2026 NFL Draft Confidential: Unfiltered Scouting Takes on Top 5 QBs

Now is not a good time for NFL teams in need of a franchise quarterback. The 2026 draft class is thin. The scouts are mostly unimpressed. And some are already counting down the days until the 2027 draft when a half-dozen QBs could end up with first-round grades. However, for teams that need help now, the cupboard isn’t completely empty. There are some good quarterbacks in this class if teams look hard enough. You can expect a number of clubs to do so, given that at least a handful of them are still looking for a long-term answer at QB. The outlook for 2026 might need a little more time, patience and care. “There are 3 or 4 guys in this class who I think will have good NFL careers,” one scout told me. “Do I think any of them will be great? No. They’re not can’t-miss prospects. But there’s talent there if you know what to do with it.” So, who are the quarterbacks who could be “good”? I spoke to seven scouts to get their thoughts on the top five in the class: what they like about them, what they need to work on and where they might end up. 5. Drew Allar, Penn State Expectations were high for Allar heading into the 2025 season, but he struggled early and then broke his left ankle in mid-October. It made for a disappointing end to a strange college career that never quite reached the heights many expected for a guy with such obvious physical tools. He was good as a junior (3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns, 8 interceptions in 16 games), but regressed as a senior (1,100 yards, 8 touchdowns, 3 interceptions in six games). The injury only complicated his outlook. He finished with 26 starts in college. Draft range: rounds 3-4. “If a quarterback his size is still sitting there at the start of Day 3, someone is going to jump (to trade for him),” one scout told me. Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 228 pounds Scout takes: “My overall assessment is he’s good, but he probably should have been better. He has great size and I love his arm (strength). His mobility is good. Its accuracy is good, but inconsistent. jumped (as a junior) when they opened the playbook for him. But a guy that big who can throw like that? A lot of teams will want a piece of that. … If his career was a straight line, he could be a first rounder based on his talent and potential. Professional lineup: Josh Allen, Joe Flacco. “Same general scouting report as these guys (coming out of college): big body, big arm, but one irregular arm,” one scout told me. “If he gets it, he’s got Pro Bowl upside. If he doesn’t get it, he’s Drew Lock.” Greatest strength: size. Every scout I spoke with praised his size and strength, and big size can really count for an NFL quarterback. “If you find a guy that big who can really play, you’re set for a really long time,” one scout told me. The biggest question mark: accuracy, or lack thereof. He completed just 59.9 percent of his passes in his sophomore year. That number increased to 66.5% as a junior, as did his interceptions (from 2 to 8). Then, as a senior, his completion percentage dropped to 64.8 percent and he was picked off three times in his six games. “They were everywhere,” one scout told me. “This is concerning since the sample size was large.” Best fit: Los Angeles Rams. “They’re so loaded they can afford to shoot him on the second day,” one scout told me. “He would be a great deal for Sean McVay. There is so much talent, but he needs to be coached properly. Watch McVay turn him into a Pro Bowler in 3-4 years.” 4. Carson Beck, Miami He had his sights set on entering the 2025 draft, but after a rough season and needing surgery on a torn UCL in his right elbow, he decided to transfer to Miami and give it another year. He was outstanding for the Hurricanes, completing 72.4 percent of his passes for 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and leading them on an improbable run to the CFP Finals. He started three full years between Georgia and Miami, totaling 11,239 yards, 82 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He started 43 games in college. Draft range: rounds 3-4. “He’s a Day 3 guy,” one scout told me, “but the lack of quarterbacks gives him a chance to make Day 2.” Height/weight: 6-5, 233 Scout Takes: “He has the look of a classic pocket passer, big and strong. When he sets and throws, the ball jumps out of his hands. It was even better before his elbow surgery. He didn’t have the same jump last season, and maybe he won’t return. But that’s still his gift. He doesn’t move well and when things aren’t planned, he’s not the same. Last year was a big step forward for him mentally. He looked like he was getting better control of his offense and making better decisions. But his throws weren’t the same. He gets a lot of passes at the line of scrimmage, but it’s still weird. Mac Jones, Kenny Pickett. Neither one was a perfect comparison and Jones wasn’t under as much pressure in Alabama. pocket passers who can wilt when the pass rush comes in. “The good thing about these guys is they can play like Eli Manning,” one scout told me, “but they can’t deal as well as him.” Biggest strength: Arm strength and pocket presence, his arm isn’t what it used to be, but he can still pull the ball far and throw it hard. is comfortable in the pocket: Playing under pressure When the pass rush throws him off his schedule, things can go wrong quickly. “His decision-making when pressed isn’t always good,” one scout told me, “and the zip on his fastball can disappear, too.” one scout told me. “But the Lions offense is the one he needs, with a solid running game and a good line.” Another scout added: “Look what Kyle Shanahan did for Mac Jones. (Beck) is the same type of player. And (Shanahan) doesn’t need his quarterbacks to run. NFL Scouting Combine. He still threw for 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions in nine starts. But that was a far cry from his 2024 season – 4,052 yards, 25 touchdowns, 12 interceptions. He made 23 starts in college. that he was No. 1 in the class at the start of the season. He’s usually pretty accurate. But the injury took away everything. But guys who play like that also make really big mistakes… If that injury was as bad as he says, that shows a lot of toughness to play there. Two scouts mentioned the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft. all areas,” one scout told me. “But the style of play was the same.” Another scout added: “You have to go back a long way, but you know who I really think of when I see him? Tony Romo. There’s a lot of talent there. You just have to master it.” Biggest strength: His arm. He may not have the strongest arm in the draft, but one scout told me he “can make big throws from different arm angles.” Another scout added: “He thinks he can make every throw, because he probably can.” Biggest question mark: Questionable decision-making, sometimes. That’s the boom-or-bust reality of a ” gunslinger.” As one scout told me: “He likes to take risks. It’s good. But it doesn’t always work. You have to live with that with guys like him.” Best fit: Pittsburgh Steelers. “He looks like (Mike) McCarthy’s type of quarterback,” one scout told me. “He’s not on the same level as (Aaron) Rodgers or (Dak) Prescott, but the style and ability to play on the move is the same.” The Steelers, of course, need a franchise quarterback to prepare for when (or if) Rodgers, 42, retires. Additionally, Garrett’s father, Doug, was McCarthy’s quarterbacks coach in Dallas for three seasons. 2. Ty Simpson, Alabama He bucked the transfer trend of that era and stayed at Alabama for four years, waiting for his turn to play. His patience finally paid off when he earned the starting job last season and was very good on a CFP team, completing 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and just five. interceptions. He also carried ‘Bama through a tough schedule, before fading down the stretch He also made just 15 career starts in college Draft Range: Low in the first or second round Height/weight: 6-1, 211 Scout takes: “Damn, does he need another year (in college). has a starter and can take the time to work with him, he has the tools to be good. He thinks he can make every throw, but he can’t… He’s tough and doesn’t like to give up a play. But he’ll run into trouble trying to figure it out. prospect (than Purdy),” one scout told me, “but the fact is he has the tools, and if the right guy develops him, he’ll be good.” Biggest strength: His accuracy. Scouts told me he doesn’t seem to make many mistakes in his decisions and ball placement, and that’s not easy against SEC defenses. Scouts also highlighted his four-week streak against Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee, all ranked in the top 16 at the time. Simpson averaged 267 passing yards and threw nine touchdowns and just one interception during that stretch, while Alabama went 4-0. “It was a tough time,” one scout told me, “and he was a big time.” Biggest question mark: He’s inexperienced “You just can’t find a lot of successful quarterbacks in the NFL who. have only had 15 college starts,” one scout told me. “That’s a huge risk.” Best fit: Arizona Cardinals. Several scouts have noted that Simpson would be a good fit for the Rams, which would make him the same for new Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur, the former Rams offensive coordinator. However, they wouldn’t take him at No. 3 overall, so they should consider moving back in the first round, probably in the 20 first, or hope he falls to them at 34th A dormant possibility: The Steelers at 21st, since Mike McCarthy knows the QBs and Aaron Rodgers can’t play forever 1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Winner in. Heisman Trophy title and national champion, he is coming off a fairytale season. In his lone season with the Hoosiers, after transferring from Cal, he threw for 3,535 yards and completed 72% of his passes in 16 games, throwing 41 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He also rushed for 276 yards and seven touchdowns. He is the light cream of this cream. Draft Range: Presumed No. 1 overall pick (Las Vegas Raiders) Height/weight: 6-5, 236 Scout takes: “He’s by far the best quarterback in this class, but it’s not a good class. He would have been third (among QBs) last year and probably fifth or sixth (in 2024). … He’s a great kid and a strong leader. he’s going to play (in the NFL), but his teammates seem to want to follow him… He’s so smart and so precise. He can really thread the needle. If you give him time, he can take down a defense. But that’s the key. He can’t move… He needs to be behind a strong offensive line. Pro competition: The three names that popped up the most were Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins ​​​​and Matt Ryan – smart pocket passers with limited mobility. “Goff had a better arm,” one scout told me. “Mendoza is more accurate than Goff (in college), though. And he’s a much better prospect than Cousins, but the style is similar.” His biggest strength: his accuracy and intelligence. Scouts raved about the way he placed his throws in perfect spots, demonstrating a remarkable ability to read defenses and the intentions of his receivers. That made up for what many told me was “average” arm strength. The biggest question mark: his ability to moving around in the pocket and creating plays off schedule. His completion percentage dropped last season to 53.2 percent outside the pocket and doesn’t show the same arm strength when he’s not ready, one scout told me Overall, though one scout told me, “This might be the worst pick for him.” I’d love to see what a guy like (Vikings coach Kevin) O’Connell could do with him.”