Surprise at #4 - CBS Projects Gophers Drake Lindsey to Get Drafted #4 Overall; Greg Johnson 15th

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If he is that high 9 or 10 wins a must. IMHO
Renner
2027 vs. 2026 NFL Draft class: Who has the better prospect at every position?



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1. Arizona Cardinals: Arch Manning, QB, Texas​

It's inevitable. The next-generation Manning is going high in the draft. No one wants to be the GM who passes on a Arch Manning, especially when the alternative is Carson Beck. Manning came on strong down the stretch in 2025 after a rocky start. If he maintains that level of play for a full season, you can put his name down in ink at No. 1 overall.

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2. Miami Dolphins: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State​

Jeremiah Smith's blend of size, explosiveness and ball skills is the best we've seen since Calvin Johnson. Even if Malik Willis isn't an overnight success in Miami, this pick could still make sense over a quarterback because of how much Smith moves the needle. A lot of quarterbacks will look good throwing jump balls to Smith.

team logo

3. New York Jets: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon​

There's a strong chance Dante Moore would have been a Jet had he declared last year, but now he gets another year of seasoning at Oregon. Moore is a silky-smooth pocket passer who can hit throws at every level of the field. He just needs to improve his play under pressure this season.


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4. Cleveland Browns: Drake Lindsey, QB, Minnesota​

Drake Lindsey is an up-and-comer more people need to know about because of his certified rocket launcher for a right arm. He's right there with South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers for the strongest arm in college football. Unlike Sellers, Lindsey has shown the ability to throw with multiple speeds and layer passes beautifully over the middle. He'll need to improve his accuracy and pocket presence this year, but I like his chances of doing just that in Year 2 as a starter.

team logo

5. Las Vegas Raiders: Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina​

Dylan Stewart is the rare 6-foot-5, 245-pounder who moves like a wide receiver. He's so athletic that he regularly wins reps untouched. Stewart needs to add more moves to his arsenal, but it won't take much for him to become an impact player in the NFL.
 







"Whoa Nellie' as Keith Jackson used to say!

Tis the season for optimism!
 


Tbh kinda crazy to have Arch Manning over Moore
I think Arch gets a bad rep because of the Ohio State game.

Arch is bigger. He is more athletic and their passing stats are close. Arch did all that with significantly worse weapons. They were horrific running the ball (1200 fewer yards rushing and 18 fewer rushing TDs) and very pedestrian talent in the receiving game.
 



Wtf changed in the offseason? There's a significant push in media backchannels for Drake to get some love without there being much of any quantitative or qualitative data to prove he belongs as high as hes being classified (I'm not complaining, just strange). Wonder who's pushing and funding that narrative?
 


In the first 10 plays last season it was apparent that he's got the best arm of any Gopher QB of my lifetime.

Whether that's enough to reach rd1 or even more the top 5 as a Gopher QB...I don't know. But the writer is right that he's got a lot of arm talent, and he's got the size.
 

I am in the open end zone. After 16 years of no overtime in the Bank. Drake fooled us everyone with the qb bootleg even right in front of us against Rossi and Michigan St. Think Pj and Joe had an embrace after the game, not relevant but great to see. Drake hope gets slightly more fleet of foot but if Big Ben (on the field) and Philip Rivers Some dude at Indiana won it all last year and went number one just need to avoid getting sacked, Had 4 rushing tds. Could play another 3 years or 1 but probably most gifted Qb in Minnesota history. Trying to think of best qb's to play in new stadium, Wilson from skunks.....McCarthy looked great. Drew Aller stunk and got a call his way that changed outcome of game. Another Qb from San Jose St threw a dime. I guess Kirk O Chains in 2009 in a loss to Adam Weber and Duane Bennett. Apparently Erik Decker did not play that night and Kirk had a great performance on Halloween. I was recovering from H1N1 after Columbus/Pittsburgh Gopher/Viking road trip the week before. 157 penalty yards in this game but Spartans had a lot too.

Kirk greatest NFL career to date but Drake could surpass? Drake could surpass them all in college.
 



I am in the open end zone. After 16 years of no overtime in the Bank. Drake fooled us everyone with the qb bootleg even right in front of us against Rossi and Michigan St. Think Pj and Joe had an embrace after the game, not relevant but great to see. Drake hope gets slightly more fleet of foot but if Big Ben (on the field) and Philip Rivers Some dude at Indiana won it all last year and went number one just need to avoid getting sacked, Had 4 rushing tds. Could play another 3 years or 1 but probably most gifted Qb in Minnesota history. Trying to think of best qb's to play in new stadium, Wilson from skunks.....McCarthy looked great. Drew Aller stunk and got a call his way that changed outcome of game. Another Qb from San Jose St threw a dime. I guess Kirk O Chains in 2009 in a loss to Adam Weber and Duane Bennett. Apparently Erik Decker did not play that night but Weber had a great performance on Halloween. I was recovering from H1N1 after Columbus/Pittsburgh Gopher/Viking road trip the week before. 157 penalty yards in this game but Spartans had a lot too. Kirk greatest NFL career to date but Drake could surpass? Drake could surpass them all in college.
 

Wtf changed in the offseason? There's a significant push in media backchannels for Drake to get some love without there being much of any quantitative or qualitative data to prove he belongs as high as hes being classified (I'm not complaining, just strange). Wonder who's pushing and funding that narrative?
2300 yards 18 touchdowns and 6 interceptions

I believe only 6 QBs in college football had 2000+, 15+, and 9 or less

Two of them are Drake Lindsey and arch manning



I do not think he is a first round draft pick but there are reasons to be pleased with him.
 

Got a long way to go before he makes that prediction seem reasonable….
 

Wtf changed in the offseason? There's a significant push in media backchannels for Drake to get some love without there being much of any quantitative or qualitative data to prove he belongs as high as hes being classified (I'm not complaining, just strange). Wonder who's pushing and funding that narrative?

Quincy?

 

Wtf changed in the offseason? There's a significant push in media backchannels for Drake to get some love without there being much of any quantitative or qualitative data to prove he belongs as high as hes being classified (I'm not complaining, just strange). Wonder who's pushing and funding that narrative?
Agree. I think he has a chance to be the best we've had going way back, but the scouts are seeing things that my non-scout eyes are having a difficult time discerning.

He's big and he has a great arm. He's shown the ability to process and as the report says can make a wide variety of throws. Stronger arm than Brosmer and more touch than Kaliakmanis. He can take a hit and can grind as a runner. He's not blessed with the best supporting cast of WRs and TEs which probably doesn't allow him to showcase all he can do. I'm looking forward to the season.
 

Agree. I think he has a chance to be the best we've had going way back, but the scouts are seeing things that my non-scout eyes are having a difficult time discerning.

He's big and he has a great arm. He's shown the ability to process and as the report says can make a wide variety of throws. Stronger arm than Brosmer and more touch than Kaliakmanis. He can take a hit and can grind as a runner. He's not blessed with the best supporting cast of WRs and TEs which probably doesn't allow him to showcase all he can do. I'm looking forward to the season.
So much of the NFL is projecting what they think a player will be vs. what the player currently is. Drake did a really solid job in his first season as a starter and I am really excited to see what he can do with a full off season to work on things and get better.

The fact that he is getting this kind of attention as a redshirt sophomore with only one season under his belt is pretty impressive and also reflects a pretty weak QB class (at least as of right now).

Drake has the measurables to be an NFL QB. He isn't there yet but he is also very young still and has a lot of developing left to do. Hopefully he ends up sticking around for a couple more seasons here and we really get to enjoy some top level QB play.
 



I think it says a lot that Dante Moore came back for another season. I've never understood why people are so high on him. He has Oregon level talent at wide receiver running open by 5-yards on most plays. How can you really even tell how good he is? Drake Lindsey, on the other hand, is trying to throw to receivers with DBs draped all over them! I have no idea who's better because the talent level on the teams is so different. The combine will be huge for Drake!
 

I think it says a lot that Dante Moore came back for another season. I've never understood why people are so high on him. He has Oregon level talent at wide receiver running open by 5-yards on most plays. How can you really even tell how good he is? Drake Lindsey, on the other hand, is trying to throw to receivers with DBs draped all over them! I have no idea who's better because the talent level on the teams is so different. The combine will be huge for Drake!
I didn't watch a ton of Oregon football and a 72% completion rate is nothing to sneeze at, but Oregon didn't strike me as having a deep vertical passing game (of course, neither did the Gophers). Of course, you don't need that when you have guys like Kenyon Sadiq. Moore would have been a top five pick, so his NIL must have been something to keep him in Eugene.

Interesting to see if the Gophers make some adjustments to the offensive game plan to get the most out of Lindsey's talents.
 

Multiple players projecting to the first round? When did we become the Buckeyes?
 

Scouts and analysts generally review game tape in the offseason of guys returning so this isn't uncommon. They weren't paying a lot of attention to guys like Lindsey during the season that are not eligible to go to the NFL. They're clearly liking what he was able to do at times. The talent is definitely there.
 

So, let me ask a dumb question. Can we safely assume Drake is gone after this season? Do many QB's leave after two years? I never imagined Drake would only be here two years (three including redshirt). As only a very casual observer of teams other than the Gophers, and the NFL draft, this has me really surprised. If someone asked me how many good-to-great NFL QB's have come out of college early, I would guess virtually none. Enlighten me please.
 

So, let me ask a dumb question. Can we safely assume Drake is gone after this season? Do many QB's leave after two years? I never imagined Drake would only be here two years (three including redshirt). As only a very casual observer of teams other than the Gophers, and the NFL draft, this has me really surprised. If someone asked me how many good-to-great NFL QB's have come out of college early, I would guess virtually none. Enlighten me please.
According to AI (I haven't fact checked), these QBs left early:
Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck, Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud
 

So, let me ask a dumb question. Can we safely assume Drake is gone after this season? Do many QB's leave after two years? I never imagined Drake would only be here two years (three including redshirt). As only a very casual observer of teams other than the Gophers, and the NFL draft, this has me really surprised. If someone asked me how many good-to-great NFL QB's have come out of college early, I would guess virtually none. Enlighten me please.
I don’t think you can safely assume that..
 

If he is that high 9 or 10 wins a must. IMHO
Renner
2027 vs. 2026 NFL Draft class: Who has the better prospect at every position?



team logo

1. Arizona Cardinals: Arch Manning, QB, Texas​

It's inevitable. The next-generation Manning is going high in the draft. No one wants to be the GM who passes on a Arch Manning, especially when the alternative is Carson Beck. Manning came on strong down the stretch in 2025 after a rocky start. If he maintains that level of play for a full season, you can put his name down in ink at No. 1 overall.

team logo

2. Miami Dolphins: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State​

Jeremiah Smith's blend of size, explosiveness and ball skills is the best we've seen since Calvin Johnson. Even if Malik Willis isn't an overnight success in Miami, this pick could still make sense over a quarterback because of how much Smith moves the needle. A lot of quarterbacks will look good throwing jump balls to Smith.

team logo

3. New York Jets: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon​

There's a strong chance Dante Moore would have been a Jet had he declared last year, but now he gets another year of seasoning at Oregon. Moore is a silky-smooth pocket passer who can hit throws at every level of the field. He just needs to improve his play under pressure this season.


team logo

4. Cleveland Browns: Drake Lindsey, QB, Minnesota​

Drake Lindsey is an up-and-comer more people need to know about because of his certified rocket launcher for a right arm. He's right there with South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers for the strongest arm in college football. Unlike Sellers, Lindsey has shown the ability to throw with multiple speeds and layer passes beautifully over the middle. He'll need to improve his accuracy and pocket presence this year, but I like his chances of doing just that in Year 2 as a starter.

team logo

5. Las Vegas Raiders: Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina​

Dylan Stewart is the rare 6-foot-5, 245-pounder who moves like a wide receiver. He's so athletic that he regularly wins reps untouched. Stewart needs to add more moves to his arsenal, but it won't take much for him to become an impact player in the NFL.
I know nothing about the NFL and how they evaluate players. With that said, it seems to me that they place an emphasis on physical measurements and athletic ability. Mr. Lindsay is 6'5"(?) and 2XX (I heard he lost weight?. Anyway he seems to be in that "perfect QB size range.
 

If he is that high 9 or 10 wins a must. IMHO
That would be nice, but there are plenty of examples of QBs being drafted in the top 5 after finishing the season with less than 9 wins. Recent QBs in that category include Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Anthony Richardson, and Mitch Trubisky.
 




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