No position in the NFL is as important as the quarterback.
Perhaps that’s why Fernando Mendoza has been the foregone conclusion for months to be the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, this year will almost certainly mark the fourth straight year a quarterback goes first overall, and the 22nd time in the last 29 drafts since Peyton Manning went No. 1 in 1998.
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REQUIRED READING: NFL mock draft 2026: How AI picks compare to expert predictions for Round 1
Of course, this year’s class has a drastic fall-off after Mendoza, making the Las Vegas Raiders’ draft position even more valuable. However, with an immediate need at quarterback, the Raiders are heavily expected to select Mendoza rather than sell the pick.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is the favorite to be the second signal-caller selected, but it’s unknown if he will be selected in Round 1 or become a Day 2 selection. After that, it’s anyone’s guess, with LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Arkansas’ Taylen Green and Miami’s Carson Beck behind the Crimson Tide quarterback.
Here’s a look at the quarterbacks selected in the 2026 NFL Draft:
1 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Quarterbacks headline early evaluations for the 2026 NFL Draft as teams begin sorting the best available prospects at the position.
See the college quarterbacks drawing attention as draft boards take shape ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Above, Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers reacts after a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks during the fourth quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.
1 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Quarterbacks headline early evaluations for the 2026 NFL Draft as teams begin sorting the best available prospects at the position.
See the college quarterbacks drawing attention as draft boards take shape ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Above, Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers reacts after a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks during the fourth quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.
2 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Ty Simpson of the Alabama Crimson Tide scrambles during the first quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2026, in Pasadena, California.
3 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Garrett Nussmeier of the LSU Tigers drops back to pass against the Baylor Bears during the first half in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on December 31, 2024, in Houston, Texas.
4 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Cade Klubnik of the Clemson Tigers warms up during the first half of a football game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 29, 2025, in Columbia, South Carolina.
5 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Drew Allar of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts after a touchdown against the UCLA Bruins during the fourth quarter at Rose Bowl Stadium on October 04, 2025, in Pasadena, California.
6 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Miami’s Carson Beck throws during the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
7 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green passes during the third quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
8 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Colorado Buffaloes linebacker LaVonta Bentley #20 tackles North Dakota State Bison quarterback Cole Payton #9 in the first half at Folsom Field.
9 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Luke Altmyer of the Illinois Fighting Illini throws a pass against the Western Illinois Leathernecks during the first half at Memorial Stadium on August 29, 2025, in Champaign, Illinois.
10 / 10
See the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft
Diego Pavia of the Vanderbilt Commodores makes adjustments prior to the snap during the second quarter of the game against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 01, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
Quarterbacks selected in 2026 NFL Draft
This section will be updated.
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2026 NFL Draft rankings: Quarterbacks
Here’s a look at how USA TODAY Sports’ draft expert Ayrton Ostly ranked the top quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft:
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2026 NFL Draft quarterbacks
Here’s a look at all the QBs eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, in no particular order:
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Cole Payton, North Dakota State
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NFL Draft QB live picks tracker, updates
