As always, the NFL has QB-needy teams and QB-desperate teams. And, yes, there is a difference.
We’ll start with those franchises that figure to be desperate heading into the offseason, as they’re more likely to use an early draft pick on a quarterback. Teams we’d consider on that list: New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and, possibly, the New Orleans Saints (depending on how the rest of this season goes for Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler) or Miami Dolphins (depending on what they do with Tua Tagovailoa).
On the “needy” list: Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams and, maybe, Arizona Cardinals. All four of those teams currently have No. 1 quarterbacks, but their long-term outlooks are cloudy.
Thanks in part to their trade-deadline work, the Jets have more flexibility than any other team in the league. With five first-round picks over the next two years, New York could wait to address its QB problem until 2027. Or, the franchise could pursue an established veteran via trade. The Browns, Rams and Cowboys (who shouldn’t need a new quarterback anytime soon) also have multiple first-round picks in ’26.
The difficult part for any team eyeing a quarterback in the coming draft, however, is that this class looks underwhelming. As college football’s regular season heads down the stretch, is any QB prospect emerging? Here’s how we’d stack them up right now:
Likely top-10 pickFernando Mendoza, Indiana
NFL scouts consider Mendoza the most likely of the draft-eligible underclassman quarterbacks to declare. And although it won’t be a consensus, he will be QB1 for multiple teams picking near the top of the draft.
Most NFL teams considered last year’s class to be a “one-quarterback draft” in the top 10. That’s how it played out, with Cam Ward going No. 1 and Jaxson Dart then waiting until No. 25 to hear his name called. It could be the case again next April if Mendoza is the only underclassman passer to turn pro, which would make the top five in the draft order even more compelling.
In Saturday’s comeback win over Penn State, Mendoza was down his top receiver (Elijah Sarratt), and it showed for the first three quarters as the Nittany Lions’ defense made things difficult for him. But Mendoza was at his best on the game-winning drive in the final two minutes, making multiple big-time throws to take his team 87 yards for the win.
Though he showed why he won’t be a slam-dunk No. 1 prospect, Mendoza also gave NFL teams more reason to bet on his football IQ, accuracy and mental toughness early in the draft.
Potential first-rounders/top-10 picks who, ideally, would go back to schoolTy Simpson, Alabama
Simpson, a fourth-year junior, will turn 23 in December. If he maintains his current level of play through the regular season and College Football Playoff, he may not have much of a decision to make. Due to his age and rising stock, he’d be smart at that point to throw his name into a thin QB draft class.
But although he has been impressive — and he’s arguably the best processor in this class, regardless of age — this is his first year as a full-time starter, so scouts would probably prefer to see more of Simpson before being forced to decide where he belongs in the draft. Saturday was another step in the right direction. Simpson (21-for-35 passing for 277 yards and a TD) didn’t exactly light it up against LSU, and he coughed up a fourth-quarter fumble, but he also delivered a few more of the pinpoint dimes that have become a staple of his game.
✌️ doing ✌️things 😤@Ryanwms1
📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/h2e9dMYExg
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) November 9, 2025
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Sellers, 20, is a native South Carolinian who would seemingly stay loyal to his current program if other schools attempt to court him. Still, if he returns to school, he may want to consider a change of scenery via the transfer portal. He has more experience than the two other quarterbacks in this category, Simpson and Dante Moore, but the time he has spent in a clunky offense hasn’t offered much help for his NFL projection.
He’s talented enough for a team to take a swing in the top 75, but he’d likely start next season as a projected top-15 prospect in the ’27 class.
Dante Moore, Oregon
Moore, also 20, could join Sellers in tempting NFL teams based on athletic potential alone. As with Simpson, though, he’s really only started one season in college. The math could change in the experience category should Oregon make a conference-title appearance and deep playoff run.
Moore’s showing during Oregon’s dramatic win at Iowa provided a good example of where he is. He completed just 13 of 21 passes for 112 yards and a pick, in the rain, but he made enough plays late to get the job done in hostile territory.
A return to Oregon in 2026, with a lot of NIL money in his pocket and a full-blown Heisman campaign behind him, would be tempting.
What a THROW. What a CATCH for @oregonfootball 🚀Dante Moore threads the needle with this one!
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/NdIWq527au
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025
Seniors with Day 2 upsideDrew Allar, Penn State
This is the Will Levis/Tyler Shough tier. (You could also call it the “underwhelming” tier.) All four veteran prospects in this group possess the tools needed to be NFL starters, but each has a flaw or flaws that likely will hold him back from becoming a dependable starting QB in the league.
Allar’s senior film looked a lot like his junior film, showing a big athlete with a good arm who struggles to find his rhythm and be a consistently precise passer. Unfortunately for him, he also lost out on an opportunity to show continued improvement after suffering a season-ending ankle injury last month.
Taylen Green, Arkansas
A true dual-threat weapon at 6 feet 6 and 225 pounds, Green leads the FBS in plays of 10-plus yards and has a high conversion rate on third downs, especially as a scrambler. But he tends to be late eliminating things in his reads and doesn’t take care of the football (18 turnover-worthy plays through nine games in 2025).
Arkansas is just 2-7 this season, but the Razorbacks close with games against LSU, Texas and Missouri, so Green will have chances to deliver a signature performance.
Carson Beck, Miami
Beck looks like a starting-caliber quarterback when his offense stays in rhythm, but it falls apart quickly when things don’t go according to plan. Beck’s performance in a 38-10 win over Syracuse on Saturday looked like more of the former — he shook off a sluggish start to complete 18 of 24 passes for 247 yards and a TD, plus caught a 14-yard touchdown on a trick play. But that came on the heels of a disappointing performance in Miami’s overtime loss to SMU last weekend.
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
The son of an NFL coach, Nussmeier has the command and arm to play at the next level, but he will throw his team in and out of games. Living on the edge like that is tough to do in the NFL.
Saturday night’s loss at Alabama also marked a potentially damning turning point for Nussmeier. He completed 18 of 21 passes for 121 yards (a paltry 5.8 yards per attempt) but never really challenged the Crimson Tide defense, ran himself into an awful red-zone sack and, ultimately, was benched for sophomore QB Michael Van Buren Jr.
Each of the four quarterbacks in this group projects as an NFL backup who could eventually earn starting reps in the right situation. If these QBs continue to develop in key areas, maybe one (or more) could surprise and become a regular starter, which is what NFL teams have in mind when they roll the dice on Day 2.
Promising underclassmen who could crash the party (if they declare)Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Sorsby, who began his career at Indiana before throwing for 2,813 yards and 18 touchdowns at Cincinnati last year, has been one of the country’s most efficient starters. At 6-3, 235, he has also rushed for a combined 900 yards and 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Sorsby has been a terrific downfield passer this season, getting rid of the ball quickly and accurately on a consistent basis. He could draw Day 2 grades from NFL teams in 2026, but a return might help him improve his stock further.
John Mateer, Oklahoma
Mateer has been a big-time flash player. He started out the season red hot before a broken bone in his throwing hand cost him some time and slowed him down upon his return.
His arm talent and athleticism have translated to the SEC, as the Washington State transfer has been a dangerous dual-threat player all year. However, he can still be guilty of poor decision-making and stretches of inaccuracy, which could make him a bit of a wild card on NFL draft boards this spring.