The 2026 NFL draft is right around the corner, as it kicks off April 23 in Pittsburgh. With the predraft circuit nearly complete, it's time to officially lock in my quarterback rankings. Who are the best passers on the board?
I've identified every quarterback who has a good chance to be drafted. This list goes 12 deep and includes info I've obtained in my conversations with scouts and front office personnel over the past year-plus. I'll go through the strengths and weaknesses of all 12 quarterbacks, updates on each passer's draft stock and give the best team fit for each guy.
Let's get to it and stack the 12 best QBs in the 2026 class.
Jump to: Day 2 picks | Day 3 picks
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 236 pounds Class: Redshirt junior | Projected range: Round 1
Best team fit: Las Vegas Raiders
Where he excels: There always seems to be a quarterback who quickly surges from Day 2-3 consideration before the season into early Round 1 (see Jayden Daniels and Cam Ward). Mendoza fills that role in this class. He transferred to Indiana last offseason after spending his first three seasons at Cal. There was plenty of buzz from scouts about Mendoza last summer, but many wanted to take a wait-and-see approach prior to the 2025 season. He delivered, finishing with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and only six interceptions to win the Heisman Trophy and lead the Hoosiers to their first national championship.
Attaching isolated or singular routes behind run-game concepts has been beneficial for Mendoza, who is comfortable with reads that put single defenders in conflict. He has a fiery, three-quarters throwing release, making Mendoza's mechanics and the Hoosiers' passing game an ideal marriage. His 79.2% adjusted completion percentage ranked second in the country. He was also phenomenal in the red zone last season, with his 27 touchdowns (without an interception) being the most in the FBS, three ahead of Duke's Darian Mensah.
Toughness and overcoming in-game adversity are two of Mendoza's hallmark traits. He helped lead the Hoosiers to a Week 7 road win at Oregon, pieced together an 80-yard, game-winning drive at Penn State, and overcame Ohio State in a physical Big Ten championship game in which he was temporarily knocked out of the game early. He capped everything off with a gutty touchdown run for the game-winning points in the College Football National Championship game against Miami. It's as good of a résumé that a quarterback prospect can have from an adversity and toughness standpoint. That's why Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to be picked by the Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick.