Top 10 quarterbacks in 2026 NFL Draft

No position generates as much excitement at the NFL draft as the quarterback position.

Only twice in the last decade has the number one overall pick not been a quarterback, and some of the draft’s longest slides – from Aaron Rodgers to Shedeur Sanders – are quarterbacks.

Simply put, it’s the one position that can turn the tide for your entire franchise with one draft pick. Here are our top QBs in the 2026 NFL Draft class.

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1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

The Heisman Trophy Winner for 2025 will likely be the #1 overall pick in the 2026 draft, and for good reason. Mendoza displayed elite accuracy and decision-making skills in a talented, RPO-heavy offense at Indiana, and is a slightly above-average athlete at the position.

But in the NFL, the degree of difficulty will be going up. The windows will get smaller, and the reads will get tougher. If he can adjust, and I think he will be able to with his clear high intelligence and football IQ, he’ll be a Pro Bowl-level player for years to come.

2. Ty Simpson, Alabama

The former Crimson Tide signal caller isn’t particularly big or fast, and doesn’t have a rocket arm. But he’s deceptively elusive, has excellent footwork and technique, is exceedingly accurate, and thrives under pressure. For every physical limitation he has, he has intangible skills that make up for it.

The natural comp is to Sam Darnold. Much like Darnold, Simpson will struggle mightily if he goes to a subpar team, and will look great when surrounded with talent.

3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

The gunslinger from the Bayou, who won MVP at the Senior Bowl, is a bit of an enigma to project to the next level. He possesses all of the arm talent in the world, and the confidence to attempt what others might see as impossible, and his pedigree of being a coach’s son shows up in his pre-snap and post-snap processing.

But he just didn’t look good during an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, and we simply don’t know if we will see 2024 Nussmeier or 2025 Nussmeier when he gets to the NFL.

4. Taylen Green, Arkansas

The dual-threat from Arkansas has all of the physical tools you could ever want in a quarterback. He runs a sub-4.4 40-yard dash, is a physical and elusive runner, and has a rocket of an arm.

What he doesn’t have is consistency, and he clearly has not been coached as if an NFL QB would. But some coach is going to see all of his talent and think that they can turn him into a special player, and it’s going to be fun to watch.

5. Drew Allar, Penn State

One of the many quarterbacks whose stock was higher back in 2024 than it was in 2025. Allar is another QB that is very physically gifted, and has prototype NFL size and arm strength. He showed an ability to take care of the football in college, with a very low turnover rate. But it became clear in 2025 that a lot of his success in 2024 was due to Tyler Warren.

Without his always open first read, Allar was a little more hesitant and struggled to be decisive, but still took care of the football. There’s enough foundation here to make a good NFL quarterback.

6. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Yet another on the list whose stock was higher in 2024 than in 2025, as Klubnik’s 2024 season ended with an impressive performance in a losing effort against Texas.

In his time as the starter at Clemson, Klubnik was a great rhythm thrower when receivers were in position and open, and displayed solid accuracy in the intermediate areas of the field (both of these traits contributed to that good performance against Texas). But 2025 showcased that Klubnik really struggled to fit throws into tight windows and struggled when receivers were not on time and in position, often getting tunnel vision and forcing throws. That won’t play in the NFL.

7. Carson Beck, Miami

It was quite a roller-coaster career for Beck in college, as his great 2023 campaign at Georgia had the world prepping for him to be a first-round pick, before the 2024 season saw a steep decline as Beck’s deep ball accuracy and decision-making came into question.

Those questions lingered with him even as he moved to Miami and helped the team reach the National Championship game, but they were greatly masked by an elite offensive line and WR1 in Malachi Toney.

8. Cole Payton, North Dakota State

Simply put, Cole Payton was one of the stars of the combine. He’s big, fast, and demonstrated incredible explosiveness with his vertical jump and agility tests. But when you look past that, there are a ton of red flags.

He comes from an FCS school, was only a starter for one season, and was primarily used as a runner. I can’t think of an NFL success story with that background, but if there is going to be one, Payton has the athletic profile to become it.

9. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

Diego Pavia

The diminutive Pavia has been counted out his whole career, and the NFL Draft is just the latest example. But all he’s done, at every level he’s been at, is put up numbers, elevate his team, and win football games.

Recent QBs such as Russell Wilson and Bryce Young have shown that you can be a smaller QB in today’s NFL, and that may give Pavia a chance to get drafted and go win a starting job.

10. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor

Baylor is a school that puts up video-game numbers offensively, but has never really put a long-term starting QB into the NFL. It looked like Robertson could be that guy after a productive 2024, but an up-and-down 2025 just makes him look like he was next on the assembly line.

He’s above-average in a lot of things, but not really great at anything.

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