The 2026 NFL Draft QB class, from can’t-miss studs to deep sleepers
USA TODAY Sports' Christian D'Andrea breaks down the top quarterback studs, sleepers and deep sleepers in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Video Transcript
The 2026 NFL Draft is nearly upon us.
We know who the stud in this year's class is gonna be, a quarterback.
Let's talk about Fernando Mendoza, and a sleeper, and a remcycle star behind him.
Now, Mendoza's gonna work out great for the Las Vegas Raiders.
I'll give you two reasons why.
Number one is his sideline throws.
These are the throws that cover a lot of ground, but where perfect placement beats perfect coverage.
Mendoza excelled at those.
A big reason why he excelled at those.
Number two, he does a great job establishing a rapport with his receivers.
He didn't have a lot of lead-in time in Bloomington, but he still connected with his Hoosier teammates instantly.
He knows how to get the ball out to his guys before they even break out of their routes.
It's a big deal, and it's going to translate on Sundays.
Our sleeper, Clemson's Cade Klubnick, a mobile quarterback who reduces mistakes.
Yes, he can get flustered quite a bit, and he can make bad decisions, but only 12 interceptions the last two seasons, so he doesn't put the ball in harm's way too badly.
There's a little bit of Baker Mayfield to his game.
Finally, our remcycle star, unfortunately not my guy, Diego Pavia, but North Dakota State's Cole Payton.
Yes, this guy is an elite athlete, four five forty speed, six foot three, twelve plus yards per attempt in his lone season as a starter with the Bison.
It ended poorly, but this is a guy with incredible athleticism and efficiency as well.
He's gotta prove it against tougher competition.
But worst case scenario, you're spending your day three pick on a guy who has some serious Taysom Hill upside.
