NFL executives voice concerns about QBs in 2026 NFL Draft class

At this time last year, many members of the football community repeatedly predicted that the 2026 NFL Draft class would yield significantly more top-tier quarterback prospects than the 2025 class. 

Fast-forward to November 2025, and it seems some NFL executives have been discouraged by what they've observed from college quarterbacks during the fall. 

Are there no franchise quarterbacks in 2026 NFL Draft class?

"Nobody is playing the position well enough to be like, 'That dude can take over my franchise,'" one unnamed NFL executive told The Athletic's Jeff Howe about college quarterbacks in a piece published on Friday. 

Heading into Week 11 of the NFL season, the Tennessee Titans (1-8), New Orleans Saints (2-8), New York Giants (2-8), New York Jets (2-8), Cleveland Browns (2-7) and Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) were among the teams near the bottom of the league standings that could be looking for a first-round quarterback in the spring. 

New Orleans rookie Tyler Shough has only made two starts so far, so it's too early to determine his potential as a pro. Tennessee's Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart of the Giants have shown promise, but both teams will have new full-time head coaches before the NFL Scouting Combine. These coaching staffs could fall for a different rookie early next year — or maybe not. 

"I don’t love any of [the quarterbacks] right now," a second executive told Howe about the 2026 draft class. "We’re trying to grasp onto somebody because there isn’t anybody, and it’s such a flavor of the week. Good luck right now."

Is history repeating itself for quarterback-needy teams?

In January, several front-office employees said that all six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2024 draft were better than the prospects in the 2025 class. ESPN stats show that Ward started Friday ranked last among qualified players in the NFL with a 24.4 adjusted QBR for the season. While Dart has played well with the Giants, he is currently sidelined with a concussion and has been evaluated for head injuries four times since the preseason. 

In 2026 mock drafts updated at different points in November, three different CBS Sports personalities had Indiana's Fernando Mendoza as the top quarterback selected. Only Blake Brockermeyer predicted that LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina would be drafted first overall if the draft were held now. 

"Overall, we were hoping it was going to be better than last year," a third executive told Howe about the quarterback prospects. "There was a hangover from such a good class two years ago. There were more projected (quarterbacks) coming into this year, but the expectations of the higher-end players never really materialized. Some of the younger guys are leaning toward going back because they haven’t played well and are making the (name, image and likeness) money."

There's still plenty of time for at least one college quarterback to quiet the doubters before the end of January. However, it appears that general managers expecting multiple franchise saviors in the 2026 draft might be disappointed.