2026 Nfl Draft Qb Tracker Which Prospects Could Be Answers For Jets

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 15, 2025, 4:51 AM

2026 nfl draft qb tracker which prospects could be answers for jets

Fernando Mendoza threw for 87 yards and the game-winning TD on Indiana's final drive Saturday. Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images As always, the NFL has QB-needy teams and QB-desperate teams. And, yes, there is a difference. We’ll start with those franchises that figure to be desperate heading into the offseason, as they’re more likely to use an early draft pick on a quarterback. Teams we’d consider on that list: New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and, possibly, the New Orleans Saints (depending on how the rest of this season goes for Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler) or Miami...

On the “needy” list: Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams and, maybe, Arizona Cardinals. All four of those teams currently have No. 1 quarterbacks, but their long-term outlooks are cloudy. Thanks in part to their trade-deadline work, the Jets have more flexibility than any other team in the league. With five first-round picks over the next two years, New York could wait to address its QB problem until 2027. Or, the franchise could pursue an established veteran via trade.

The Browns, Rams and Cowboys (who shouldn’t need a new quarterback anytime soon) also have multiple first-round picks in ’26. There's a misconception floating around about the 2026 NFL Draft. Before this college season kicked off, Texas' Arch Manning, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier were widely viewed as the top eligible quarterback prospects. Those three haven't quite met the early expectations, which has some people jumping to the conclusion that this is a "weak" QB class. In reality, the rise of Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (my QB1 back in May), Alabama's Ty Simpson and Oregon's Dante Moore has reshaped the board. All three still have remaining eligibility and could theoretically return to school in 2026, but in today's thought exercise, they come off the board quickly -- just not at No.

1 overall. Four teams enter the first round with multiple picks, while just as many have none. The Browns and Rams dealt away theirs in separate draft-day moves a year ago, and the Jets and Cowboys moved on from Quinnen Williams and Micah Parsons, respectively. To set the stage, here are the current odds to be the No. 1 overall pick (via FanDuel Sportsbook). Reminder: This is the current NFL draft order after Week 10 (via Tankathon).

The rising importance of the 2026 NFL Draft for several teams came into focus after last week's trade deadline. With the New York Jets having dealt cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, there are now four NFL teams that have multiple first-round picks in April. And with the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants having already fired their head coaches, several fan bases are probably ready to close the book on this season and enter offseason mode. But with the first-round order still shifting significantly week to week, there's still ample time for team's draft fortunes to rise or fall. With that said, here's USA TODAY Sports' latest first-round projection and 2026 NFL mock draft: There's a strong possibility for Tennessee to possess the No.

1 pick in consecutive years after the Saints' and Browns' victories left the Titans as the only one-win team remaining. And that creates a bit of a mystery atop the order. An organization that's yet again rebooting would clearly stand to benefit from trading back and stockpiling more early selections to support Cam Ward. Yet this quarterback class doesn't seem particularly conducive to drumming up a bidding war for this choice. If Tennessee does end up in the slot and stands pat, it could supercharge its defense with Reese. Though he operates as a linebacker for the Buckeyes, the 6-foot-4, 243-pounder has Micah Parsons-like movement abilities that could be best put to use in a full-time edge rushing role.

The Titans could pair him with Jeffery Simmons to create one of the league's most formidable inside-outside tandems and then use the rest of the draft – and free agency – to focus on... A franchise with a decades-long habit of being trigger-shy when it comes to selecting quarterbacks might be hard-pressed to go this route, especially if Tyler Shough continues to exhibit the promise he displayed in... But unless the second-round rookie firmly establishes himself as New Orleans' answer at the position in the back half of the season, Mendoza might be massively alluring. The Heisman Trophy front-runner now also figures to be the favorite to be the first quarterback taken, with his game-winning drive against Penn State highlighting resiliency and a knack for operating out of structure... The 6-5, 225-pounder is the kind of precise thrower who could allow Kellen Moore to launch a new era for the organization in earnest. The NFL season is past its halfway point, as the NFL trade deadline has passed for the 2025 season.

The college football season is nearing the playoffs, while the NFL playoff picture is also coming into focus. Which means, it's starting to become clear which teams need to think about what they want to do in the 2026 draft. With a remixed order and the top prospects in flux, here's Sporting News' third set of first-round projections for what will go down next April 23 in Pittsburgh: MORE: Where Fernando Mendoza, other QBs rank in 2026 NFL Draft reset (No. 1-18 order courtesy of Tankathon; No.

19-32 from Week 9 playoff picture) 11/11/25: After Alabama’s rough start to the year in a loss to Florida State, Simpson has been superb, leading the Crimson Tide to eight straight wins. In 2025, Simpson has completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,461 yards with 21 touchdowns, an interception, and two rushing touchdowns. Simpson has shown some serious arm talent, making some beautiful throws downfield with superb ball placement to beat tight coverage. In tight games, Simpson made some great passes to lead his team to wins over Georgia and Missouri. Simpson is accurate, smart, has a strong arm, and throws with timing and anticipation.

Simpson has shown superb ball security this season as well, with only one interception. If Simpson stays consistent, he could be a high first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft. <> 11/11/25: Mendoza has completed 71 percent of his passes for 2,342 yards with 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has three rushing touchdowns as well.. Of the 2026 quarterback prospects, Mendoza could be the most pro-ready. He has a quality arm, reads the field well, makes good decisions, and has dangerous pocket passing ability.

Mendoza played well for Cal in 2024. He completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,004 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. Mendoza has good size, and it will be interesting to see how he develops at Indiana. 11/11/25: Moore has been a dynamic point-producer for the Ducks in 2025, making plays with his arm and legs. In 2025, Moore has completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,884 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. Moore is a dangerous quarterback who is tough to defend.

In 2023 with UCLA, Moore completed 54 percent of his passes for 1,610 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Moore has a good arm and can throw some beautiful passes deep down the field. Moore has a lot of talent and upside, but against Indiana, Moore struggled. He showed that he needs to improve his processing speed and was holding the ball too long, leading to taking unnecessary sacks. 11/11/25: Mateer has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,949 yards with eight touchdowns, seven interceptions, and five rushing touchdowns. After having hand surgery, Mateer was expected to miss a month but was only out for 17 days.

After rushing back, Mateer had a horrible game against Texas, throwing three bad interceptions and taking some bad snaps. 2026 NFL Draft Prospects (Oct. 16, 2025) (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In 2025, only two quarterbacks were selected in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft — just a year after six passers went in the first round of the 2024 showcase. The 2026 NFL Draft’s QB class could look a lot similar to the group two years prior.

The potential energy is there, but the onus is on the players to reach those aspirations. From high-upside tools to breakout production, and to oft-anticipated legacy prospects, there’s an abundance of storylines surrounding the 2026 NFL Draft QB class. Arch Manning is the headliner, but even he might not have as good a case for No. 1 as Cade Klubnik, LaNorris Sellers, or Fernando Mendoza. How do they rank right now? Let’s dive in.

Some way-too-early 2025 NFL Draft boards had Carson Beck ranked ahead of Cam Ward. Now, Ward is the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, and Beck has transferred to Miami to try to rebuild his stock — hoping to follow Ward’s blueprint. After a highly efficient 2023 season, Beck was viewed as a potential early-round QB with size, a strong arm, and quality accuracy. But a rocky 2024 exposed his athletic and creative limitations and brought regression in both decision-making and ball placement. The physical prototype is still intact, but Beck is primarily a pocket passer who still needs to refine his mental game.

Without dynamic creation ability to fall back on, Round 1 is a long shot for now — but a rebound in 2025 could put him back on the Day 2 radar.

2026 Nfl Draft Qb Tracker Which Prospects Could Be Answers For Jets

People Also Search

Fernando Mendoza Threw For 87 Yards And The Game-winning TD

On The “needy” List: Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los

The Browns, Rams And Cowboys (who Shouldn’t Need A New

1 Overall. Four Teams Enter The First Round With Multiple

The Rising Importance Of The 2026 NFL Draft For Several