Most NFL fans are still squarely focused on their favorite team's aspirations for the 2026 season, but smart front offices are already hard at work preparing for the 2027 NFL Draft. It's been a topsy-turvy college football season so far, and the best general managers around the league are already compiling lists of the prospects they believe can turn into steals wherever they are slated to pick in Round 1.

The challenge with identifying a first-round steal at this point in the pre-draft process is that there is stlil so much time for prospects to influence their potential draft stock. Most players still have plenty of college games left to show their wares to potential NFL employers. Things get even more hectic for prospects when they're permitted to meet with teams and work out with them after the conclusion of the college season.

With that being said, here are five prospects currently ranked outside the top 32 of the current NFL Consensus Big Board who could nonetheless make big moves come next spring.

South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers has too much physical talent to ignore

LaNorris Sellers is a quarterback whose stock has vacillated wildly over the past couple of years due to his uneven play for South Carolina. A few good recent performances have things headed back in the right direction, but plenty of mocks still have him placed outside of Round 1.

Critics of Sellers will compare him to previous busts like Anthony Richardson and Justin Fields, guys who had all the physical tools but could never put it all together. That's an error in scouting; Sellers has some decision-making flaws that need to be corrected at the next level, but he's got a better feel than those guys for layering throws and playing from the pocket. Combine that with his elite athletic traits, and it's easy to envision him growing into a top-10 NFL starter if he lands with the right team. That sort of ceiling should allow him to comfortably slot into the bottom half of Round 1.

S Kingston Lopa is a great player for a terrible Cal team

California has been one of the most disappointing teams in college football this year, and that's caused some scouts to downgrade Kingston Lopa's draft stock. But he still possesses elite gifts for the safety position, an increasingly important spot for NFL defenses to target in recent drafts.

Lopa checks in at 6-foot-5 and shows real range in coverage on intermediate and deep routes. He does need to become more physical to hold up against the run at the pro level, but he has the frame to add pounds without sacrificing any speed.

Lopa may not be sudden enough to hear his name called in the top 20, but guys like him who can be immediate starters turn into great value in the last 10 picks of Round 1. Expect his stock to rise once he gets the chance to work out in the pre-draft process.

Ole Miss WR Deuce Alexander's big-play ability will push him into Round 1

Trinidad Chambliss makes a lot of his offensive teammates at Ole Miss look good, but wide receiver Deuce Alexander has the talent to succeed with or without his Heisman-candidate quarterback. Teams looking for a potential big-play threat should gravitate towards him as their draft evaluations progress.

Alexander's challenge this year is to add more skills to his bag of tricks down the stretch. His speed is truly elite and easy for any front office to identify. Working more on his route tree and his ability to produce yards after the catch could do wonders to improve his standing with scouts.

NFL teams will be watching Alexander closely as the stakes for Ole Miss rise in the coming weeks. A few big games against high-quality corners could cause his draft stock to skyrocket.

Virginia Tech's Luke Reynolds can capitalize on the tight end craze in the modern NFL

NFL teams are using multiple tight ends more than ever this season. It only follows that the importance of drafting high-ceiling tight ends will rise in the coming drafts. Virginia Tech star Luke Reynolds has a chance to take advantage of that circumstance and sneak into the bottom of Round 1.

Reynolds still has work to do as an in-line blocker, but he is competitive when asked to contribute in the ground game. He really shines when he's permitted to work out in space against secondary players of all sizes and shapes. He possesses the size to bully slot corners who try to stop him at the line of scrimmage and also flashes enough speed to run away from linebackers and safeties who try to handle him on deeper routes.

Reynolds might not be the tight end most likely to find his way into the back half of Round 1, but bet on at least one tight end moving up into that range for a team that wants to lean into the trend of multiple-tight end sets.

S Jelani McDonald is a Texas prospect who is actually improving his stock

The likes of Arch Manning and Melvin Siani are two Texas standouts who are getting a lot of attention for their plummeting draft stock this year. But safety Jelani McDonald is a Longhorn star who has actually raised his stock with his play this season.

He's a classic physical safety who is going to make his living in the NFL as close to the line of scrimmage as possible. He routinely finds his way into opposing backfields and packs a punch when he's given a free path towards opposing ball carriers. McDonald projects as a difference-maker who can produce turnovers at the next level due to his physical gifts.

McDonald is not the perfect safety to drop into coverage and mirror opposing receivers, but that is not the sort of role he will be drafted to fill. Teams that see him as a missile capable of wreaking havoc from the nickel will think long and hard before passing on him in Round 1.