ole Miss lost 42-7. In the loss, Chambliss completed just 18 of 34 passes for 170 yards and a pick. Even against the best defense in the nation, that's not the way a first-round quarterback performs.
Florida State's Ashton Daniels (12) and FIU's JJ Kohl (10) are the only signal-callers in the FBS with more interceptions than Chambliss this season. And given he's thrown an interception in six of the last seven games, including five picks across the last three games, this is an issue he needs to fix.
There is already a lot working against Chambliss, as he'll be 25 once he makes his NFL debut and is only 6-foot and 210 pounds, so he's pretty undersized. And while there's still a lot of stuff to like about him as a prospect, the Falcons should look to draft a younger QB whom they can mold after Penix.
Texas QB Arch Manning
Speaking of polarizing quarterback prospects, look no further than Texas' Arch Manning. The man who entered the season as the Heisman Trophy favorite had a rocky start to the season, but is finally starting to live up to his last names and the lofty expectations his legendary uncles have left him.
As No. 7 Texas went on the road and beat No. 18 Missouri 34-20, Manning completed 28 of 38 pass attempts for 297 yards and three touchdowns. It was his first start since Sept. 19 against UTSA where he failed to record a single turnover, heping UT pull off their second ranked win in three weeks.
Oh, and he did all of this without his top WR in Cam Coleman, his future NFL offensive tackle in Trevor Goosby, and one of the Longhorns' top running backs in Hollywood Smothers. This was one of his best starts of 2026, and let's just look at the dime he dropped on the go-ahead TD to Raleek Brown.
CLUTCH @raleek2 🔥 pic.twitter.com/waRX4z5ueX
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) November 7, 2026
Still, Arch Manning struggles with decision-making and gets rattled under pressure--which happens when you're the third-most sacked quarterback in the nation. It's hard to deny he could use another year in college, but Steve Sarkisian's play-calling hasn't done him any favors and the tools are there. So as a QB who typically improves as the year goes on, he could be back on the first-round radar.
Add us as a preferred source on Google