The over/under on available franchise quarterbacks entering the 2026 NFL Draft was probably around 1½ – though Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay is most definitely taking the over … just don’t tell league MVP Stafford. Please.
Yet all told, despite the perceived deficit of high-grade passers on the board this year – and with a bumper crop seemingly forming ahead of the highly anticipated 2027 draft – 10 signal-callers ultimately heard their names called prior to this draft’s conclusion on the evening of April 25.
How well do this year’s rookie quarterbacks ultimately dovetail with their new employers? Let’s rank all 10 by fit, from best to worst:
2026: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana - Las Vegas Raiders2025: Cam Ward, QB, Miami (Fla.) - Tennessee Titans2024: Caleb Williams, QB, USC - Chicago Bears2023: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama - Carolina Panthers2022: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia - Jacksonville Jaguars2021: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson - Jacksonville Jaguars2020: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU - Cincinnati Bengals2019: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma - Arizona Cardinals2018: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma - Cleveland Browns2017: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M - Cleveland Browns2016: Jared Goff, QB, Cal - Los Angeles Rams2015: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State - Tampa Bay Buccaneers2014: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina - Houston Texans2009: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia - Detroit Lions2008: Jake Long, OT, Michigan - Miami Dolphins2007: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU - Oakland Raiders2004: Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss - San Diego Chargers (traded to New York Giants)2003: Carson Palmer, QB, USC - Cincinnati Bengals2002: David Carr, QB, Fresno State - Houston Texans2001: Michael Vick, QB, Virginia Tech - Atlanta Falcons2000: Courtney Brown, DE, Penn State - Cleveland Browns1999: Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky - Cleveland Browns1998: Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee - Indianapolis Colts1997: Orlando Pace, OT, Ohio State - St. Louis Rams1996: Keyshawn Johnson, WR, USC - New York Jets1995: Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Penn State - Cincinnati Bengals1994: Dan Wilkinson, DT, Ohio State - Cincinnati Bengals1992: Steve Emtman, DT, Washington - Indianapolis Colts1991: Russell Maryland, DT, Miami - Dallas Cowboys1990: Jeff George, QB, Illinois - Indianapolis Colts1989: Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA - Dallas Cowboys1988: Aundray Bruce, LB, Auburn - Atlanta Falcons1987: Vinny Testaverde, QB, Miami - Tampa Bay Buccaneers1986: Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (did not sign, later joined Los Angeles Raiders)1985: Bruce Smith, DE, Virginia Tech - Buffalo Bills1984: Irving Fryar, WR, Nebraska - New England Patriots1983: John Elway, QB, Stanford - Baltimore Colts (traded to Denver Broncos)
1 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832026: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana - Las Vegas Raiders1 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832026: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana - Las Vegas Raiders2 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832025: Cam Ward, QB, Miami (Fla.) - Tennessee Titans3 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832024: Caleb Williams, QB, USC - Chicago Bears4 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832023: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama - Carolina Panthers5 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832022: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia - Jacksonville Jaguars6 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832021: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson - Jacksonville Jaguars7 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832020: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU - Cincinnati Bengals8 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832019: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma - Arizona Cardinals9 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832018: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma - Cleveland Browns10 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832017: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M - Cleveland Browns11 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832016: Jared Goff, QB, Cal - Los Angeles Rams12 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832015: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State - Tampa Bay Buccaneers13 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832014: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina - Houston Texans14 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832009: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia - Detroit Lions15 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832008: Jake Long, OT, Michigan - Miami Dolphins16 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832007: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU - Oakland Raiders17 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832004: Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss - San Diego Chargers (traded to New York Giants)18 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832003: Carson Palmer, QB, USC - Cincinnati Bengals19 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832002: David Carr, QB, Fresno State - Houston Texans20 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832001: Michael Vick, QB, Virginia Tech - Atlanta Falcons21 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19832000: Courtney Brown, DE, Penn State - Cleveland Browns22 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831999: Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky - Cleveland Browns23 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831998: Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee - Indianapolis Colts24 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831997: Orlando Pace, OT, Ohio State - St. Louis Rams25 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831996: Keyshawn Johnson, WR, USC - New York Jets26 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831995: Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Penn State - Cincinnati Bengals27 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831994: Dan Wilkinson, DT, Ohio State - Cincinnati Bengals28 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831992: Steve Emtman, DT, Washington - Indianapolis Colts29 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831991: Russell Maryland, DT, Miami - Dallas Cowboys30 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831990: Jeff George, QB, Illinois - Indianapolis Colts31 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831989: Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA - Dallas Cowboys32 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831988: Aundray Bruce, LB, Auburn - Atlanta Falcons33 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831987: Vinny Testaverde, QB, Miami - Tampa Bay Buccaneers34 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831986: Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (did not sign, later joined Los Angeles Raiders)35 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831985: Bruce Smith, DE, Virginia Tech - Buffalo Bills36 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831984: Irving Fryar, WR, Nebraska - New England Patriots37 / 37No. 1 NFL draft picks since 19831983: John Elway, QB, Stanford - Baltimore Colts (traded to Denver Broncos)
Whether or not he is actually the best player in this draft is immaterial. Whether or not his potential maxes out at a Matt Ryan-adjacent ceiling – and, hey, Matty Ice was a league MVP – is immaterial. Mendoza may not be John Elway or Peyton Manning, but the position he plays rendered him the presumptive top pick of this draft from the moment the calendar flipped to 2026. And the Silver and Black have been desperate for stability behind center since the 2022 organizational decision to pull the plug on Derek Carr – and even he never managed to notch the playoff victory Raider Nation has awaited for more than 23 years. Mendoza’s ability and demeanor – un-Raider-y as he is compared to, say, Kenny Stabler – seem just about optimal as GM John Spytek continues to rebuild this operation around him. And having veteran Kirk Cousins on hand, reasonably allowing Las Vegas to slow-track Mendoza into the QB1 role, is another plus.
USA TODAY Sports’ NFL draft guru, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, deemed Beck a "lottery ticket." That’s probably about right, though Beck might pay off handsomely. His extensive college experience – 43 starts against mostly topflight competition – is impressive and potentially valuable. He’s not yet 18 months removed from UCL surgery, so his arm could conceivably generate more RPMs in the future – 49ers QB Brock Purdy certainly recovered nicely from a similar procedure. NFL Network chief draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah even compared Beck to former Cards QB Carson Palmer, high praise indeed. Indoor home games are ideal for most quarterbacks, so Beck should like Arizona’s football environs … though he might not enjoy facing NFC West defenses all that much. Regardless, this is a golden opportunity for him and the Cardinals, who might find they have a really good player on their hands – and can easily cut bait a year or two down the road if not.
Big guy (6-5, 228), big arm, team player. But the whole was too often much, much less than the sum of the parts at Penn State, inconsistent accuracy and anticipation among the factors hindering Allar – though his vexing stay in Happy Valley, an ankle injury ending it prematurely in 2025, also coincided with a lack of offensive weaponry to help him. New Steelers HC Mike McCarthy knows a thing or two about developing QBs, and Allar and second-year passer Will Howard could earn a lot of reps this spring for however long Aaron Rodgers stays away. It remains to be seen how close Allar can get to reaching his potential, wherever its ceiling is. But apprenticing under McCarthy and Rodgers with little expectation he’d have to play meaningful games any time soon is about as good a situation as Allar could have hoped for.
A strong arm, sub-4.4 speed, and a 6-foot-6, 227-pound frame? Green has highly uncommon physical traits for the position. He also needs to improve his accuracy while accruing more experience – so critical to the advanced decision-making he also needs to hone. Lucky for Green that he’ll be playing for first-year HC Todd Monken, who’s fresh off coaching perhaps the ultimate dual threat in Lamar Jackson. (Like Jackson, Green has been adamant he wants to play quarterback and isn't inclined to entertain a positional switch.) And who knows? If neither Shedeur Sanders nor Deshaun Watson gets an ironclad grip on the starting job this season, maybe Green gets an audition for a franchise that’s clearly weighing its options as it tries to find the right passer for a roster that’s quickly shaping up as formidable otherwise.
The Clemson prodcut also had a disappointing 2025 campaign after it once appeared he might have first-round potential in the wake of lofting 36 TD passes in 2024, when he also did a lot more damage with his legs. Yet the smallish Klubnik (6-2, 207) can distribute the ball effectively, and the Jets suddenly appear to have a lot more pop offensively in this draft’s aftermath. And with no obvious backup for stopgap QB1 Geno Smith, Klubnik could find himself getting an opportunity to play at some point this season for a team still in search of a long-term answer at field general – maybe two long-term answers, but not if Klubnik can at least assert himself as the primary backup.
1. Las Vegas Raiders – QB Fernando Mendoza, IndianaThe first round of the 2026 NFL Draft brings franchise‑defining moments as teams make their selections from the top of the board.See how picks 1 through 32 came off the clock as the next generation of NFL talent enters the league.
Kansas City Chiefs (from Browns) − CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
Washington Commanders − LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
New Orleans Saints − WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Cleveland Browns (from Chiefs) − OL Spencer Fano, Utah
Giants (from Cincinnati Bengals) − OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
Dallas Cowboys (from Dolphins) − S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Miami Dolphins (from Cowboys) − OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) − QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
Tampa Bay Buccaneers − DE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)