2026 NFL Draft Intel: The good and the bad about 5 of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class
Here is some NFL intel on some of the top passers in the 2026 NFL Draft, including Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier, Cole Payton, and Drew Allar.
The NFL Draft is a little over two weeks away, and while it may feel like we are in the dog days of the predraft process, the finality of the event is quickly approaching. As we speak, many teams have returned to their home base for their final weeks of pre-draft meetings.
Rankings will be finalized, scouts will pound the table for their guys, coaches and front office members will debate over who they should take. So with the Pro Days over and the majority of the hay in the barn, A to Z Sports spoke with sources, including NFL Scouts and league representation, to gauge the good and the bad, with five of the top quarterbacks in the class. Here is the latest on what we uncovered.
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
The good: “No need to overthink. Don’t think he and Ty [Simpson] are very close. He’s 6-5, and just won a national championship with Indiana. Executes at a high level.”
The bad: “[His] personality and lack of creation throws me off, [he’s] going to an awful team.”
Mendoza is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and we can debate about him as a true No.1 overall pick when comparing him to quarterbacks who went that high in prior drafts. The truth is, he’s the best that this class has to offer. He showed up big, in the biggest moments, and you can tell he wants to be great.
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
The good: “Enough teams like him that I wouldn’t be surprised if someone moved up to get him in round one. His mid-season stretch was the best quarterback play in the class.”
The bad: “[Simpson] physically and mentally broke down. Offensive line and wide receivers get a lot of blame, but he should shoulder a lot of it.”
Even teams that believe in Simpson as a quarterback will have questions about his durability as a football player. He made high-level throws on NFL concepts throughout the year, but he was dealing with multiple injuries by the time November rolled around, and it affected his play.
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
The good: “Someone will take him higher than he should go because he’s big with a strong arm and obvious traits in a bad QB class.”
The bad: “He’s shown us who he is. He doesn’t have the same movement as [Josh] Allen, and the accuracy is so scattershot. It’s a 3rd and 8, and the game is on the line, and he’s throwing a bad pass.”
There was a time when people in and around the league viewed Allar as a top-five pick. There are some things you just can’t teach at quarterback, and Allar has them in spades. The problem is, playing quarterback in the NFL is a lot more than arm talent and size, and the intangible development never materialized for Allar at Penn State.
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
The good and the bad: “[He] should be what Quinn Ewers is. A reliable backup. He’s a Davis Mills, Quinn Ewers, Mac Jones kind of player. Reliable, accurate, but lacks the killer instinct to be an NFL starter, he’s a solid QB 2. Jimmy G is who you hope he can become.”
Nussmeier is the son of an NFL coach, and his 2024 tape was solid enough that you can project him to have a career in the league. He also has to fight off the injury concerns, but he has 10-year vet written all over him.
Cole Payton, QB, NDSU
The good and the bad: ‘”Would take him over Allar, not over Nussmeier. Loopy lefty delivery, one-year starter, but he’s got it all upstairs. Not Milroe or Kaepernick athletically but good. Happier in the 4th than the 3rd but he might be the next Taysom Hill.”
Payton is one of the more intriguing prospects in this class. Some view his live arm, sturdy frame, and running ability as enough to make him QB No.3 in the class. Others see too much of a project with little experience. Whoever drafts Payton will need to be patient with his development, but he could be a major steal.
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