The 2026 NFL Draft is set to take place on from April 23 through 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick.
Championship-winning Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is already the talk of the draft, and pretty much every draft projection has him going to the Raiders.
But, Mendoza isn’t the only strong quarterback in his draft class. Other college football names of interest for the 2026 draft include Ty Simpson of Alabama, Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss, Garrett Nussmeier of LSU and Carson Beck of Miami.
Now, however, Mendoza’s quarterback class is getting a surprising projection, in that he may be the only quarterback to hear his name called out in the first round.
In a feature published on Thursday, February 12, Rob Rang of Fox Sports begs the question, “Will Fernando Mendoza be the lone quarterback selected in the first round?”
He has Mendoza going first to the Raiders, and then the next quarterback isn’t picked until the second round.
“Incoming head coach Klint Kubiak was surely lured to Las Vegas by the opportunity to land the consensus top quarterback of this class. Unlike recent No. 1 overall selections, Mendoza does not necessarily have to start immediately,” he adds. “The Raiders, of course, still have veteran Geno Smith, who, like Mendoza, is a clean schematic fit in Kubiak's offense.”
Rang continues, “Smith’s presence should allow Kubiak and the Raiders the increasingly rare opportunity to truly prepare Mendoza for the NFL, rather than rush him onto the field. The Heisman Trophy winner and national champion has the prototypical build, all the intangibles and enough physical traits to ultimately become a star in the NFL.”
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Honestly, though, what are the chances that Smith gets benched for Mendoza during the season? They could be pretty good.
In a January piece for ESPN, Jordan Reid has Simpson as the No. 2 quarterback in the draft class. He projects him to go either late in the first round or early in the second.
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“Simpson’s pocket maneuverability is among the best of any passer in this year’s class. He is also an underrated athlete who can make things happen outside of structure,” he notes. “Of his 30 total touchdowns this season (28 passing, two rushing), seven came when Simpson was outside of the pocket. He’s savvy with recognizing and adjusting to pre-snap looks.”
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