PFF hypes Florida QB DJ Lagway as potential No. 1 pick in 2027 NFL draft

Florida football quarterback DJ Lagway is already turning the heads of NFL talent evaluators, and a new Pro Football Focus feature suggests the Gators' rising sophomore could headline a star-studded 2027 NFL draft class.

PFF analyst Max Chadwick highlighted 12 underclassmen who could make the 2027 draft "historic", singling out Lagway's rare arm talent and sky-high ceiling as the biggest reason scouts are "drooling".

The 6-foot-3-inch, 235-pound signal-caller posted an FBS-best 8.8 percent big-time throw rate in 2024 while earning a 95.6 passing grade on deep balls, according to PFF charting.

Should Lagway continue to develop as projected, he could become another Florida quarterback selection taken in the top five alongside Anthony Richardson back in 2023.

Lagway's rapid rise fuels growing national expectations for Billy Napier's program, which closed last season with four straight wins. If Lagway continues to refine his mechanics, Florida could field its most complete offense since the Tim Tebow era.

Here is everything Chadwick said about Lagway and his growing potential.

What PFF said about Lagway

"It wouldn’t be a special draft class without at least one potential franchise quarterback. Lagway showed why he was the top quarterback recruit in the 2024 cycle, leading the Power Four with an 8.8% big-time throw rate. Lagway’s 95.6 passing grade on deep throws stood third in the country as well. He’ll need to become more precise as a sophomore, though, as his 59.7 passing grade on all other throws was the second-worst mark in the Power Four. 

"It was still a very encouraging freshman year for Lagway, though, considering how brutal Florida’s schedule was. He may have more arm talent than anyone else in college football and just needs to fine-tune his footwork and accuracy to potentially become the best quarterback in the nation."

Other names included from the SEC

Along with Lagway, the other names mentioned by PFF that play in the SEC are edge rusher Colin Simmons (Texas Longhorns), edge rusher Dylan Stewart (South Carolina Gamecocks), wide receiver Ryan Williams (Alabama Crimson Tide), wide receiver Cam Coleman (Auburn Tigers) and safety KJ Bolden (Georgia Bulldogs).

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: PFF touts Florida's DJ Lagway as possible 2027 NFL draft top pick