Complete 2026 NFL Draft QB Rankings:
You are currently viewing our quarterback rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft. The 2026 QB class is said to be one of the weakest in recent memory, but will that still be the case a few years from now?
Our top quarterback prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the most talented pass throwers in college football. Even though only about 12 will get selected in the draft, a lot more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite.
We’ll provide you with inside information to help you know who will be a star, who will be a bust, and which sleepers will shock the world.
BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2026 NFL draft quarterback prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.
(Last Updated: April 22, 2026)
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
QB | 6’5″ | 236 lbs | 4th Year
Fernando Mendoza Scouting Report
Fernando Mendoza enters the 2026 draft as the most polished quarterback in the class and a likely franchise-caliber talent. After flashing efficiency and toughness at Cal, he took a major step forward as a passer and decision-maker while leading Indiana to a National Championship.
Mendoza’s biggest strength is his processing speed. He consistently works through progressions, anticipates windows, and plays on time, a set of traits that most QB prospects lack. His accuracy to all levels stands out, especially between the numbers and on intermediate throws.
He shows strong pocket feel, subtle movement, and the ability to reset his base under pressure. While not a true dual threat, he is athletic enough to extend plays and punish coverage breakdowns. Mendoza does not have a cannon arm and won’t win with pure velocity, but he has good enough arm strength, and his touch and timing give him a very high floor. Teams picking top-5 will also love the role he played in transforming Indiana into a National Chamionship winning team.
Fernando Mendoza 2025 Stats
16 games: 3535 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 72.0% completion rate, 9.3 yards per attempt, 276 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama
QB | 6’1″ | 211 lbs | 4th Year
Ty Simpson Scouting Report
After entering the season with limited starting experience, Ty Simpson showed massive growth and hit an elite stretch in the middle of the 2025 season where everything seemed to click.
Simpson has a strong arm and can drive the ball to all levels with ease. He throws with great anticipation and can add touch. His athleticism adds value outside of structure, and he is comfortable throwing on the move. Simpson cooled off late in the year as defenses adjusted, leading to streaky decision-making and accuracy lapses.
The obvious concern is experience. He has far fewer meaningful reps than most top quarterbacks, and history shows that lack of experience often correlates with early NFL struggles. Still, the flashes are high-end, and his ceiling remains one of the highest in the class if his processing continues to stabilize.
Ty Simpson 2025 Stats
15 games: 3567 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 64.5% completion rate, 7.5 yards per attempt, 93 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
3. Drew Allar, Penn State
QB | 6’5″ | 228 lbs | 4th Year
Drew Allar Scouting Report
Most fans and analysts have soured on Drew Allar, but there’s something about the way he’s wired that I haven’t given up on.
Despite not improving nearly as much as anticipated, Allar has the size, natural arm strength, and enough athleticism to be an NFL star. He takes good care of the football, and can occasionally flash the ability to throw with touch and anticipation. His ability to drive the football off platform shows off his top-level arm talent. The problem is consistency, fluctuating levels of aggressiveness, and accuracy, while his development window has been thrown into flux due to a serious ankle injury that ended his 2025 season.
Despite some obvious flaws, few fans see how seriously Allar takes his prep and leadership efforts. While he’s no longer a first round player, there’s going to be plenty of talent to work with if he lands in the right system.
Drew Allar 2025 Stats
6 games: 1100 passing yards, 8 passing touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 64.8% completion rate, 6.9 yards per attempt, 172 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
4. Carson Beck, Miami (FL)
QB | 6’5″ | 233 lbs | 6th Year
Carson Beck Scouting Report
Carson Beck is a very experienced quarterback who made it to the National Championship with two different schools, Miami and Georgia respectively.
Beck excels in the quick game, delivering passes on time and with accuracy. He shows good anticipation and can read defenses better than the average prospect. He has decent arm strength and can make the necessary throws, while throwing a consistently catchable football.
Beck moves well in the pocket, but he doesn’t have the athleticism to truly hurt you with his legs. He has struggled in the past against pressure, and can be turnover prone in games where his o-line isn’t holding up. His ceiling isn’t as high as some of the quarterbacks above him, but his experience and accuracy give him a chance to become a good NFL quarterback.
Carson Beck 2025 Stats
16 games: 3813 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 72.4% completion rate, 8.2 yards per attempt, 43 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
5. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
QB | 6’2″ | 203 lbs | 5th Year
Garrett Nussmeier Scouting Report
Garrett Nussmeier enters the 2026 NFL Draft as a mid-tier quarterback prospect who flashed talent but did not live up to expectations this year. After a 2024 season with moments of poise and accuracy, he struggled this past year with consistency and timing in critical situations, particularly on intermediate and deep throws.
Nussmeier’s biggest strengths are his anticipation and ability to make throws from multiple platforms, showing solid mechanics in rhythm and off-schedule. He has the arm strength to fit the ball into tight windows and the mobility to reset the pocket when necessary. Inconsistency and indecision under pressure hurt Nussmeier this year, which limited big-play potential.
While he hasn’t yet shown the polish of a top-tier prospect, there is still a foundation to build on. With experience and refinement in a pro-style system, Nussmeier still has enough tool to potential develop into a better pro than he was college player.
Garrett Nussmeier 2025 Stats
9 games: 1927 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 67.4% completion rate, 6.7 yards per attempt, -57 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
6. Cole Payton, North Dakota State
QB | 6’3″ | 232 lbs | 5th Year
Cole Payton Scouting Report
Cole Payton is an intriguing FCS quarterback from powerhouse NDSU. After 3 seasons of rotating in as a run-first quarterback, Payton became the full time starter in 2025 and had a very solid season.
Payton has a lot of traits that NFL teams will love, especially on paper. He’s a plus athlete and legitimately dangerous runner in a powerful 6’2″ 230lb build. He’s shown some accuracy and touch on the move, and has excellent arm strength to drive the ball downfield. His 12.1 yards per pass attempt leads the entire class, and he takes care of the football. Teams will also love his winning pedigree.
Outside of that, there are a ton of red flags with Payton. He has a very elongated throwing motion which won’t work in the NFL. Whoever drafts him will rework his mechanics, which hasn’t worked well for just about every comparable QB in the past. He always played with an exceptionally clean pocket and will need to throw with much better anticipation. He’s also only a 1 year starter, with that one year coming at a low level of competition.
Cole Payton 2025 Stats
13 games: 2719 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 71.9% completion rate, 12.1 yards per attempt, 777 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns
7. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
QB | 6’2″ | 207 lbs | 4th Year
Cade Klubnik Scouting Report
Cade Klubnik was one of the most highly touted high school recruits ever, and really started to look the part in 2024. After putting up 36 touchdowns through the air that season, he was unable to replicate the production as a senior this past year.
Klubnik has decent overall athletic ability and good pocket presence. He avoids sacks at a high rate, and is able to keep his eyes downfield while maneuvering the pocket. His release is quick and consistent, and he’s improved his decision making over the past two seasons to limit turnovers.
There’s still a lot of room for Klubnik to improve the consistency of his throwing motion, especially in his lower body. He also needs to work to get through his progressions quite a bit faster, as he currently locks in on his 1st read far too often. While his play this year was very disappointing, Klubnik still has the arm talent, physical traits, and pedigree worth taking a chance on in the middle of the draft.
Cade Klubnik 2025 Stats
12 games: 2943 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 65.6% completion rate, 7.5 yards per attempt, 94 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns
8. Taylen Green, Arkansas
QB | 6’6″ | 227 lbs | 5th Year
Taylen Green Scouting Report
Taylen Green is a developmental prospect with a lot of potential but a long way to go before he’s ready to contribute in the NFL. After two up-and-down seasons as a starter for Boise State, Taylen Green transferred to Arkansas in 2024 where he continued a similar turbulent level of play.
Green is a dangerous athlete with an elite combination of size, strength, speed, and vision as a runner. At 6’6″ 230 pounds, Green looks like a tight end running the seam, demanding defenses respect his legs at all times. He compliments that with legitimate NFL arm strength, showing the ability to throw a deep ball from the far hash, layer a pass, and maintain velocity on medium passes.
Green has a long way to go as a passer. Throughout his career he’s always held the ball way too long, doesn’t always anticipate well leading to late throws, and has a tendency to chase the big play. There’s a lot that needs to be improved on, but there’s also a lot of uncoachable traits to work with.
Taylen Green 2025 Stats
12 games: 2714 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 60.7% completion rate, 8.3 yards per attempt, 777 rushing yards, 8 rushing touchdowns
9. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
QB | 6’4″ | 216 lbs | 5th Year
Sawyer Robertson Scouting Report
Sawyer Robertson stands out as one of the more intriguing sleeper quarterbacks in the 2026 class. At 6’4” and 220 pounds, he has the prototypical size and frame NFL teams covet, combined with natural strength to withstand pressure in the pocket.
Robertson led all Power Conference quarterbacks in passing yardage during the regular season, showcasing his ability to consistently move the offense and sustain drives. In a class where so few players put up the stats we’d expect to see, it’s refreshing to see someone who really moved the ball.
Robertson has a strong, fairly-accurate arm and good touch to all levels of the field. He demonstrates solid timing and anticipation when throwing in rhythm, while having some poise and ability to handle a full workload. Sawyer can be a little inconsistent when forced off-script or pressured, and he’ll need to improve at reading defenses in an NFL scheme. But the foundation is very strong and his ceiling is higher than most evaluators are giving him credit for.
Sawyer Robertson 2025 Stats
12 games: 3681 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 60.3% completion rate, 7.3 yards per attempt, 17 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns
10. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
QB | 5’10” | 207 lbs | 6th Year
Diego Pavia Scouting Report
The Heisman runner up was one of the most entertaining players in college football this past season. After two seasons at New Mexico State, Diego Pavia transferred to Vanderbilt where he looked good right away in 2024. He took that to another level this past season.
The best way to describe Pavia is just a baller. He plays exceptionally hard, always fighting for every yard, and not being afraid to push the ball down field. He’s an accurate passer who can get the ball out quickly when he needs to, and he does a solid job reading defenses. His passes are thrown with good touch and timing, and he’s a hardnosed runner who forces defenses to respect his legs.
Pavia is very undersized at about 5’9 1/2″ and won’t test well physically. Despite succeeding as a deep ball thrower, he doesn’t have great velocity and his overall arm talent is subpar compared to NFL starters. His hyper aggression will lead to issues at the next level where possessions are so important, and some teams will question his maturity.
Diego Pavia 2025 Stats
13 games: 3539 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 70.6% completion rate, 9.4 yards per attempt, 862 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns
Complete 2026 NFL Draft Quarterback Rankings
| RANK | NAME | SCHOOL | AGE | HT | WT | 40YD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Mendoza | Indiana | 4th | 6'5" | 236 | |
| 2 | Ty Simpson | Alabama | 4th | 6'1" | 211 | |
| 3 | Drew Allar | Penn State | 4th | 6'5" | 228 | |
| 4 | Carson Beck | Miami (FL) | 6th | 6'5" | 233 | |
| 5 | Garrett Nussmeier | LSU | 5th | 6'2" | 203 | |
| 6 | Cole Payton | North Dakota State | 5th | 6'3" | 232 | 4.56 |
| 7 | Cade Klubnik | Clemson | 4th | 6'2" | 207 | 4.69 |
| 8 | Taylen Green | Arkansas | 5th | 6'6" | 227 | 4.36 |
| 9 | Sawyer Robertson | Baylor | 5th | 6'4" | 216 | 4.64 |
| 10 | Diego Pavia | Vanderbilt | 6th | 5'10" | 207 | 4.83 |
| 11 | Joe Fagnano | Connecticut | 6th | 6'3" | 226 | 4.83 |
| 12 | Jalon Daniels | Kansas | 6th | 6'1" | 219 | 4.65 |
| 13 | Joey Aguilar | Tennessee | 5th | 6'3" | 229 | |
| 14 | Haynes King | Georgia Tech | 6th | 6'2" | 212 | 4.46 |
| 15 | Luke Altmyer | Illinois | 5th | 6'2" | 210 | 4.72 |
| 16 | Athan Kaliakmanis | Rutgers | 5th | 6'3" | 216 | 4.92 |
| 17 | Jake Retzlaff | Tulane | 5th | 6'1" | 202 | |
| 18 | Jack Strand | Minnesota-Moorhead | 4th | 6'4" | 243 | 4.78 |
| 19 | Mark Gronowski | Iowa | 6th | 6'2" | 226 | 4.71 |
| 20 | Behren Morton | Texas Tech | 5th | 6'2" | 221 | 4.89 |
| 21 | Tommy Castellanos | Florida State | 4th | 5'10" | 198 | 4.59 |
| 22 | Maverick McIvor | Western Kentucky | 7th | 6'2" | 209 | 4.94 |
| 23 | Miller Moss | Louisville | 5th | 6'1" | 211 | |
| 24 | Kyron Drones | Virginia Tech | 5th | 6'2" | 226 | 4.62 |
| 25 | Jacob Clark | Missouri State | 7th | 6'5" | 230 | |
| 26 | Derek Robertson | Monmouth | 6th | 6'2" | 214 | 4.71 |
| 27 | Braylon Braxton | Southern Miss | 5th | 6'2" | 220 | 4.75 |
| 28 | Blake Shapen | Mississippi State | 6th | 6'0" | 199 | 4.83 |
| 29 | Brady Olson | Central Connecticut | 5th | 6'3" | 207 | 4.80 |
| 30 | EJ Warner | Fresno State | 4th | 6'0" | 213 | 4.82 |
| 31 | Preston Stone | Northwestern | 5th | 6'1" | 219 | |
| 32 | Aidan Bouman | South Dakota | 6th | 6'5" | 218 | 4.94 |
| 33 | Evan Simon | Temple | 5th | 6'2" | 213 | 4.88 |
| 34 | Chandler Morris | Virginia | 6th | 6'0" | 190 | |
| 35 | Brendon Lewis | Memphis | 6th | 6'2" | 216 | 4.70 |
| 36 | Dequan Finn | Miami (OH) | 7th | 6'1" | 215 | |
| 37 | Zach Calzada | Kentucky | 7th | 6'4" | 227 | 4.67 |
| 38 | Tyler Van Dyke | SMU | 6th | 6'4" | 225 | |
| 39 | Kaidon Salter | Colorado | 5th | 6'1" | 195 | 4.63 |
| 40 | Bryson Barnes | Utah State | 6th | 6'1" | 213 | |
| 41 | Jalen Kitna | UAB | 5th | 6'4" | 229 | |
| 42 | Kaleb Blaha | UW-River Falls | 5th | 6'0" | 204 | |
| 43 | Jeff Sims | Arizona State | 6th | 6'4" | 222 | 4.44 |
| 44 | Parker Navarro | Ohio | 6th | 6'0" | 200 | |
| 45 | Zevi Eckhaus | Washington State | 5th | 6'0" | 209 | 4.74 |
| 46 | Tucker Gleason | Toledo | 6th | 6'3" | 245 | |
| 47 | Matthew Sluka | James Madison | 6th | 6'1" | 216 | 4.50 |
| 48 | Sam Vidlak | Stephen F. Austin | 5th | 6'1" | 204 | 4.90 |
| 49 | Blake Horvath | Navy | 4th | 6'1" | 194 | 4.62 |
| 50 | Robby Ashford | Wake Forest | 6th | 6'2" | 207 | 4.65 |
| 51 | Grayson James | Boston College | 5th | 6'3" | 215 | |
| 52 | Tommy Rittenhouse | Illinois State | 5th | 5'11" | 187 | 4.64 |
| 53 | Matthew Rueve | Indiana (PA) | 6th | 6'5" | 215 | 4.87 |
| 54 | Matthew Caldwell | Texas | 5th | 6'3" | 213 | 4.63 |
| 55 | Victor Gabalis | Tarleton State | 6th | 6'3" | 220 | |
| 56 | Ralph Rucker IV | Bucknell | 5th | 6'0" | 210 | 4.84 |
| 57 | Cade McNamara | ETSU | 7th | 6'1" | 206 | |
| 58 | Jackson Waring | Grand View | 6th | 6'3" | 224 | 4.71 |
| 59 | TJ Finley | Georgia State | 6th | 6'7" | 245 | |
| 60 | Ta'Quan Roberson | Buffalo | 7th | 6'0" | 194 | 4.82 |
| 61 | Drew Nash | Western Colorado | 5th | 6'1" | 211 | 4.67 |
| 62 | Joe Pesansky | Florida International | 5th | 6'2" | 216 | 4.83 |
| 63 | Jase Bauer | UT-Martin | 5th | 6'1" | 208 | 4.66 |
| 64 | Nicholas Vattiato | Mid Tenn State | 5th | 6'0" | 205 | 4.92 |
| 65 | Eddie Lee Marburger | Texas-Rio Grande | 5th | 6'1" | 213 | 4.88 |
| 66 | Walker Harris | NC Central | 6th | 6'1" | 202 | |
| 67 | Cam'Ron Ransom | Bethune-Cookman | 5th | 6'1" | 228 | 4.77 |
| 68 | Gavin Sukup | Indianapolis | 4th | 6'1" | 190 | |
| 69 | Cameron Peters | Prairie View A&M | 5th | 6'4" | 217 | 4.91 |
| 70 | Kekoa Visperas | Tennessee Tech | 5th | 6'0" | 195 | |
| 71 | Jackson Turner | A&M-Kingsville | 6th | 6'5" | 226 | 4.75 |
| 72 | Jacolby Criswell | ETSU | 6th | 6'1" | 230 | |
| 73 | Bay Harvey | Johns Hopkins | 5th | 6'2" | 215 | |
| 74 | D'Wan Mathis | Davenport | 7th | 6'4" | 205 | 4.55 |
| 75 | JaCobian Morgan | Jackson State | 6th | 6'4" | 230 | 4.83 |
| 76 | Pat McQuaide | Villanova | 5th | 6'0" | 205 | |
| 77 | Timmy McClain | Bethune-Cookman | 5th | 6'1" | 195 | 4.85 |
| 78 | Bronson Barron | Southern Utah | 6th | 6'2" | 210 | 5.14 |
| 79 | Otto Kuhns | Norfolk State | 6th | 6'3" | 210 | |
| 80 | Christian Veilleux | Georgia State | 5th | 6'4" | 222 | 4.71 |
| 81 | Joe Labas | Central Michigan | 5th | 6'2" | 201 | 5.07 |
| 82 | Andy Peters | St. Thomas | 6th | 6'3" | 220 | |
| 83 | Kiael Kelly | Ball State | 5th | 6'0" | 194 | 4.65 |
| 84 | William Atkins IV | South Carolina State | 5th | 6'1" | 207 | 4.97 |
| 85 | Ben Finley | Akron | 6th | 6'3" | 210 | |
| 86 | Shea Spencer | Keiser | 7th | 5'11" | 184 | 4.81 |
| 87 | Alex Johnson | Tiffin | 5th | 6'5" | 202 | 5.06 |
| 88 | Josh Kulka | St. Francis (IN) | 6th | 6'2" | 208 | 5.12 |
| 89 | Carter Peevy | Maine | 6th | 6'3" | 215 | |
| 90 | Ben Gulbranson | Stanford | 6th | 6'3" | 215 | |
| 91 | Kelvin Durham | Johnson C. Smith | 6th | 6'3" | 210 | |
| 92 | Mike Wright | East Carolina | 6th | 6'3" | 195 | 4.56 |
| 93 | Logan Fife | New Mexico State | 6th | 6'0" | 205 | |
| 94 | Gavin Wimsatt | Jacksonville State | 5th | 6'2" | 229 | 4.51 |
| 95 | Quincy Crittendon | Samford | 5th | 5'10" | 201 | 4.74 |
| 96 | Jacob Zeno | Texas A&M | 7th | 6'4" | 210 | |
| 97 | Spencer Arceneaux | West Alabama | 5th | 6'3" | 190 | 4.55 |
| 98 | MJ Rivers | SW Oklahoma State | 8th | 6'4" | 247 | |
| 99 | Drew Pyne | Bowling Green | 6th | 6'0" | 200 | |
| 100 | Anthony Guercio | Clarion | 5th | 5'10" | 203 | 4.57 |
| 101 | Tyler Riddell | Duquesne | 7th | 6'1" | 190 | |
| 102 | Jackson Ostrowsky | Lock Haven | 7th | 5'11" | 221 | 5.02 |
| 103 | Michael Palandri | Montana Western | 5th | 6'1" | 215 | |
| 104 | Jackson Dooley | Benedictine (KS) | 5th | 6'1" | 195 | |
| 105 | Nate Glantz | Lindenwood | 6th | 6'0" | 211 | 4.72 |
| 106 | Christian Peters | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 7th | 6'2" | 185 | |
| 107 | Anthony Garrett | Glenville State | 4th | 6'2" | 246 | 5.00 |
| 108 | Camden Orth | Chattanooga | 7th | 6'3" | 225 | |
| 109 | Carter Cravens | Morehead State | 5th | 6'2" | 210 | |
| 110 | Kaiden Bennett | Delaware State | 7th | 5'11" | 183 | 4.62 |
| 111 | Darryl Overstreet Jr. | Upper Iowa | 4th | 6'2" | 215 | |
| 112 | Jack Shields | Albany | 5th | 6'1" | 200 | |
| 113 | Tyriq Starks | Howard | 6th | 6'1" | 209 | 4.70 |
| 114 | Ron Peace | East Texas A&M | 5th | 6'2" | 210 | |
| 115 | Kyle Wickersham | Richmond | 5th | 6'4" | 260 | |
| 116 | Zach Chevalier | Morningside | 5th | 6'2" | 205 | |
| 117 | Samari Collier | Coastal Carolina | 5th | 6'2" | 243 | |
| 118 | Jack Curtis | Carleton | 4th | 6'3" | 219 | 5.10 |
| 119 | Gevani McCoy | Temple | 5th | 6'0" | 176 | |
| 120 | Robert Coleman | Lamar | 5th | 6'0" | 200 | |
| 121 | Nate Hampton | Gardner-Webb | 5th | 6'6" | 240 | |
| 122 | Hunter Watson | Sam Houston State | 5th | 6'3" | 210 | |
| 123 | Luke Giron | Ottawa (AZ) | 5th | 6'1" | 195 | |
| 124 | Hunter Simmons | Wisconsin | 5th | 6'2" | 222 | 4.94 |
| 125 | Jackson Berry | Pittsburg State | 5th | 6'0" | 200 | |
| 126 | Ryan Stubblefield | South Carolina State | 6th | 5'10" | 201 | 4.85 |
| 127 | Kobe Muasau | Morgan State | 5th | 6'1" | 205 | |
| 128 | James Laubstein | New Mexico | 5th | 6'2" | 209 | 4.63 |
| 129 | Kai Horton | Washington | 5th | 6'4" | 216 | 4.81 |
| 130 | Chris Zellous | Stony Brook | 5th | 6'3" | 225 | |
| 131 | Chris Irvin | Western Illinois | 5th | 6'3" | 215 | |
| 132 | Ken Seals | TCU | 6th | 6'2" | 221 | 4.93 |
| 133 | Tahj Bullock | Colorado State | 5th | 6'2" | 218 | 4.78 |
| 134 | Zach Osborne | Colgate | 4th | 6'2" | 215 | |
| 135 | Cole Keylon | Harding | 5th | 6'0" | 210 | |
| 136 | Deuce Hogan | Nicholls | 6th | 6'4" | 215 | |
| 137 | Jordan Barton | Wagner | 5th | 6'0" | 185 | |
| 138 | Nate Mikell | Southeastern (FL) | 5th | 6'3" | 153 | 4.51 |
| 139 | Henry Hesson | Miami (OH) | 5th | 6'2" | 200 | |
| 140 | Adam Urena | Mercyhurst | 6th | 5'9" | 175 | |
| 141 | Gunnar Gray | Buffalo | 5th | 6'4" | 211 | 5.12 |
| 142 | Derek Engel | British Columbia | 5th | 6'3" | 193 | 5.07 |
| 143 | Brandon Nunez | Mississippi Valley | 5th | 6'4" | 237 | 5.07 |
| 144 | Jake Weir | Houston Christian | 5th | 6'2" | 210 | |
| 145 | Jayden George | Ave Maria | 7th | 6'2" | 216 |
MORE NFL DRAFT RANKINGS
Traits That Make a Quarterback Prospect Great
Quarterback play is one of the most complicated positions to scout because physical traits aren’t the primary factor. Arm talent, football IQ, and functional athleticism are among some of the most important factors of scouting the top quarterback prospects.
Some of the factors we consider when scouting are included below.
Arm Talent
Nothing is more important when creating quarterback draft rankings than evaluating arm talent. This includes multiple things: Arm strength (both distance and speed), accuracy on all 3 levels, ease of throwing motion, and ability to throw on the move.
Field Vision
Field vision and anticipation is often what separates a talented quarterback from a successful quarterback. A good prospect needs to have the ability to see when players are about to become open. If they wait to release the ball until their receiver is open, they’ll likely be covered by the time the ball reaches their target.
Football IQ
Decision making, play recognition, and overall awareness of the situation helps a quarterback take the next step from college QB to NFL starter. College often simplifies play calling, whereas NFL quarterback prospects need to fully understand the play book and situation.
Functional Athleticism
The top ranked QB draft prospect doesn’t need to have 4.4 speed, but they should have functional athleticism. They’ll need the ability to extend plays, navigate within the pocket, and have a strong enough base to withstand light contact and avoid sacks.
2026 QB Draft Prospects FAQs
Who is the best QB in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Currently the top-ranked QB in the 2026 NFL Draft is Fernando Mendoza from Indiana. Mendoza shows an advanced ability to read defenses, and plenty of arm talent to make any NFL throw. He entered the 2025 season with mostly Day 2 or early Day 3 grades from NFL scouts, but took a big step forward after transferring to Indiana.
How good is the quarterback draft class in 2026?
The 2026 quarterback class currently looks weaker than normal. Despite a lot of hype entering this season of college football, most of the top prospects like Arch Manning and LaNorris Sellers did not live up to expectations.
With Dante Moore returning to school, there’s now a risk that this class gets really bad. It is probably better than what we saw in 2022, but didn’t end up beating out the 2025 class which was also considered weak.
Which QB has the highest ceiling in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Outside of the obvious names like Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback with the highest ceiling is Drew Allar from Penn State. While he isn’t likely to reach it, Allar has the size, athleticism, and arm strength of a big time NFL quarterback. He just needs to be a lot more consistent in a number of areas, which is a big ask.
How many quarterbacks are going to be drafted in the 1st round this year?
There are currently expected to be just 2 quarterbacks drafted in the 1st round, which includes Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson.
There are a couple more quarterbacks that could potentially go in the 2nd or 3rd rounds, and NFL team needs will play a big part in determining exactly how many QBs are drafted in the 1st round in 2026.
Who is the fastest QB in the 2026 NFL Draft?
After the NFL Combine and Pro Days, Taylen Green remains the fastest QB in the 2026 NFL Draft, clocking a 4.36 40 yard dash.
Other QBs who ran 4.50 or faster include Jeff Sims (4.44), Haynes King (4.46), and Matthew Sluka (4.50).
