Darian Mensah QB Miami |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #10 PLAY STYLE: Pocket Passer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 09/16/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.75 seconds (67%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #10 | |
| PLAY STYLE: Pocket Passer | |
| Last Updated: 09/16/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.75 seconds (67%*) | |
| Overall Rating: |
86.5 / 100
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|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
|
75% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Release Speed: |
|
82% |
| Short Passing: |
|
82% |
| Medium Passing: |
|
91% |
| Long Passing: |
|
87% |
| Rush/Scramble: |
|
55% |
|
DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Mid
Overall Rank:
#44
Position rank:
#6 (QB)
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| College Games: 30 College Snaps: 1902 | ||
247 RATING: 82/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.2 (85%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quinn Ewers - Texas |
|
78% |
| Kurtis Rourke - Indiana |
|
77% |
| Kenny Pickett - Pittsburgh |
|
76% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Mensah threw 25 touchdown passes as a senior at Saint Joseph High School and won Mountain League Player of the Year, though most recruiting services rated him a two-star prospect. He signed with Tulane, redshirted in 2023, then threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns with six interceptions as a redshirt freshman before transferring to Duke in December 2024.In 2025 under Manny Diaz, Mensah started all 14 games and completed 334 of 500 passes for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns against six interceptions, breaking Duke's single-season records for passing yards and total touchdowns while earning second-team All-ACC honors and AP ACC Newcomer of the Year recognition. He threw four touchdown passes at Clemson in October, then guided Duke past Virginia 27-20 in overtime in the ACC Championship, the program's first outright league title since 1962.
Mensah earned Sun Bowl MVP honors after throwing for 327 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-39 win over Arizona State, the highest-scoring Sun Bowl ever played. In January 2026, after entering the portal on the final day of the window and reaching a settlement with Duke, he transferred to Miami for the 2026 season.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Accurate, high-volume passer; 34 touchdowns against just six interceptions in 2025
- Touch passer who varies arm speed and drops the deep ball with placement
- Processes with timing and anticipation, working through reads from a clean platform
- Set a Duke single-season record with 3,973 yards as a first-year starter
- Closed the Sun Bowl as MVP, 327 yards and four scores
- Named ACC Newcomer of the Year after a productive Tulane-to-Duke jump
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Slight at about 205 pounds, with real durability questions for the position
- An average arm by NFL standards; the ball dies on the longer outside throws
- Turnover-worthy plays ran high despite the clean interception total
- Put the ball on the ground too often earlier in his career
Scouting Report: Summary
Mensah is an accurate, quick-processing passer who wins with timing rather than physical traits, varying his arm speed, dropping the deep ball with placement and reading out the field from a clean platform with the patience to rarely beat himself. His touch and short-to-intermediate placement are among the more advanced in the class. However, he is slight at around 205 pounds with only average arm strength, so the ball dies on the longer outside throws, and he will force throws into coverage under pressure more than the tidy interception total suggests.Overall, Mensah has the placement and process of an NFL starter, but he needs to prove the frame and the arm hold up against tougher fronts after transferring to Miami for 2026. He projects as a potential NFL starter, with the ceiling of a quality starter and the floor of a backup if the durability or the deep ball give way.
How other scouting services rate Darian Mensah (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
29.9
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
6.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.