Story by Daniel Rios “The Draft Nick”
We got a taste of it last week with Week 0, but now the entire country can join in on the fun. College football is set to kick off this weekend officially, with Week 1 action set to take place.
Even with the limited action last week, we saw great performances that could affect the 2027 NFL Draft. Players like North Carolina edge Melkart Abou Jaoude and Memphis defensive tackle Taylor Burton had performances that certainly raised their stock.
Now, the rest of this draft class gets a chance to showcase their talents. This draft class is loaded, but naturally, earlier in the season we won’t be getting those elite matchups until conference play kicks off.
Still, there are a few matchups this weekend that will catch the eyes of scouts and analysts across the country. Here are a few matchups to pay attention to this weekend that could impact the 2027 draft.
Niki Prongos vs. the entire Miami D-line
Niki Prongos didn’t start last week against Hawaii in Week 0 due to undisclosed reasons. There is plenty of excitement surrounding his game due to his athleticism and long frame, which allow him to overpower edges on the outside. He’s 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds; he just needs to learn how to play more under control. He’s not near the top of my tackle rankings, but he can definitely rise throughout this season.
If Prongos is to play in Week 1, this is the matchup that can boost his stock. Yes, Miami lost Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor to the NFL, but they still have a loaded defensive line. It starts with the two interior defenders of Ahmad Moten Sr. and Justin Scott. Both flashed their talents last season, and both are ready to be “the guy” in 2026. Scott is a former five-star that just oozes a rare athletic profile, and Moten is a more refined and powerful interior player.
While those two will be on the inside, Prongoa won’t have many one-on-one opportunities against them. One transfer the Hurricanes did get was Missouri transfer Damon Wilson II, who is 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds. Wilson finished 2025 with 8.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. He’s another edge who has a power profile and will fit right into this Miami culture among the defensive line. It’ll be fun to watch Prongos and Wilson compete if Prongos is healthy on Saturday.
Tao Johnson vs. Ian Strong
Ian Strong had some NFL interest after a 762-yard and five-touchdown season with Rutgers, but he decided to stay another year in college. He transferred to Cal, where he could team up with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who impressed in his true freshman season in 2025.
Strong has NFL size at 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, and with it he has impressive body control to go up and attack the ball at the catch point. He thrives in contested catch situations, and it’s a weapon Sagapolutele hasn’t had before. It should be a testament to Sagapolutele’s talent that Strong wants to transfer to Cal over other schools.
One player Cal will have to deal with in the UCLA secondary is Utah transfer safety Tao Johnson. Johnson is more of a free safety archetype and showed the ability to be a playmaker in the backend. His eyes are up and patient, reading the entirety of the field, and he knows how to fill the proper holes in the run game. He’s a mid-round safety for me at the moment, and Strongt is a mid-round receiver for me. Both can boost their stocks with a promising performance on Saturday.
Jordan Seaton vs. Will Heldt
This is the one I have triple highlighted for this weekend. Both these players were favorites of mine throughout summer scouting, with Jordan Seaton being my No. 1 offensive tackle and Will Heldt being my No. 3 edge.
Seaton was a former five-star recruit who transferred to LSU following Lane Kiffin, and athleticism is his superpower. When he’s allowed to get out and run, he doesn’t look like an offensive tackle. IT’s actually scary watching a 6-foot-6 and 307-pounder move the way he does. His overall hand placement and ability to mirror edge rushers can improve throughout this season, but he’s the size and athlete to garner first-round excitement.
Just like Seaton, Will Heldt packs NFL size at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds. He’s an edge rusher who can win in multiple different ways and is smart as well. Knows how to maintain pocket integrity and gives tremendous effort throughout games. Heldt is a power-profile rusher, and the main concern with his game is what kind of athlete he can truly be at the next level. He’s limited when it comes to his bend and pure speed, so those are two aspects to watch during his pass rush reps on Saturday.
LSU secondary vs. Clemson receivers
DJ Pickett isn’t draft-eligible this season, but still the LSU secondary has plenty of names to look out for. Dashawn Spears, Ty Benefield and Tamarcus Cooley are all in the backend and will get NFL attention. Benefield is the one I’ll be having my eyes on during the game against Clemson. The Boise State transfer is a missile at safety and isn’t afraid to come downhill to make a hit. He does struggle in coverage at times, which is something he can’t afford to do against Clemson.
Sometimes you watch last season’s Clemson and just wonder how this team wasn’t more successful. Looking at this receiver room, the top two wideouts in Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore are the two to look out for. Wesco suffered a back and neck injury last season, which ended his year early, but is back healthy this season. He can explode up draft boards if he can get back to the type of playmaker he was before the injury.
The post 2027 NFL Draft Stock Watch: 4 Week 1 Matchups to Watch Closely first appeared on Sports360AZ.
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