It might be the heart of the summer, but it's truly never too early to start looking ahead at the 2027 NFL Draft. Although we are roughly 10 months from the festivities, scheduled for Washington, D.C. next year, there have already been several mock drafts released.Â
On Thursday, the folks at Athlon Sports released a full 2027 NFL Mock Draft for all 32 teams in the first round. Included in the picks are two South Carolina Gamecock stars, in EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart and quarterback LaNorris Sellers.Â
Where Athlon's Luke Easterling projects Sellers will go might surprise some. In his mock draft, he has Sellers getting picked at No. 10 overall, going to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yep, that means Sellers would be tasked with replacing Aaron Rodgers, who is expected to retire after the 2026-27 season. Â
"While the Steelers have invested multiple draft picks at quarterback in each of the past two drafts, that’s not likely to keep them from taking another big swing if they’re enamored with one of this year’s top prospects," Easterling writes. Sellers needs to find more consistency from the pocket, but he’s got as much potential as any quarterback in this class, with a rare combination of size, arm strength, and athleticism."
Pittsburgh drafted signal-caller Drew Allar in the third round of this year's draft, and also picked Ohio State's Will Howard in the fifth round in 2025. While it's unclear if the Steelers view either of them as a long-term successor, Sellers could be the answer with a big season in 2026.Â
Although he had a down year in 2025, there is a ton of optimism surrounding Sellers and the Gamecocks entering 2026. Head coach Shane Beamer re-tooled his offensive staff, adding offensive coordinator Kendal Briles from TCU. Beamer also landed highly-touted offensive tackle Jaccarius Peak from the transfer portal, which should help Sellers improve after taking a career-high 43 sacks last season. He should help open up running lanes for Sellers this season, too.Â
Also included in the Athlon Sports' 2027 mock draft is Gamecock star EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart. Easterling has Stewart going also in the Top-10 alongside his teammate, landing at No. 7 overall to the New Orleans Saints. Easterling sees Stewart, who has 11 sacks in his career, as a successor to Cam Jordan in New Orleans.
Stewart is also expected to have a big season in 2026 in Columbia. As a true freshman, the Washington, D.C. prospect had 6.5 sacks with three forced fumbles. But his numbers regressed last season, getting just 4.5 sacks on the year.Â
Beamer told reporters that Stewart was dealing with a back injury throughout the year. Although the injury rehab limited him during most of South Carolina's 2026 spring practices, he is expected to be ready for fall camp in a couple of months.Â
Having two Gamecocks go in the top-10 of the NFL Draft has never happened in South Carolina history. The closest came in 1981, with running back George Rogers going No. 1 overall to the Saints, and tight end Willie Scott going 14th to Kansas City. Â
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