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2026 NFL Draft QB Rankings: CFN’s College Football Perspective
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- 2026 NFL Draft QB Rankings: CFN’s College Football Perspective
Last year's quarterback crop was relatively deep, even if Cam Ward
was a bit too rich as a No. 1 overall pick. This year is the opposite, with a superstar about to almost certainly go at the one, and not a lot to love after Fernando Mendoza
.
Next year, though, is when we'll have a whole ton of quarterback fun with Arch Manning
( Texas
), Dante Moore
( Oregon
), CJ Carr
(Notre Dame), LaNorris Sellers
( South Carolina
), Julian Sayin
( Ohio State
), Darian Mensah
(Miami), and Trinidad Chambliss
(Ole Miss) leading the pack.
From the college football perspective - doing this since 1998 - here are CFN's 2026 NFL Draft Quarterback rankings.
At a Glance: CFN Top 2026 NFL Draft QBs
- Fernando Mendoza ( Indiana
) – Projected No. 1 Overall
- Carson Beck
(Miami) – Best Value
- Ty Simpson
( Alabama
) – The call of the draft
- Garrett Nussmeier
( LSU
) – Mid-round prospect
- Taylen Green
( Arkansas
) – Top Sleeper
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass against the Oregon Ducks during the third quarter of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Top 10 Quarterback Rankings: CFN's 2026 NFL Draft Outlook
CFN 2026 Position Previews
RBs
| WRs
| TEs
| OTs
| OGs
| Cs
Edge/DEs
| DTs
| LBs
| CBs
| Safeties
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Best of the Rest Quarterbacks
(In alphabetical order, with the projected draft round in parentheses) Joey Aguilar ; Tennessee (6); Jalon Daniels , Kansas (7/FA); Joe Fagnano , UConn (7/FA); Diego Pavia , Vanderbilt (6); Sawyer Robertson , Baylor (6)
Haynes King
College: Georgia Tech
CFN QB Rank:10
Projected Draft Round:6
Height/Weight:6-2, 212
2025 Stats:69.8%, 2951 yards, 14 TD, 6 INT, 185 carries, 953 yards, 15 TD
A fighter, he doesn't have the tools, but he's mobile and has all the intangibles.
Cade Klubnik
College:Clemson
CFN QB Rank:9
Projected Draft Round:6
Height/Weight:6-2, 207
2025 Stats:65.6%, 2,943 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT, 83 carries, 94 yards, 4 TD
An elite talent who never turned into the next Clemson superstar quarterback, he'll get a long look, but there's nothing special at an NFL level.
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Drew Allar
College: Penn State
CFN QB Rank:8
Projected Draft Round:4
Height/Weight:6-5, 228
2025 Stats:64.8%, 1100 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT, 36 carries, 172 yards, 1 TD
There's a chance he's the rare quarterback who takes off in the NFL once he's turned loose and can let it rip.
Luke Altmyer
College: Illinois
CFN QB Rank:7
Projected Draft Round:6
Height/Weight:6-2, 210
2025 Stats:67.4%, 3007 yards, 22 TD, 5 INT, 100 carries, 242 yards, 5 TD
He'll be a career backup, but he'll always be ready to step in for a game or three.
Cole Payton
College:North Dakota State
CFN QB Rank:6
Projected Draft Round:4
Height/Weight:6-3, 232
2025 Stats:70%, 3188 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT, 136 carries, 777 yards, 13 TD
Huge, mobile, and productive at the FCS level, he'd got all the tools to be a good camp option with upside.
Sep 13, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Arkansas Razorback quarterback Taylen Green (10) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Taylen Green
College:Arkansas
CFN QB Rank:5
Projected Draft Round:6
Height/Weight:6-6, 227
2025 Stats:60.7%, 2714 yards, 19 TD, 11 INT, 139 carries, 777 yards, 8 TD
The Arkansas offense was great with Green under center. He can run, has the arm, and is an elite athlete with tremendous upside.
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Garrett Nussmeier
College:LSU
CFN QB Rank:4
Projected Draft Round:3
Height/Weight:6-2, 203
2025 Stats:67.4%, 1927 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT, 29 carries, -57 yards, 1 TD
He's too small and doesn't move enough, but the guy can throw the stuff out of the ball.
Ty Simpson
College:Alabama
CFN QB Rank:3
Projected Draft Round:1
Height/Weight:6-1, 211
2025 Stats:64.5%, 3567 yards, 28 TD, 5 INT, 90 carries, 93 yards, 2 TD
Polished, he can move an offense if he's kept clean, but he's missing the size and the raw tools.
Carson Beck
College:Miami
CFN QB Rank:2
Projected Draft Round:3
Height/Weight:6-4, 225
2025 Stats:72.4%, 3813 yards, 30 TD, 12 INT, 62 carries, 43 yards, 2 TD
Boom or bust, he might not have the same arm strength, but he's got the experience, the size, and he's an unappreciated winner.
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Fernando Mendoza
College:Indiana
CFN QB Rank:1
Projected Draft Round:1 (first overall)
Height/Weight:6-5, 225
2025 Stats:72%, 3,535 yards, 41 TD, 6 INT, 90 carries, 276 yards, 7 TD
It's a one-quarterback draft, and he's a good one. Mendoza is ready right out of the box with the right size, good mobility, and toughness to handle the pressure of being the No. 1 overall pick - which he most certainly will be.
While he's the ultimate leader and doesn't have any massive flaws, he was helped by a slew of bulldog receivers who ran peerless routes and attacked every ball. But all of that is nitpicking. He'll be a franchise-making starter for the next ten years.
Best Value Prospect
Carson Beck, Miami
It was forgotten over the last few years that Beck looked like a budding No. 1 overall pick coming off the 2023 season.
He had an okay 2024 at Georgia, got hurt in the SEC Championship, and the draft community soured. He transferred to Miami, led the team to the College Football Playoff National Championship appearance, and came within an underthrow of making things very, very interesting late.
Size, experience, and poise - it's all there. The arm might not be quite the same as it was before he hurt it, and there are a few interception meltdowns across his career, but in a bad draft for quarterbacks, he's a decent Day Three option.
Oct 17, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) throws the football against the Louisville Cardinals during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Top Sleeper Prospect
Taylen Green, Arkansas
Again, it's not a great draft for quarterbacks, so why not take a shot for the stars?
Green's passing is just okay, but the 6-6, 227-pounder is smooth as silk on the move - he has sub-4.4 wheels. Take him on Day Three, work on his release and accuracy, and at worst, create packages for him to get him on the run.
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Will Go Too Early
Ty Simpson, Alabama
We wouldn't be talking about him at all if Oregon's Dante Moore chose to come out, but in a quarterback-starved draft, he'll be a need pick for someone who needs an idea for the position.
He's a technically solid passer, but there's nothing there that screams franchise-making starter. However, he only has one full season under his belt, and there is upside as a backup who'll get time to grow into a role.
CFN 2026 Position Previews
QBs
| RBs
| WRs
| TEs
| OTs
| OGs
| Cs
Edge/DEs
| DTs
| LBs
| CBs
| Safeties
CFN has covered every NFL Draft prospect from a college perspective since 1998.
Related: 2026 NFL Draft RB Rankings: CFN's College Football Perspective
This story was originally published by College Football News on Apr 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL Draft section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
