Is Garrett Nussmeier still worth the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft? The Draft Network’s Justin Melo thinks so, and he has the LSU Tigers quarterback going to the New Orleans Saints at the top of his class in TDN’s latest mock draft.

“The New Orleans Saints are positioned to take a quarterback,” Melo wrote as an explanation. “LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier is the best one I’ve seen through a few weeks. Nussmeier is a pro-ready prospect who possesses NFL-caliber poise and accuracy.”

Nussmeier hasn’t started the 2025 season like a potential top draft pick; his performance through the first few weeks compares more closely to former LSU quarterbacks like Zack Mettenberger (a sixth rounder in the 2014 draft) and Danny Etling (drafted in Round 7 in 2018) than Joe Burrow (the No. 1 pick in 2020) and Jayden Daniels (No. 2 in 2024). Just look at how their production compares in the first three games of their final year in school:

Garrett Nussmeier: 4th in completion percentage (65.1%) and 5th in yards per attempt (6.5), 4th in touchdown rate (4.3%) and interception rate (1.9%), 2nd in sack rate (3.6%)Jayden Daniels: 2nd in completion percentage (73.7%), 3rd in yards per attempt (10.3) and touchdown rate (11.4%) as well as interception rate (1.1%), 5th in sack rate (6.9%)Joe Burrow: 1st in completion percentage (83.3%) and yards per attempt (12.5), 2nd in touchdown rate (14.7%), 5th in interception rate (2.2%), 4th in sack rate (5.3%)Zach Mettenberger: 3rd in completion percentage (65.2%) and yards per attempt (11.6), 1st in touchdown rate (20%), tied for 1st in interception rate (0%), 1st in sack rate (1.4%)Danny Etling: 5th in completion percentage (58.3%), 4th in yards per attempt (8.9), 5th in touchdown rate (2.9%), tied for 1st in interception rate (0%), 3rd in sack rate (4.8%)

Obviously there’s much, much more that goes into evaluating college quarterbacks than this surface-level box score scouting (or else Mettenberger might have been drafted highest, given his knack for avoiding negative plays and scoring touchdowns). And there are appealing qualities in Nussmeier’s game right now — he’s one of the few draft-eligible quarterbacks who is actively checking protections at the line of scrimmage and calling out adjustments before the snap.

Nussmeier could very well be the best of the bunch. But that doesn’t make him an easy choice for the first overall pick. This might be one of those rare years where only one or two quarterbacks is picked in the first round, and not until the teens. Kenny Pickett was first off the board in 2022, but not until No. 20. EJ Manuel was the No. 16 pick back in 2013. Chad Pennington was taken at No. 18 all the way back in 2000.

It’s a long season, and an even longer process leading up to the draft. Nussmeier could very well end up looking like a bona fide first overall draft pick next April. But he has a lot of work to do. Here’s a selection of responses from fans on social media when the prospect of picking him No. 1 came up:

“Nuss just might be the guy to get Mickey (Loomis) fired but I don’t wanna have to go through that,” wrote one fan.”(Derek) Carr 2.0,” was one blunt response.”Nobody wants a below average qb we’ll still (go) with what we have,” one replier responded.”Maybe Nuss, but he doesn’t blow me away, I’d take a handful of guys before him (right now) we will see how it plays out,” was one thoughtful reply.”Nuss is hot a–,” retorted another.”Bro get out here with this. Don’t nobody want his a– anymore,” another fan said, expounding on the sentiment.”That b—- trash,” added another.”No,” came a last response, with a tone of finality.

Again, it’s a long college football season. Nussmeier has plenty of time to turn things around, clean up his perception among fans (and, likely, NFL scouts) and set himself up to be drafted highly in 2026. It just hasn’t happened yet. Melo had two other quarterbacks go off the board in the top 10 picks in this mock draft, so look out for LaNorris Sellers (No. 3 to the New York Jets) and Drew Allar (No. 10 to the Los Angeles Rams, via their pick from the Atlanta Falcons) to keep it competitive. Don’t overlook Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (No. 14 to the Pittsburgh Steelers) just yet, either.