2026 NFL Draft: ESPN shakes up Top 12 QB rankings following NFL Combine

While Mendoza is the unquestioned No. 1 QB, Simpson is quickly cementing his place as the second quarterback off the board following a strong Combine performance in Indianapolis. Simpson turned heads early in his lone season as Alabama’s starter before falling off as the year went on. Still, the 23-year-old finished with 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns on 64.5% passing in 2025.

ESPN: “Simpson elected to throw at the combine and helped himself after a disappointing finish to last season. He displayed good zip on passes in the intermediate areas, but what really stood out was his touch on deeper throws down the field.”

3. Garrett Nussmeir, LSU

The son of longtime NFL offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, Garrett Nussmeier lands at No. 3 on Reid’s list as a likely Day 2-3 selection following a disappointing 2025 season in Baton Rouge. After breaking out with more than 4,000 passing yards in 2024, Nussmeier regressed some with just 1,927 yards in nine games before injuries sidelined him for the final three games of 2025.

ESPN: “Many evaluators feel that Nussmeier has the profile of a middle-to-late round prospect who has the talent, awareness and mentality to stay in the league for more than a decade as a backup and eventually develop into a spot starter.”

4. Carson Beck, Miami

Once considered the No. 1 quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, a lackluster 2024 season coupled with late-season injury led Beck to transfer to Miami for his final collegiate season. That move paid off as the former Georgia QB led the ‘Canes to last year’s College Football Playoff national title game with 3,813 passing yards and 30 touchdowns to secure a place as a likely Day 2-3 selection.

ESPN: “[Beck] is a balanced pocket passer who wants to methodically dissect and deliver against defenses. His game is centered around accuracy and decisiveness, so he wastes little time getting the ball out and remains synchronized with progressions.”

5. Drew Allar, Penn State

At 6-foot-5 and 228-pounds, the former Penn State passer is the prototype NFL quarterback with great size and arm strength. And he has elite experience after starting 35 of his 45 career games in college. But after making positive strides as a junior, Allar’s stock fell after a broken ankle cut his senior year short as he threw for 1,100 passing yards and eight touchdowns on 64.8-percent passing.

ESPN: “He’s an above-average intermediate passer who isn’t afraid to test tight windows and can accurately hit routes in between the numbers. He exhausts progressions and delivers to targets, and he has more than enough arm strength to succeed at the next level.”

6. Cole Payton, North Dakota State

Payton is the latest in a line of talented Bison QBs that have the ability to impress at the next level. As Reid’s No. 6 QB, the FCS quarterback is a likely late Day 2 or early Day 3 selectio. The 6-foot-3 Payton earned All-American status after a record-setting senior season in which he combined for 3,496 yards and 29 total touchdowns in his lone year as the Bisons’ QB1.

ESPN: “Payton is an excellent downfield passer, as his strong base, touch and feel help him deliver drop-in-the-bucket passes. Designed QB runs and short-yardage situations are successful with him because of his vision and willingness to fight through and shrug off would-be tacklers.”

7. Taylen Green, Arkansas

Another big-bodied quarterback, Green flashed his elite athleticism and natural skill as both a runner and passer with one of the more impressive Combine performances on record. The 6-foot-6, 228-pound Green turned heads in Indianapolis with a 4.36-second 40 to go along with a 43.5-inch vertical jump and a 11-foot-2 broad jump, and could be an early Day 3 selection.

ESPN: “He has shown the ability to make explosive plays with both his arm (14 completions of 20-plus air yards) and his legs. He will likely be a popular middle-round target for teams looking to develop a toolsy passer with upside.”

8. Luke Altmyer, Illinois

Another quarterback with a wealth of playing experience, Altmyer went 23-12 in three seasons as the Fighin’ Illini’s starter. That included a breakout senior season in which Altmyer posted career highs with 3,007 passing yards and 22 touchdowns on 67.4% passing in 2025.

ESPN: “Altmyer is a true point guard who gets the ball out in a hurry, spreads it around and is a swift processor of opposing defenses. He does a great job identifying breakdowns or holes in defenses, and his 8.0% off-target percentage was the eighth lowest in the FBS.”

9. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

The 22-year-old Klubnik amassed more than 10,000 passing yards and 90 total touchdowns in four years at Clemson. Despite that production, which included a career-high 3,639 passing yards and 36 scores in 2024, Klubnik went 26-13 over the past three years as the Tigers’ QB1, including just 7-6 in 2025.

ESPN: “Klubnik has stretches of hot and cold play throughout games, similar to a streaky 3-point shooter. … His mechanics tend to wane when facing pressure, and his accuracy becomes scattershot. Klubnik completed only 48.5% of his passes when facing true pressure.”

10. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor

After battling injuries through much of his career, Robertson finally played a full season in 2025 and made the most of it. The the 6-foot-4, 216-pound Baylor product produced a career year after throwing a Big Ten-leading 3,681 yards and 31 touchdowns on 60.3% passing last season and could be a late-round pick.

ESPN: “Robertson is a quick, decisive decision-maker who gets the ball out in a hurry. He knows where his options are in passing concepts and shows a willingness to throw the ball to any accessible receiver, no matter where he is on the field.”

11. Joe Fagnano, UConn

The experienced Huskies quarterback enters the NFL as a rare seven-year graduate senior who spent three years at UConn. That included a breakout senior season in which he threw for 3,448 yards and 28 touchdowns to just one interception on 69-percent passing in 2025.

ESPN: “Fagnano is a mechanically sound passer whose eyes, feet and throwing motion are routinely in sync. He shows comfort with scanning through full-field reads. He understands his limitations and opts to make the right throw.”

12. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

The 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up almost single-handedly transformed Vanderbilt into contenders as one of the top dual-threat QBs in the college the past two years. That included posting an SEC-leading 338.5 total yards per game after combining on 4,401 yards and 39 touchdowns in 2025.

ESPN: “At just under 5-foot-10, QBs of Pavia’s size hardly ever last in the NFL as late-round selections. His stature makes him an extreme outlier, which could take him off some teams’ draft boards.”