- Quarterback on the rise: Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker earned an overall PFF grade above 89.0 for the third consecutive game, strengthening his case in the 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class.
- Stewart makes a statement: South Carolina edge defender Dylan Stewart returned from suspension with a career-high 95.8 PFF overall grade against Florida.
- Prospects trending downward: Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson, Texas A&M receiver Mario Craver and Utah cornerback Jackson Bennee struggled in Week 6, raising questions about their draft outlooks.
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Week 6 delivered several major upsets, with multiple programs boasting top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft suffering losses. Texas, Oregon and LSU account for six of the top nine players on PFF's draft board, yet all three teams came away from Saturday with losses.
The Georgia-Alabama showdown lived up to expectations, delivering a back-and-forth battle featuring future NFL talent on both sides. Several prospects on PFF's big board rose to the occasion, turning in standout performances in a highly competitive matchup.
With another eventful Saturday in the books, here are the prospects who did the most to help or hurt their draft stock in Week 6.
Stock Up: QB Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
The draft stock of the 2027 quarterback class has generally trended downward in recent weeks, but Mestemaker is moving in the opposite direction.
Saturday’s victory over UCF marked his third consecutive game with an overall PFF grade above 89.0. His season grade now sits at 88.0, closely resembling his electric play at North Texas last season, when he finished with an 88.3 overall grade. So far, his success has translated to the Power Four level.
Mestemaker is averaging 315 passing yards per game, and Saturday marked his first outing this season without a turnover-worthy play. His receivers have been catching nearly everything thrown their way, combining for just four drops over the past four games. He’s also showing scouts what he can offer on the ground, adding another rushing touchdown this weekend.
Mestemaker cannot be ruled out of the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, especially if Arch Manning continues to struggle and the team picking first overall desperately needs a quarterback rather than a player such as Jeremiah Smith.
Oklahoma State is ranked for the first time in two full years, with just two ranked opponents remaining on its schedule. The Cowboys’ disappointing early-season loss to Tulsa already feels like a distant memory. Credit Mestemaker and Co. for a superb rebound.
Stock Down: TE Jamari Johnson, Oregon
Johnson looked like an unstoppable force two weeks ago against USC but came back down to earth in Oregon’s upset home loss to UCLA. It’s worth noting that the quarterback play did him few favors. Starter Dylan Raiola was the lowest-graded quarterback in the FBS this past weekend.
However, Johnson cannot be completely absolved of blame for the defeat. He played 68 snaps and earned a season-low 48.4 overall PFF grade. It took 57 minutes of game time for him to record his first and only reception.
Johnson also struggled to make an impact as a run blocker. Oregon managed just 73 rushing yards on 27 attempts, with its offensive line and tight ends overwhelmed by UCLA’s impressive front seven.
Johnson missed time earlier this season, but he’s now entering mid-October with just 189 receiving yards on a team that has already suffered two losses. It’s far from the start he and the Ducks envisioned for 2026.
Stock Up: WR Nick Marsh, Indiana
Marsh came to the Hoosiers’ rescue with a critical 44-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1 against unranked Nebraska, with the game on the line. The play itself was the result of a blown coverage that left Marsh wide open for an easy score, doing little to boost his individual evaluation. Still, he was excellent throughout the rest of the game.
Marsh finished with six receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Combined with his strong outing last week, he now has more than 300 receiving yards over his past two games, including seven receptions of 15 or more yards.
Indiana’s offense has unlocked the big-play ability that was often missing from Marsh’s production at Michigan State last season. He is averaging seven more yards per reception than he did last year.
Marsh is also proving that his struggles on contested catches last season, when he hauled in just three of 13 opportunities, were not necessarily a cause for concern. He has caught seven of his nine contested targets this season and is firmly in first-round consideration at the midpoint of the year.
Stock Down: WR Mario Craver, Texas A&M
Just 11 spots separate Mario Craver and Nick Marsh on PFF’s big board. Both could help NFL teams in need of more explosiveness in the passing game, but they are very different receivers.
Craver is listed as five inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter than Marsh, and he is generally at his most dangerous with the ball in his hands. That becomes difficult when he catches just two of seven targets, as he did Saturday.
The typically sure-handed Craver also recorded his first drop since last season. After an explosive 119-yard performance in Week 3, he has totaled just 50 receiving yards over his past three games.
Texas A&M understandably wants its shifty receiver heavily involved in the screen game. However, five of Craver’s past six receptions have come behind the line of scrimmage, and he hasn't caught a pass beyond the sticks in a month. He could be an asset to an NFL team on designed touches, but Craver must prove he can consistently separate downfield to warrant an early-round selection.
Stock Up: Edge Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
Stewart’s nightmare start to the season — which included missing time with an injury, struggling on the field, getting flagged for punching opponents and serving a team-imposed suspension — now appears to be in the rearview mirror.
South Carolina’s statement victory over Florida helped the program avoid a complete free fall after three consecutive losses to conference opponents. Stewart was a major reason Florida’s offense looked lost for stretches of the game.
Stewart’s 95.8 overall PFF grade was the highest of any defender facing an FBS opponent this weekend and the best mark of his college career. He rushed the passer just 18 times in his return from suspension but set the tone early with a freakish third-down sack in the opening quarter.
Stewart’s rare movement skills were on full display. There are shades of Myles Garrett in the way he bends around the edge and almost glides toward the quarterback once he beats the offensive tackle. He also made an impact in run defense, forcing a fumble on a quarterback keeper late in the game.
This was desperately needed proof that Stewart remains willing to fight for his team amid concerns that he might shut things down and turn his attention to the NFL. Evaluators would much rather see him take the field and perform against top SEC competition.
Stock Down: CB Jackson Bennee, Utah
Bennee is the fifth-ranked cornerback in the 2027 NFL Draft class on PFF’s big board, but his overall PFF grade this season is the lowest among the top 10 cornerbacks.
His most recent performance at home against Kansas was particularly rough. Bennee allowed five receptions, including four that resulted in first downs. He also badly missed a tackle on a bubble screen in the low red zone, allowing Kansas to score its first touchdown of the day.
Bennee is primarily a slot cornerback, but Utah also gives him a handful of snaps at free safety each week. That experiment hasn’t gone particularly well, either. He currently holds a 56.6 PFF grade as a nickel cornerback and a 51.5 mark as a deep safety.
Considering that Bennee played his best football early last season, it has now been almost a full year since he last earned an overall PFF grade above 70.0. That raises some legitimate questions about his draft outlook.
Stock Up: Edge Devan Thompkins, Alabama
An Alabama defensive lineman after Georgia just rushed for 206 yards on Saturday night? Yes, really.
Thompkins wasn't previously listed on PFF’s big board, but he earns a spot here thanks to a string of strong performances to open the season, including another encouraging outing against Georgia.
Thompkins transferred from USC, where he looked fairly average over two seasons, but he is now averaging 47 snaps per game along Alabama’s defensive front. Although listed as an edge defender, he lines up all over the formation. He has earned an overall PFF grade below 70.0 just once this season.
Saturday night marked his highest-graded performance against the run this season. He recorded four tackles in run defense, including an impressive tackle for loss against a double-team block. Thompkins has now recorded at least one tackle for loss in each of his past four games.
He will be 23 years old as a draft prospect, which could limit how high his stock ultimately rises. Still, Thompkins looks like the real deal, and NFL teams value versatile defensive linemen who can thrive in a variety of schemes.
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