If you're an NFL team in need of a franchise quarterback - and let’s be real, there are more than a few - this year’s draft might not be the quarterback bonanza you'd hope for. The top of the class is pretty much spoken for: Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is the clear-cut QB1 and is widely expected to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.
After that? Things get murky.
With Dante Moore heading back to Oregon, the consensus QB2 right now is Ty Simpson. But let’s not pretend that spot is locked down.
There’s still a lot to play out between now and April, and one major variable is Trinidad Chambliss out of Ole Miss. Chambliss is in the middle of an eligibility appeal that could determine whether he stays in school or enters the draft.
If his appeal is denied and he declares, the conversation around QB2 gets a lot more interesting.
Chambliss only spent one year at the Division I level, but it was an impressive one. Simpson, for his part, also has just one year as a college starter under his belt, so neither comes into the draft with a wealth of experience.
If Chambliss returns to school, Simpson likely holds onto that QB2 status heading into the pre-draft process. But that status is far from immune to change - especially with the Senior Bowl and Combine on the horizon.
Speaking of the Senior Bowl, Simpson isn’t participating. He’s still recovering from multiple injuries suffered late in Alabama’s season. That absence opens the door for other quarterbacks to make a name for themselves - and there are a few names worth watching.
Six quarterbacks are in Mobile this week: Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt), Sawyer Robertson (Baylor), Cole Payton (North Dakota State), Luke Altmyer (Illinois), Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), and Taylen Green (Arkansas). Most of these guys are long shots to hear their names called early in the draft, but two of them - Nussmeier and Green - have a real chance to climb boards with strong pre-draft showings.
Let’s start with Nussmeier. His 2025 season was rough - there’s no sugarcoating it.
After a breakout 2024 campaign where he threw for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns, his production plummeted. He finished 2025 with just 1,927 passing yards and 12 touchdowns against five picks.
But context matters.
LSU’s offensive line was a revolving door after losing multiple NFL-bound starters, and it showed. Protection was inconsistent all year, and Nussmeier was under duress on over a quarter of his dropbacks. That pressure was compounded by a 2.48-second average time to throw - not outrageous, but not sustainable behind a line that couldn’t hold up.
Injuries also played a major role. Nussmeier came into the season banged up and never really got right.
He battled through an abdominal injury that clearly affected his velocity and accuracy. If he’s finally healthy and can show flashes of his 2024 form during the pre-draft process, there’s a path for him to regain momentum.
Teams looking for a developmental QB with upside could be intrigued by what he brings to the table when fully healthy.
Then there’s Taylen Green - the wildcard of this quarterback class. At 6'6", he’s built like a tight end and moves like a wide receiver.
Green is one of the best athletes at the position in years, and his ability as a runner - both in designed runs and off-script - is elite. But as a passer, he’s still very much a work in progress.
Green’s 2025 tape is a mixed bag. He finished the season with twice as many turnover-worthy plays as big-time throws, which is a stat that’ll make any scout pause.
His decision-making is inconsistent, and his mechanics need refinement. That said, he was operating in a tough environment at Arkansas.
Even with Bobby Petrino calling plays and a decent offensive line, the situation wasn’t ideal.
Drafting Green would require a leap of faith. You’d have to look past the stats and focus on the raw tools - the size, the speed, the arm strength - and hope you can coach up the rest. But in today’s NFL, where mobility and improvisation are at a premium, a quarterback with Green’s physical profile is going to get attention.
So, while Mendoza remains the clear prize at the top of the draft, the race behind him is wide open. Simpson holds the inside track for now, but the pre-draft process is a marathon, not a sprint. Chambliss’s eligibility decision could shake things up, and guys like Nussmeier and Green are just starting to make their case.
Quarterback-needy teams will be watching closely - because even in a class that lacks depth, all it takes is one standout spring to change a draft board.