The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are predicted to draft a potential star quarterback in next year's draft amid their 0-3 start.
Based on Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated's 2027 NFL Mock Draft, he projects the Buccaneers to select Miami Hurricanes star quarterback Darian Mensah with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. The projection comes just a couple of weeks after Baker Mayfield signed a lucrative three-year, $165 million contract extension, making him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.
"Mensah is closing the gap on Manning and Moore because of how polished he is as a passer," writes Manzano. "With his new surroundings in Miami, the 6'3", 205-pound Duke transfer has 11 touchdowns and no interceptions while completing a sizzling
89.9% of his passes. He’ll need to prove it against better competition when the College Football Playoff rolls around. Still, at the moment, teams with mid-tier quarterbacks might be willing to ditch their current starter for Mensah and his pinpoint accuracy. Additionally, it hasn’t been the best start for Mayfield since his new contract extension."
The 21-year-old Mensah has emerged as one of the Heisman Trophy favorites with one of the best starts to a season in college football history. Mensah has thrown 14 touchdowns against zero interceptions with an 88.7% completion rate through the first four games of the season. The junior quarterback also set consecutive completions records in the ACC in the Hurricanes' win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, completing 35 consecutive passes over a two-game mark and going 24-for-24 to start out the game against Wake Forest.
He's also the first FBS quarterback in the past 30 years to have more touchdown passes than incompletions (14-to-12).
The idea of Mensah being one of the top quarterbacks selected in next year's draft isn't surprising. He may very well win the Heisman Trophy while playing on a national championship-contending team. What is surprising is the idea that the Buccaneers will target a quarterback if they gain one of the top picks in next year's draft considering they've committed to Mayfield as their franchise quarterback for the next three years. It would seem to make more sense for Tampa Bay to target another offensive weapon or even a defensive playmaker to help the Buccaneers inch their way back into contention.
Mayfield is off to a rocky start through the first three games of the season. The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback has two touchdowns and two interceptions, with three fumbles, as the Buccaneers have stumbled to a 0-3 start.
There are a lot of games left to be played in the 2026 season, but it'll be interesting to see what the Buccaneers do in next year's draft if they garner one of the top picks.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers Projected to Select Star Quarterback in 2027 NFL Draft
