Meet the QBs in the 2026 NFL draft class: Strengths, weaknesses for 22 intriguing prospects

After lone two first-round picks astatine backmost successful the 2025 NFL draft, the 2026 NFL draft is expected to person a batch much breathtaking options. Several already basal retired -- Cade Klubnik (Clemson), LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), Drew Allar (Penn State) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) leap to caput -- and that doesn't adjacent see ballyhooed Texas sophomore Arch Manning, who has started conscionable 2 assemblage games.

While Manning mightiness enactment successful assemblage until 2027, I'm going to radical him successful with the apical 22 draft-eligible passers below. I'll besides reply a mates of questions astir NFL teams that mightiness beryllium taking a agelong look astatine these signal-callers. Players successful each conception are listed successful alphabetical order.

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Top names to know

Drew Allar, Penn State

Height: 6-5 | Weight: 238
Class: Senior

Where helium excels Allar experienced a leap successful his improvement successful 2024, expanding his completion percent from 59.9% successful 2023 to 66.5%. The big, prototypical pouch passer excelled nether first-year violative coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, throwing for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. His upper-tier limb spot gives him the assurance to trial challenging throwing windows successful intermediate areas. He besides has capable mobility for his size to flight defenders successful the pocket.

Where helium needs work: While Allar's completion percent made a large leap, his shot placement was inactive inconsistent. He excessively often puts the shot connected the incorrect enarthrosis and his throws tin beryllium excessively precocious oregon excessively debased connected what should beryllium casual completions. His show against top-ranked teams has besides been woefully inconsistent. Scouts volition beryllium watching him intimately against Oregon (Sept. 27) and Ohio State (Nov. 1). Penn State is the top-ranked squad successful ESPN's post-spring Way-Too-Early Top 25, but it volition request Allar to play amended successful showcase games to unrecorded up to that billing.

Carson Beck, Miami

Height: 6-4 | Weight: 220
Class: Sixth-year senior

Where helium excels: Beck was regarded arsenic a campaigner to beryllium the No. 1 wide prime successful 2025 but had a disappointing last play astatine Georgia, throwing for 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He present has a accidental to revive his banal at Miami, which conscionable produced the No. 1 pick successful April's draught successful Cameron Ward. Beck is simply a rhythmic passer who plays good erstwhile helium gets into an aboriginal groove. He gets the shot retired successful a hurry and is simply a existent distributor who tin dispersed the shot astir the field.

Where helium needs work: Beck experiences unsmooth stretches with accuracy, particularly erstwhile helium isn't crisp early. Last year's Alabama game perfectly encapsulated Beck's inconsistency, arsenic helium threw 2 interceptions portion completing 47% of his first-half passes. Then, helium turned it astir with 339 passing yards and 3 touchdowns successful the 2nd fractional to pb a near-comeback. He was a roller coaster successful 2024, but there's a crushed galore evaluators had him arsenic the QB1 entering past season. Miami's discourtesy has Air Raid principles, which should accent his gifts arsenic a passer.

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Carson Beck's champion plays of the play for Georgia

Take a look astatine Carson Beck's champion plays of 2024 for Georgia aft announcing his volition to participate the transportation portal.

Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 210 pounds
Class: Senior

Where helium excels: Klubnik entered 2024 with question marks aft a unsmooth sophomore play but emerged arsenic a star, finishing with 3,639 passing yards and 36 touchdown passes to lone six interceptions. He's capable to repetition his mechanics and support his eyes, feet and throwing question successful sync portion going done his progressions. Klubnik saved his champion crippled of the play for the archetypal circular of the College Football Playoff, throwing for 336 yards and 3 touchdowns against Texas. He should beryllium acceptable up for occurrence successful 2025, arsenic Clemson returns its apical 3 receivers. That's a large crushed wherefore helium was the No. 1 prime successful my Way Too Early 2026 mock draft.

Where helium needs work: Scouts astir the league I've talked to person raised concerns astir Klubnik's limb spot and whether helium tin physique connected his 2024 success. Questions astir his limb aboveground erstwhile he's forced to trial choky windows successful underneath sum and with his inconsistent trajectory connected heavy passes. Klubnik averaged lone 8.56 aerial yards per passing effort successful 2024, ranking 58th successful the FBS. He indispensable beryllium much assertive and consenting to situation sum successful intermediate and heavy areas.

Sam Leavitt, Arizona State

Height: 6-2 | Weight: 210
Class: Redshirt sophomore

Where helium excels: Leavitt was a revelation past play aft transferring from Michigan State, passing for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions portion starring the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff. He's a calm and poised passer whose 80 QBR was the 10th-best complaint successful the FBS. Leavitt ever seems to beryllium successful power and consistently makes the close play from the pocket. He's astatine his champion successful play-action, arsenic helium tin crook his backmost to the defence and reset his eyes to marque throws.

Where helium needs work: Leavitt has lone 13 vocation starts, truthful the illustration size is comparatively small. He tends to beryllium excessively bouncy successful the pouch and needs to beryllium much accordant successful taking options that are disposable to him aboriginal successful progressions. He'll besides look a batch much unit this season, with prima moving backmost Cam Skattebo disconnected to the NFL and the Sun Devils not being a sleeper squad anymore aft their league rubric win. Leavitt volition beryllium counted connected arsenic the catalyst of Arizona State's offense.

Arch Manning, Texas

Height: 6-4 | Weight: 222
Class: Redshirt sophomore

Where helium excels: Manning has started conscionable 2 assemblage games, throwing for 583 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions successful those starts. He has a well-put-together frame, allowing him to debar defenders successful the pouch and bounce disconnected tacklers successful unfastened abstraction arsenic a runner. Manning has a picture-perfect basal and creaseless transportation arsenic a passer. He doesn't person overmuch acquisition successful that department, arsenic Texas utilized him chiefly arsenic a runner successful 2024, but his prototypical physique and carnal tools were evident connected portion and springiness him immense potential. He volition beryllium nether the tutelage of 1 of the country's champion QB developers successful Steve Sarkisian, but Manning's deficiency of acquisition makes him much apt to beryllium successful the 2027 draught people astatine the earliest.

Where helium needs work: Manning has lone 95 vocation passing attempts, truthful his illustration size is tiny and much improvement is necessary. He had a wont of sticking to his superior work excessively agelong successful his starts, starring to mediocre decision-making. He volition request to amended his timing successful getting done progressions and knowing erstwhile to determination disconnected his archetypal read. He could besides usage his mobility overmuch much connected non-designed QB runs to assistance drawstring unneurotic affirmative plays. He'll beryllium tested connected these things early, arsenic the Longhorns start the season astatine defending nationalist champion Ohio State.

John Mateer, Oklahoma

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 224
Class: Redshirt junior

Where helium excels: Mateer joins the Sooners aft 3 seasons astatine Washington State. He broke retired successful 2024, finishing with 3,139 passing yards and 29 touchdowns to lone 7 interceptions. He's an assertive playmaker who has each sorts of funky releases, allowing him to reposition his assemblage and inactive get the shot retired effectively. He has casual limb spot and isn't hesitant to marque far-hash throws. Mateer is simply a fierce rival and an highly effectual runner connected scrambles and designed QB runs, rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns past season. He represents a wide upgrade for an Oklahoma discourtesy that struggled mightily successful 2024.

Where helium needs work: Thanks to Washington State's schedule, Mateer was capable to get distant with atrocious habits successful the pouch that won't alert successful the SEC. He tends to beryllium a tick dilatory connected reads, relying connected his limb powerfulness to alleviate tardiness successful his progressions. The limb overconfidence besides leads to him passing up easier shallow reads for much challenging deeper throws. He'll beryllium tested against a docket featuring 8 SEC schools and a Week 2 nonconference game against Michigan. If helium passes with flying colors, Mateer could ascent draught boards quickly.

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Height: 6-5 | Weight: 225
Class: Redshirt junior

Where helium excels: Mendoza arrives astatine Indiana aft being the hub of Cal's discourtesy successful 2024, throwing for 3,004 passing yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions. He has a snappy merchandise that helps the shot travel retired of his manus with plentifulness of life. Mendoza is simply a precise passer who puts the shot successful the due spot for his receivers, arsenic evidenced by his FBS-best 5.1% off-target percent past season. He is effectual throwing from wrong oregon extracurricular the model of the offense, ranking ninth successful the FBS with a 91.1 QBR connected throws extracurricular of the pocket. He besides excels astatine identifying and attacking advantageous one-on-one sum situations.

Where helium needs work: Mendoza's escapability and effectiveness throwing from extracurricular the pouch tin pb to him being impatient and breaking the pouch prematurely. He needs to person much patience successful letting concepts unfold, particularly present that helium volition look upgraded defenses successful the Big Ten. But Indiana's discourtesy is eerily akin to what helium operated astatine Cal, giving Mendoza a accidental to beryllium a breakout campaigner successful 2025.

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

Height: 6-2 | Weight: 200
Class: Fifth-year senior

Where helium excels: Nussmeier was up and down successful his archetypal play arsenic a starter aft replacing Jayden Daniels, throwing for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The lad of Saints violative coordinator Doug Nussmeier, Garrett has a steadfast grasp of antiaircraft structures and coverages. He has the astir jaw-dropping item portion of immoderate QB successful the class, arsenic helium routinely delivers the shot to wherever his targets are expected to be. He besides has a flexible arm, which allows him to change his limb slots portion maintaining accuracy.

Where helium needs work: Nussmeier's assurance and daredevil mentality tin sometimes backfire. Though helium doesn't get sacked often (his 2.9% sack percent was the 12th lowest successful the FBS), helium tin beryllium careless with the ball, particularly against amended defenses. He had 3 games of 2 oregon much interceptions against ranked teams successful 2024. A batch of these mistakes hap erstwhile helium is flushed from the pocket, wherever his decision-making indispensable improve.

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Garrett Nussmeier launches a 41-yard dime to Chris Hilton Jr. for an LSU TD

Chris Hilton Jr. catches a 41-yard propulsion from Garrett Nussmeier to pad the Tigers' lead.

LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

Height: 6-3 | Weight: 242
Class: Redshirt sophomore

Where helium excels: Sellers is simply a toolsy, explosive dual-threat passer who completed 65.6% of his passes for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns. On the ground, helium rushed for 674 yards and 7 touchdowns past season. He tin easy propulsion to each level of the tract and his compact, beardown framework makes him a crippled changer connected designed QB runs. Sellers' unsocial spot and imaginativeness successful the pouch allows him to marque plays successful unfavorable situations. Many of his apical highlights past play were the effect of him avoiding and shaking disconnected tacklers. His earthy ability, tools, younker (he's 20 years old) and projected ascension are selling points teams are consenting to stake connected aboriginal successful the draft.

Where helium needs work: The discourtesy Sellers ran past play was a simplistic substance of mesh concepts, pre-snap reads and an occasional spell route. He threw 27.4% of his passes astatine oregon down the enactment of scrimmage, which ranked 92nd successful the FBS. Along with expanding his knowing and advancement of concepts, Sellers needs to instrumentality amended attraction of the ball. He had 11 fumbles (six lost) past season. He besides needs to marque decisions quicker -- his 3.06-second mean clip to propulsion was the 11th-slowest successful the country.

Best of the rest

Rocco Becht, Iowa State

Becht was dependable arsenic a third-year sophomore successful 2024, throwing for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns with 9 interceptions. The lad of erstwhile NFL choky extremity Anthony Becht has a abrupt over-the-top merchandise that fits perfectly successful a Cyclones discourtesy that chiefly operates successful 10 and 11 unit sets. The 6-1, 210-pound Becht doesn't person the carnal tools of different passers successful the class, but helium is accordant successful keeping his eyes down the tract and tin marque pugnacious throws with unit successful his face.

Aidan Chiles, Michigan State

Chiles transferred to Michigan State from Oregon State anterior to the 2024 season. He passed for 2,415 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with the Spartans and has an explosive throwing release, starring to breathtaking flash plays erstwhile protected. But extortion was a occupation for the 6-3, 217-pound Chiles, who was pressured connected 42.3% of his dropbacks (eighth highest successful FBS). That led to a batch of turnover-worthy plays, particularly aboriginal past season.

Taylen Green, Arkansas

Green enters his 2nd play with the Razorbacks aft spending his archetypal 3 years astatine Boise State. He's a big, dynamic dual-threat passer astatine 6-6, 230 pounds who had 602 yards and 8 touchdowns connected the crushed past season. He threw for 3,154 yards with 15 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Green's throwing question is simply a spot elongated, and helium needs to enactment connected his consistency successful bushed from the pocket.

Mark Gronowski, Iowa

Gronowski had a historical vocation astatine South Dakota State, starring the Jackrabbits to 2 nationalist championships and tying for the most-ever wins (49) for an FCS starting quarterback. He flirted with entering the 2025 NFL draught and adjacent got an invitation to the harvester but decided to spell to Iowa, whose discourtesy showed betterment successful 2024. The 6-3, 230-pounder is simply a densely built passer who tin besides marque plays with his legs.

Eli Holstein, Pittsburgh

Holstein thrived arsenic Pitt's starter past play aft transferring from Alabama, throwing for 2,225 yards and 17 touchdowns with 7 interceptions. The 6-4, 225-pound Holstein is simply a strong-armed passer who tin propulsion the shot down the tract with ease. He needs to play with much power and amended his shot placement, arsenic his 14.7% off-target percent ranked 100th successful the FBS.

Josh Hoover, TCU

Hoover broke retired arsenic a redshirt freshman successful 2024 with 3,949 passing yards and 27 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The 6-2, 200-pounder possesses a compact merchandise that allows him to get the shot retired successful a hurry. His 25 completions connected passes of 20-plus aerial yards were the 12th astir successful the FBS past season.

Nico Iamaleava, UCLA

Iamaleava's offseason was eventful and ended up with him leaving Tennessee to play for the Bruins. He finished his archetypal play arsenic a starter with 2,616 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. The 6-6, 215-pound Iamaleava is simply a slender, fluid passer with the limb endowment to get the shot to his desired spots, but helium struggled with his interaction and accuracy connected deeper passes. That volition beryllium worthy watching this fall, arsenic volition his accommodation from the Vols' unconventional passing discourtesy to a much pro-style UCLA scheme.

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How Nico Iamaleava ended up astatine UCLA

Check retired the timeline that led to Nico Iamaleava going from Tennessee to UCLA.

Kevin Jennings, SMU

Jennings was a breakout prima successful his first season arsenic a starter, throwing for 3,245 yards and 23 touchdowns with 11 interceptions portion adding 354 rushing yards and 5 crushed touchdowns. The 6-0, 189-pounder is simply a blur that defenses struggled to incorporate acknowledgment to his mobility and decision-making arsenic a passer. His deficiency of size and quickness with the shot successful his hands could marque Jennings a campaigner to play different presumption successful the NFL.

Avery Johnson, Kansas State

With 2,712 passing yards and a school-record 25 touchdown passes, Johnson was the motor of Kansas State's discourtesy past season. The thinly built 6-2, 192-pounder besides ran for 605 yards and 7 touchdowns. He's arsenic effectual throwing and running, arsenic helium rushed for 50 oregon much yards successful 7 games past season. He needs to proceed to make arsenic a passer, having thrown 10 interceptions past season, but Johnson is 1 of the astir unsafe dual-threat QBs successful the country.

Haynes King, Georgia Tech

King is entering his 3rd play arsenic Georgia Tech's starter aft playing his archetypal 3 seasons astatine Texas A&M. His passing numbers fell from 2,842 yards and 27 touchdowns successful 2023 to 2,114 and 14, respectively, successful 2024. But the 6-3, 215-pound King took attraction of the shot past play (two interceptions) and was effectual connected designed runs, rushing for 587 yards and 11 touchdowns. He tin beryllium explosive connected the ground, but King needs to unlock the adjacent level of his passing development.

Darian Mensah, Duke

Mensah was a large transfer portal pickup for Duke, arsenic helium passed for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns with six interceptions for Tulane past season. The 6-3, 200-pounder throws from a balanced, beardown basal and has bully shot placement, completing 65.9% of his passes. The third-year sophomore plays with tons of poise and power portion showing beardown mechanics and pouch presence. Scouts volition beryllium monitoring however good Mensah handles the step-up successful contention from the AAC to the ACC.

Miller Moss, Louisville

Moss transferred to Louisville aft spending 4 seasons astatine USC. He started 9 games successful 2024, finishing with 2,555 passing yards and 18 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. The 6-1, 205-pounder has beneath mean limb strength, truthful helium relies heavy connected anticipation successful abbreviated and intermediate throws. He's susceptible of buying clip with his legs and creating retired of structure. He steps into a bully situation, arsenic Louisville manager Jeff Brohm is 1 of the champion QB developers successful the country. Brohm helped Aidan O'Connell and Tyler Shough go NFL draught picks.

Sawyer Robertson, Baylor

Robertson ignited Baylor's discourtesy successful 2024, finishing with the seventh-best QBR successful the FBS (82.9). The 6-4, 220-pound Robertson is simply a decisive passer who understands however to onslaught antithetic sum looks. He was particularly effectual down the stretch, throwing for 17 touchdowns to lone 4 interceptions during the Bears' six-game triumph streak to extremity the regular season. Robertson volition purpose to physique connected that tally successful his 2nd twelvemonth arsenic a full-time starter.

Other QBs to watch: Ty Simpson (Alabama), Conner Weigman (Houston), Maalik Murphy (Oregon State), Tommy Castellanos (Florida State), Noah Fifita (Arizona), Byrum Brown (USF), Kyron Drones (Virginia Tech), Dante Moore (Oregon), Kaidon Salter (Colorado), Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati), Jayden Maiava (USC), Luke Altmyer (Illinois), Jalon Daniels (Kansas), Joey Aguilar (Tennessee), Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt), Behren Morton (Texas Tech), Jake Retzlaff (BYU)

Big QB questions for NFL teams

At this point, which squad astir needs to draught a QB to physique around?

Pittsburgh Steelers. Drafting Will Howard successful Round 6 this twelvemonth hardly answered the Steelers' semipermanent backmost questions. The squad is set to motion Aaron Rodgers, but he'll beryllium 42 years aged successful December. The Steelers presently person 8 picks successful 2026 (their 7 selections positive Dallas' third-rounder from the George Pickens trade) and could get up to 4 further compensatory selections. Expect the Steelers to beryllium assertive adjacent outpouring successful their hunt for a franchise quarterback, particularly since the 2026 draught volition beryllium successful Pittsburgh.

Who is simply a sleeper squad to ticker astatine QB?

Los Angeles Rams. The Rams person two first-round picks successful 2026 and could get assertive with a commercialized up for Matthew Stafford's heir apparent. Stafford is entering his age-37 play connected a reworked two-year contract, truthful the Rams person clip to place a signal-caller from what should beryllium a beardown 2026 crop. They could draught a passer adjacent twelvemonth and beryllium afforded the luxury of having him larn down Stafford for a afloat season.