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May 14, 2026, 06:25 AM ETOpen Extended Reactions
The quarterback class for the 2026 NFL draft went 10 players deep. While that’s slightly fewer than the 13 who went off the board in 2025, the Class of 2026 is led by two first-rounders, including the first overall pick.
So how does every quarterback fit with his new team? We took a closer look at what's next for all 10 drafted passers.
NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid made sense of each player's scheme fit and how each QB could excel in the pros, while our NFL Nation reporters focused on each quarterback's expected role with his new team. And for early-round picks, Reid picked one area where each passer could lead the league in short order, while fantasy football analyst Mike Clay projected rookie-year stat lines.
Jump to:
First-rounders | Middle-rounders
Late-rounders
First-rounders
Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders (No. 1)
Why he fits in Las Vegas: Dating to his time at Cal and progressing through last season at Indiana, Mendoza has experienced multiple offenses. When required to, Mendoza showed he is capable of operating a versatile scheme that demands exhausting multistep progressions where he can get to third and fourth options in passing concepts. So Mendoza fits well into Klint Kubiak’s offense, which will require him to operate off play-action. He finished 2025 with a 73.4% completion percentage on play-action throws. — Reid
How the Raiders can set him up for success: The Raiders have already made significant strides to set up Mendoza for success. Outside of hiring Kubiak, they signed center Tyler Linderbaum and improved the defense through the draft and free agency. Another helpful element will be finding consistency in the running game after finishing last in the league in rushing yards per attempt in each of the past two seasons. An uptick in production from Ashton Jeanty and fourth-round pick Mike Washington Jr. developing into a reliable second backfield option would help Mendoza’s transition even more. — Ryan McFadden
The area where he could lead the league in five years: Passing yards. Kubiak’s scheme is expected to be wide-open, which could allow Mendoza to thrive as the Raiders build up his surrounding personnel. Mendoza will have opportunities to exploit defenses and rack up passing yardage, as Kubiak’s scheme has been a launching point for several passers in recent seasons. Mendoza could eventually reach that prolific level of success. — Reid
Clay's 2026 projection: 3,066 passing yards, 15 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions (229 rushing yards, two touchdown runs).
Ty Simpson, Los Angeles Rams (No. 13)
Why he fits in Los Angeles: Simpson was one of the most shocking picks of Round 1 and won’t be asked to play in the short term. Even though he had only 15 college starts, Simpson was given a lot of responsibilities at Alabama, such as setting protections, run checks and altering passing concepts pre-snap. He’s not ready to be an NFL starter right away and should get multiple seasons to learn behind reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. That process, and working every day with coach Sean McVay, will give Simpson a first-hand education on how to operate the Rams’ system. — Reid
How the Rams can set him up for success: The Rams see Simpson as Stafford’s heir apparent. The team expects Simpson to — or at least hope he will — get at least a year of practice reps before he plays in a meaningful NFL game. Although the Rams believe in the rookie, McVay made it clear that Simpson’s ascension to the starting job will come on Stafford’s terms. But he’ll have plenty of talented skill players to throw to in a system that’s proven to work in the league. — ESPN
The area where he could lead the league in five years: Completion percentage. Simpson is a highly accurate passer who completed 64.5% of his passes last season and can be effective in multiple schemes. Simpson is able to fit passes into tight windows in all areas of the field, as his ball placement and decision-making ability are elements that can carry over to the NFL. — Reid
Clay's 2026 projection: 146 passing yards, one touchdown pass, one interception (5 rushing yards).
Middle-rounders
Carson Beck, Arizona Cardinals (Round 3, No. 65)
Why he fits in Arizona: Beck is a traditional pocket passer with a high floor and experience in multiple schemes but is best when allowed to be a quick distributor from under center. His decisiveness and accuracy are A-level traits, making him an ideal fit in Mike Lafleur’s offense. Beck has limited arm strength, but with players including Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. to target, Beck has the ability to shine as a point guard-type quarterback. — Reid
When he could get on the field: Beck could see time at any point of the upcoming season. While it’s not likely, there is potential for him to be the Week 1 starter. If that doesn’t happen, Beck could be thrust into the lineup at any point; midseason if the Cardinals struggle out of the gate or November/December if the season is lost. If Arizona falls out of playoff contention, don’t be surprised if the team throws him out there to see what it has entering the 2027 draft. While starting Week 1 is a long shot, there’s a distinct possibility of Beck playing at any point from Week 2 on. — Josh Weinfuss
What Carson Beck brings to the Cardinals
What Carson Beck brings to the Cardinals
Drew Allar, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 3, No. 76)
Why he fits in Pittsburgh: The selling point for Allar is what he could eventually be if a coach can improve his footwork and accuracy issues to match the rest of his tools. Playing under Mike McCarthy puts Allar under the watch of a QB developer whose scheme caters to his skill set. Allar’s mechanics will need to be restructured, though; he becomes unsteady under pressure, with erratic decision making in big moments. The Steelers have plenty of leeway to reshape Allar’s game. There’s exciting long-term potential if Pittsburgh can make the fixes that Penn State couldn’t. — Reid
When he could get on the field: Much of Allar’s situation is contingent on Aaron Rodgers’ impending decision. If Rodgers returns as expected, Allar likely won’t see the field except for the preseason and injury fill-in spots during the 2026 campaign. But it would benefit the Steelers to get Allar game experience to see what they have entering a 2027 draft which should be stronger at quarterback. Allar will join 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard as developmental players vying to be Rodgers’ backup — if the 42-year-old quarterback returns. If he doesn’t? Then all bets are off. — Brooke Pryor
Cade Klubnik, New York Jets (Round 4, No. 110)
Why he fits in New York: Klubnik entered the 2025 season with high hopes but had a disappointing senior season. He’s a streaky passer whose performances are based heavily on how fast he starts games. When protected, Klubnik is a steady distributor who makes consistent throws to all levels, but his game breaks down into erratic, head-scratching decisions when unsettled. The Jets have a lot around him, with young bookend tackles (Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu), along with skill position threats such as RB Breece Hall, WRs Garrett Wilson and Omar Cooper Jr. and TEs Kenyon Sadiq and Mason Taylor. There’s more than enough for Klubnik to excel in Frank Reich’s offense. — Reid
When he could get on the field: Without a proven backup on the roster, Klubnik will share backup reps this offseason and has the opportunity to make a move. The Jets want to give him as much work as possible, with coach Aaron Glenn saying “we want to push the envelope with that player.” In all likelihood, Klubnik will make the 53 as the QB3 behind Geno Smith and Brady Cook. But if he’s on the field this season, that means something went terribly wrong for the Jets. — Rich Cimini
Cole Payton, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 5, No. 178)
Why he fits in Philadelphia: Payton made a huge surge during the predraft process and ended up making the middle rounds. Even though he started only one season in college, Payton is a true dual-threat passer who has plenty of intriguing tools. He’s an excellent deep thrower but needs to develop more consistency on short-to-intermediate throws. The Eagles have done well with passers with similar skill sets in the past (see: Jalen Hurts) and Payton is a versatile passer who can be used in the designed QB run game. — Reid
When he could get on the field: The Eagles’ QB room is crowded, with Payton joining Hurts, Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton. General manager Howie Roseman has suggested he’s not opposed to keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster. If that’s the case, Payton will start out well down the depth chart. He has drawn some Taysom Hill comparisons and in theory could be deployed in short-yardage situations (tush push?) or as part of a play-design wrinkle to keep defenses off-balance. That’s Payton’s quickest route to playing. Otherwise, his time will be dedicated to developing behind the scenes. — Tim McManus
Late-rounders
Taylen Green, Cleveland Browns (Round 6, No. 182)
Why he fits in Cleveland: Green is a create-a-player type option who has boom-or-bust potential. He has all the tools to succeed, including blazing speed (4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash), but is still a highly inaccurate thrower. New coach Todd Monken’s offense historically consists of a lot of under-center snaps and heavy personnel sets, and Green offers a different skill set than the Browns’ other QBs because of his ability to create out of structure. A lot of development is needed, but a sound plan could result in massive payoff down the road. — Reid
What will be his role? Green should spend his rookie season developing behind the scenes. GM Andrew Berry said Green has “rare physical gifts” but also said he is “going to need some polish with his game.” Berry and Monken did not dismiss the possibility of creating a package of plays for Green to take advantage of his athletic skills, but that would likely be the extent of his Year 1 playing time. — Daniel Oyefusi
Athan Kaliakmanis, Washington Commanders (Round 7, No. 223)
Why he fits in Washington: Kaliakmanis is one of the smartest passers in this year’s draft. He has the accuracy and decision-making combination to be a long-term depth filler. He completed 62.2% of his passes last season and wastes little time with getting the ball out of his hands. He has gained considerable experience with the types of passing concepts that will be asked of him in the NFL. — Reid
What will be his role?Jayden Daniels is the runaway No. 1 QB, Marcus Mariota the clear No. 2. Kaliakmanis enters after that, as he must unseat Sam Hartman for the No. 3 job. Hartman struggled last preseason and Washington clearly views Kaliakmanis as someone who can win the job. He is also a good fit in new coordinator David Blough’s play-action system. The question is whether Kaliakmanis is able to develop into a No. 2 option, but we’ll have to wait a couple years to answer that. — John Keim
Behren Morton, New England Patriots (Round 7, No. 234)
Why he fits in New England: A quick processor with a loose throwing motion, Morton displayed plenty of flashes during his Texas Tech career. His most comfortable throws are made when he’s allowed to attack down the field. That fits well in Josh McDaniels’ Patriots offense, which aggressively seeks big plays. Morton’s bold mentality when making deep passes is why the Patriots spent a seventh-round pick on him. — Reid
What will be his role?Drake Maye and Tommy DeVito are locked into the top two spots on the depth chart, so Morton currently projects as the No. 3. But would he be on the 53-man active roster or the practice squad? If Morton shines in the preseason, the Patriots wouldn’t want to risk another team making a waiver claim to prevent him from making the practice squad. And if Morton really stars in the preseason, perhaps he could challenge DeVito for the No. 2 role, but that isn’t the current expectation. — Mike Reiss
Garrett Nussmeier, Kansas City Chiefs (Round 7, No. 249)
Why he fits in Kansas City: Nussmeier’s fall was one of the draft’s biggest surprises, as there were scouts who thought he could be this year’s QB3. Nussmeier is a daring anticipatory passer who plays in rhythm and makes a lot of jaw-dropping throws when protected. That type of mentality translates well into an Andy Reid offense that will require him to make downfield throws and squeeze passes consistently over the middle of the field. — Reid
What will be his role? Nussmeier should consider this his redshirt rookie season. The Chiefs see plenty of potential in him as the future long-term backup to Patrick Mahomes. But with Justin Fields on the roster this season, Nussmeier’s role is one where he should listen to Reid, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Mahomes and Fields and take notes for 2027 and beyond. Those lessons, and a yearlong plan to improve his skills and strengthen his body, should allow Nussmeier to be in the mix to be Mahomes’ backup in 2027. — Nate Taylor
