Brian Kelly Names 3,500-Yard QB Who Will Thrive in the NFL

Former LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly named the best player at every position during the NFL draft. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly Names 3,500-Yard QB Who Will Thrive in the NFL

Originally posted on CFB-HQ on SI | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Apr 25, 2026 9:45 AM ET

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Brian Kelly has seen a lot of quarterbacks. After building programs at Notre Dame and LSU, the CBS Sports college football analyst knows what it takes to play the position at the next level.

In a recent CBS Sports social media post, Kelly was asked to pick one player at each position who would thrive as an NFL pro after being selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Kelly went with Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, the Indiana signal-caller who became the No. 1 overall pick when the Las Vegas Raiders selected him Thursday night in Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old led the Hoosiers to a national championship after a 3,535-yard season highlighted by 41 touchdown passes along with seven more on the ground.

Why Kelly believes Mendoza is the right call

Mendoza threw for more than 3,500 yards last season while leading Indiana to one of the most surprising college football runs in recent memory. Kelly acknowledged the decision wasn't entirely clean, noting that Alabama's Ty Simpson "is a guy that can definitely do it as well."

Fernando Mendoza got the standing ovation Tom Brady was welcomed with when he first entered #Raiders HQ as an owner.

Red carpet treatment for the No. 1 pick with franchise greats there to greet him. pic.twitter.com/ZgGGxydC8f
— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) April 24, 2026

But in the end, Mendoza's production and the scale of what he accomplished at Indiana was enough to land him at the top of Kelly's board. The Raiders made a similar calculation, making Mendoza the first quarterback taken first overall since 2021.

Kelly's full roster of future pros

Beyond Mendoza, Kelly's selections painted a picture of just how loaded this draft class was from top to bottom.

He tabbed Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love at running back, praising Love's ability to choose his spots, noting he "brings a speed package and the ability to decide whether he wants contact or not." Love validated that take by going third overall to Arizona.

32 minutes of Jeremiyah Love highlights for no particular reason pic.twitter.com/B0TELzDhjS
— Justin Graver (@titansfilmroom) April 23, 2026

At wide receiver, Kelly pointed to Carnell Tate, who landed with the Titans at No. 4. For tight end, Kelly went with Eli Stowers of Vanderbilt, calling it a deliberate departure from the obvious choices.

On the offensive line, Kelly loved Francis Mauigoa's versatility, and on defense, he cited Cashius Howell's SEC Defensive Player of the Year award as reason enough to trust him off the edge.

He rounded out his list with Clemson's Peter Woods at defensive tackle, LSU's Mansoor Delane at corner and Ohio State's Caleb Downs at safety, praising Downs for his "football IQ, toughness and leadership."

Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, covering rounds four through seven, gets underway today at noon ET in Pittsburgh on ESPN and NFL Network.

This article first appeared on CFB-HQ on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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