NFL · 3 hours ago

2026 NFL Mock Draft: QB Landing Spots & 7-Round Projections

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

Which Team Won the QB Lottery?
The Future of the League Starts Here. Who is Your Pick?
- Are you backing the Raiders to turn it around with Fernando Mendoza, or do you prefer the Cardinals value move for Carson Beck?
- Can a small-school titan like Cole Payton follow the NDSU-to-NFL pipeline to stardom, or is Ty Simpson the only safe bet outside of Mendoza?
- Have Your Say: Join our draft debates, and give us your top quarterbacks making their way into the pros in 2026. Leave your mock draft in the comments.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Strategic Landing Spots for the Elite Quarterback Class
The 2026 NFL Draft is shaping up to be a tactical battleground. As the latest industry projections suggest, this class is defined by two top-tier pivots and a deep group of developmental starters. While the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets are expected to pull the trigger on Day 1, teams like the Steelers, Saints, and Cardinals are playing the long game, eyeing high-upside value in the middle rounds to compete for the future.

We’ve aligned the full 257-pick draft order with team needs and the statistical profiles of the nation's top passers to find the sharpest landing spots.
7. Cole Payton (North Dakota State)
Dolphins Add a Left-Handed Swiss Army Knife on Day 3
- Projected Team: Miami Dolphins (Round 5, Pick 151)
- The Profile: Cole Payton is a physical anomaly at 6'3", 233 lbs, finishing his NDSU career with a staggering 193.8 pass efficiency rating and a perfect 16:0 TD-to-INT ratio in 2025.
- Why it Fits: Miami has a clear need for creative depth behind Malik Willis. Payton’s elite mobility, evidenced by 777 rushing yards and 13 TDs, allows the team to draw up unique sub-packages while developing Payton's high-velocity arm.
- Inside the Numbers: With a 72.0% completion rate and 12.1 yards per attempt, Payton’s efficiency is excellent. His ability to protect the ball is exactly what the Dolphins' system requires.
6. Drew Allar (Penn State)
Saints Invest in a High-Ceiling Prototype in the 4t
- Projected Team: New Orleans Saints (Round 4, Pick 132)
- The Profile: Drew Allar possesses the ideal NFL frame at 6'5", 235 lbs, but a statistically modest final season with 1,100 passing yards and eight touchdowns in a season cut short by a broken ankle in early October.
- Why it Fits: New Orleans uses their final selection of the fourth round (from Seattle) to grab a low-risk, high-reward project. Allar’s 64.8% completion rate and 135.7 rating suggest the foundational mechanics are sound, making him an intriguing developmental piece to sit behind a veteran.
- Inside the Numbers: Despite a middling 58.0 QBR, Allar’s discipline in protecting the football—yielding only three interceptions on 159 attempts—is an indicator that he can be coached into a reliable NFL distributor.
5. Taylen Green (Arkansas)
Colts Draft an Elite Athletic Outlier in the 4th
- Projected Team: Indianapolis Colts (Round 4, Pick 113)
- The Profile: Taylen Green is a physical marvel at 6'6", 227 lbs, having shattered combine records with a 4.36-second 40-yard dash and a 43.5-inch vertical jump.
- Why it Fits: GM Chris Ballard has a well-documented obsession with elite Relative Athletic Scores, and Green is the ultimate traits prospect. With 777 rushing yards and eight TDs on the ground in 2025, he offers a developmental ceiling that mirrors the physical profile of an Anthony Richardson, providing Indy with a high-upside insurance policy.
- Inside the Numbers: While his 11 interceptions and sub-61% completion rate at Arkansas are concerns, Green’s 82.8 QBR (ninth in NCAA) and 19 passing touchdowns suggest that his playmaking gravity is worth the gamble at Pick 113.
4. Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)
Steelers Tap into Bayou Pedigree in the 3
- Projected Team: Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 3, Pick 85)
- The Profile: A refined rhythm passer at 6'1", 205 lbs, Garrett Nussmeier displayed high-level processing in the SEC, finishing with a 67.4% completion rate and an efficient 133.8 rating.
- Why it Fits: Pittsburgh prioritizes a low-variance operator to stabilize the depth chart. Nussmeier’s ability to protect the football, tallying just five interceptions on 288 attempts, perfectly aligns with a Mike McCarthy-led philosophy that values winning the turnover battle.
- Inside the Numbers: With 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025, Nussmeier proved he can navigate tight windows. The LSU product has a talent profile that many scouts view as a sharp Day 2 steal.
3. Carson Beck (Miami)
Arizona Secures a Pocket General in the 3rd
- Projected Team: Arizona Cardinals (Round 3, Pick 65)
- The Profile: Carson Beck is a massive 6'4", 220 lbs traditionalist who was fourth in the nation with 3,813 passing yards while maintaining a surgical 72.4% completion rate in 2025.
- Why it Fits: After focusing on the trenches and defense with their first two selections (No. 3 and No. 34), Arizona hits the value button at Pick 65. Beck’s 81.8 QBR (10th in NCAA) provides the Cardinals with a high-floor distributor who can challenge for a starting role or serve as a premier insurance policy.
- Inside the Numbers: Despite 12 interceptions, Beck’s ability to push the ball downfield (8.2 YPA) and his 30 touchdowns suggest he is a pro-ready prospect.
2. Ty Simpson (Alabama)
The Jets Secure a High-Volume Successor
- Projected Team: New York Jets (Round 2, Pick 33)
- The Profile: Standing 6'2", 208 lbs, Ty Simpson has the SEC pedigree and a live arm that produced 3,567 passing yards and 28 touchdowns in his final season.
- Why it Fits: The Jets use their two opening-round picks to address more pressing needs and grab their QB to open the second round. Simpson’s 76.0 QBR and ability to protect the football (only five INTs) make him the ideal candidate to compete to lead a New York roster into a new era.
- Inside the Numbers: Simpson showed elite durability with 473 attempts, proving he can shoulder a heavy NFL-style workload while maintaining a 64.5% completion clip.
1. Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
The New Face of the Raiders' Foundation
- Projected Team: Las Vegas Raiders (Round 1, Pick 1)
- The Profile: Fernando Mendoza is the undisputed processor of this QB class, boasting a 90.3 QBR in 2025 (first in NCAA) and a surgical 72.0% completion rate.
- Why it Fits: Vegas cannot pass on the most efficient arm in the country. With 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns against just six interceptions, Mendoza provides the high-floor stability the Raiders have lacked for years.
- Inside the Numbers: His 182.9 passer rating and elite 9.3 yards per attempt suggest a quarterback who doesn't just take what the defense gives him, he dictates the terms of the engagement.
Which Team Won the QB Lottery?
The Future of the League Starts Here. Who is Your Pick?
- Are you backing the Raiders to turn it around with Fernando Mendoza, or do you prefer the Cardinals value move for Carson Beck?
- Can a small-school titan like Cole Payton follow the NDSU-to-NFL pipeline to stardom, or is Ty Simpson the only safe bet outside of Mendoza?
- Have Your Say: Join our draft debates, and give us your top quarterbacks making their way into the pros in 2026. Leave your mock draft in the comments.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Strategic Landing Spots for the Elite Quarterback Class
The 2026 NFL Draft is shaping up to be a tactical battleground. As the latest industry projections suggest, this class is defined by two top-tier pivots and a deep group of developmental starters. While the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets are expected to pull the trigger on Day 1, teams like the Steelers, Saints, and Cardinals are playing the long game, eyeing high-upside value in the middle rounds to compete for the future.

We’ve aligned the full 257-pick draft order with team needs and the statistical profiles of the nation's top passers to find the sharpest landing spots.