Yesterday ESPN’s NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr. released his first 2027 NFL Draft Big Board yesterday.
Kiper lists his top 25 players (Jeremiah Smith is #1) and then his top five players at each position. Syracuse cornerback Chris Peal is 5th at the cornerback spot. The four players ahead of Peal are:
1. Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
2. Ashton Hampton, Clemson
3. Kelley Jones, Mississippi State
4. Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia
The 6’1 corner hasn’t performed up to expectations so far in 2026 as he has his
lowest PFF grade of 59. Peal has give up 9 receptions on 14 targets, which is similar to last year, but he’s been giving up big plays and has committed four penalties already.
In the last two games, he has split his time between corner and free safety as the Orange have tried to find their best defensive unit. Peal has shown that he’s a solid tackler throughout his career and showing some position flexibility can only help his draft prospects.
Peal is hoping to become the first Syracuse player to be taken in the NFL Draft’s first two rounds since Matthew Bergeron back in 2023. Not too bad for a guy who played only 24 snaps on defense in his two years at Georgia.
We’ll see if Peal can get back to the standard he set last season. The Orange need all of their top players to dial it up a notch as they hope to find some success in 2026.
