{"id":610517,"date":"2026-04-16T10:41:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T10:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/610517\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T10:41:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T10:41:15","slug":"fernando-mendoza-ty-simpson-and-not-much-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/610517\/","title":{"rendered":"Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson and Not Much Else"},"content":{"rendered":"

NFL draft tracker: Teams needs, prospects, latest news polls<\/a> and more<\/a><\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL draft<\/a> once offered a variety of flavors and options atop the quarterback class. Now, much like last year, there\u2019s a clear frontrunner and a wealth of question marks.<\/p>\n

Indiana\u2019s Fernando Mendoza remains a shoo-in to be the draft\u2019s No. 1 pick and future signal-caller for the Raiders. But several of the candidates<\/a>, who last summer appeared likely to join Mendoza in the top 32 picks, battled<\/a> through inconsistent, if uninspiring, performances this past fall.<\/p>\n

Still, there are intriguing developmental options and a few seasoned passers who project as backups to comprise a class that, beyond Mendoza and Alabama\u2019s Ty Simpson, likely won\u2019t feature any additional picks in the first two rounds.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at the draft\u2019s top 10 quarterbacks on Sports Illustrated\u2019s big board.<\/p>\n

1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, IndianaSI Top 250 ranking: No. 1<\/p>\n

Mendoza has every tool to be a franchise quarterback. At 6′ 5″ and 236 pounds, he has a strong arm with the ability to hit hole shots and push the ball downfield, and he\u2019s accurate to all parts of the field. Mendoza graduated from Cal-Berkeley in three years, and he\u2019s as smart on the field as off it\u2014he reads and processes information quickly. He\u2019s a quality athlete who can extend plays and scramble when necessary. Mendoza\u2019s decision-making and accuracy dwindled under pressure, but he led several clutch drives while guiding Indiana to the national championship.<\/p>\n

2. Ty Simpson, QB, AlabamaSI Top 250 ranking: 35<\/p>\n

Through the season\u2019s first two months, Simpson looked the part of a Heisman Trophy candidate and potential QB1. A multitude of factors\u2014injuries, health and facing quality defenses in high-profile games\u2014inspired a second-half downfall, but he had a solid predraft process and positioned himself to be a first-round pick. When he\u2019s protected and in rhythm, Simpson is accurate and capable of hitting tight windows and throwing receivers open. Simpson is a timing-based passer whose anticipation generated flashes of elite ball placement, but teams will have to weigh which version of his 2025 film is his true self.<\/p>\n

3. Carson Beck, QB, MiamiSI Top 250 ranking: 90<\/p>\n

Forever a contentious subject after a rocky four-year college career spanning stops at Georgia and Miami, the 6′ 5″, 233-pound Beck resurrected his draft stock last fall. Beck has a solid arm, and he\u2019s accurate enough to hit tight-window throws. He doesn\u2019t have elite physical tools\u2014more average across the board than anything\u2014and his decision-making and footwork have long struggled under pressure. Beck projects best as a backup.<\/p>\n

4. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSUSI Top 250 ranking: 100<\/p>\n

Nussmeier had a disappointing 2025 season, dropping him from potential first-round consideration. At his best, Nussmeier is an aggressive, strong-armed passer who can fearlessly thread tight windows, but he didn\u2019t do enough of that last fall. He was more timid, less explosive and generally ineffective. Nussmeier has experienced several lapses in decision-making, but he has quality instincts in the pocket, solid mechanics and enough tools to eventually be a starter\u2014but he\u2019ll need significant coaching to get the job done.<\/p>\n

5. Drew Allar, QB, Penn StateSI Top 250 ranking: 124<\/p>\n

Allar entered 2025 with first-round aspirations, and then had an underwhelming campaign before an ankle injury ended his season after six starts in 2025. The 6′ 5″, 228-pound Allar looks the part, and he has a strong arm with enough movement skills to shift and slide within the pocket. Allar has captivating flashes of ball placement, but he proved too inconsistent with his accuracy, and he didn\u2019t stretch the field too often at Penn State. He struggled in big games and never fully put the pieces together in Happy Valley, but he has traits that teams covet.<\/p>\n

\"North<\/p>\n

Former North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton projects as a late-round pick. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

6. Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota StateSI Top 250 ranking: 153<\/p>\n

An intriguing FCS quarterback with a strong left arm and big-time athleticism, Payton projects as a developmental quarterback with a chance to play other positions. At 6′ 3″ and 232 pounds, Payton ran a 4.56 40-yard dash, had a 40-inch vertical jump and rushed for 31 career touchdowns. Payton\u2019s mechanics and accuracy can be sporadic, and he misses too many throws he shouldn\u2019t. However, his blend of size, arm talent and athleticism creates a quality ceiling\u2014and he\u2019ll enter the NFL in a mold similar to Taysom Hill.<\/p>\n

7. Taylen Green, QB, ArkansasSI Top 250 ranking: 193<\/p>\n

Green is a classic Day 3 developmental quarterback with a lofty ceiling. The 6′ 6″, 227-pound Green is one of the best athletes, bar none, in the class. He timed a 4.36 40-yard dash and jumped 43 \u00bd inches in the vertical, and he\u2019s a long strider who eats grass in the open field. Green is a bit of a frustrating passer\u2014his accuracy is inconsistent, his field vision and processing are hit-or-miss and his game poise proved lackluster at Arkansas. But if nothing else, his physical tools warrant a selection.<\/p>\n

8. Cade Klubnik, QB, ClemsonSI Top 250 ranking: No. 199<\/p>\n

Klubnik entered 2025 with first-round buzz but fell short of expectations. He lacks elite physical tools, but he\u2019s solid in several aspects. Klubnik is athletic and relatively twitchy in short quarters, and he has a smooth, repeatable throwing motion. His ball placement within structure is good, and he\u2019s mobile enough to extend plays and shift the pocket. Klubnik isn\u2019t an elite postsnap processor, and his accuracy falters when the pocket muddies around him, but he has a solid floor and should be a backup at the next level.<\/p>\n

9. Sawyer Robertson, QB, BaylorSI Top 250 ranking: 209<\/p>\n

Big and athletic at 6′ 4″ and 216 pounds, Robertson finished top 10 in the FBS in passing yards and touchdowns last season\u2014but also in interceptions. He has a strong right arm and can make plays with his legs in scramble scenarios, and he can spread the ball around at a high clip. Robertson\u2019s accuracy, anticipation and timing need to get significantly better to keep an NFL offense on schedule, but his tools may get him drafted.<\/p>\n

10. Luke Altmyer, QB, IllinoisSI Top 250 ranking: N\/A<\/p>\n

A three-year starter at Illinois who spent his first two years at Ole Miss, the 6′ 2″, 210-pound Altmyer was twice an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. Altmyer is an accurate passer who is athletic enough to extend plays. His game is predicated on timing and rhythm, and he can pick defenses apart when given time, but his protection struggled at Illinois, and he needs to get the ball out quicker. Altmyer is a fine arm talent, and he\u2019s experienced enough to sneak onto a roster as an asset in a quarterback room.<\/p>\n

More NFL draft from Sports Illustrated\"\"Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NFL draft tracker: Teams needs, prospects, latest news polls and more The 2026 NFL draft once offered a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":610518,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[64,63,593,85],"class_list":["post-610517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=610517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/610518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=610517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=610517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=610517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}