The 'On The Clock' crew of Matt Williamson, Mike Prisuta and Max Starks take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh in April. Today, they take a second look at the quarterback position.
Note: The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Matt's First Look
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, 6-5, 225 lbs.
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama, 6-2, 208 lbs.
3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU, 6-1, 205 lbs.
4. Cole Payton, North Dakota State, 6-3, 233 lbs.
5. Drew Allar, Penn State, 6-5, 235 lbs.
Matt's Thoughts
I would keep the first four exactly how I had it originally and feel even stronger about it now than then. However, I would replace Allar with Miami's Carson Beck (6-4, 220) as the fifth quarterback on the list. Much of that isn't based on an increased opinion of Beck, but rather just some real worries about Allar's feel for the position and ability to layer throws and move around well enough to succeed in the NFL…Beck is highly experienced and has won a lot of games as a starting quarterback. The ball comes out quick and he is an efficient thrower. Beck looks the part with good size. He really must improve his ball security and when defenses really heat him up, it hasn't gone well for Beck. Beck looks like a long-term NFL backup…Mendoza has obvious size and arm talent but is just a moderate athlete and play maker out of structure. But this guy doesn't get rattled and steps up when it matters most, and times are toughest. Something that really stands out about Mendoza is he is truly elite with his repeatable mechanics as a passer no matter what the circumstances…It can be argued that Simpson's first two months of the season was better than Mendoza's. But things quickly went south for Simpson down the stretch as he battled through injury. When right, his release and movement skills are very snappy. Simpson is the son of a coach, but his lack of experience is worrisome. Ideally, he gets to sit a year behind a well-established veteran quarterback. Simpson's size and durability really concern me however…The son of an NFL coach, Nussmeier has grown up around the game and is quite good from the neck up. Unfortunately, this past season really didn't go his way-mostly because of injury and supporting cast. But Nussmeier gives off strong Baker Mayfield vibes with a powerful arm and his aggressive nature, but moderate stature. He might be a starter… Payton has a lot of Tim Tebow vibes-both good and bad. A big powerful lefty with excellent running skills, Payton has a lot to work with. But, like Tebow, he is very stiff in his upper half and is not a fluid passer. Payton's ratio of very impressive throws vs. putting the ball in harm's way is extremely encouraging. While he develops, Payton's new team could create a package for him in a Taysom Hill-like fashion…If I were to add another "Sleeper" it would be Joey Aguilar from Tennessee (6-3, 229). There are some things to really like here with Aguilar. He is well built and strong with the ability to stand in and take hits. Aguilar is a tough guy. He moves pretty welland can avoid the rush. Aguilar has a big arm but could clean up his release and overall mechanics and will miss too many open throws. A lot of quarterbacks now clean up their mechanics at the pro level with the assistance of a private quarterback coach. Maybe Aguilar surprises us all in a few years…Overall, Mendoza is going first overall. That is a done deal. Simpson could find his way into the first round as well and history tells us that is a likely scenario. Another quarterback or two should go on the second day of the draft. But, overall, this isn't an inspiring quarterback class. Although, of course, it is greatly subject to change, but word on the street is that next year's class at this ever-important position could be historically good. That surely will persuade teams to wait a year.
Mike's First Look
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, 6-5, 225 lbs.
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama, 6-2, 208 lbs.
3. Carson Beck, Miami, 6-4, 225 lbs.
4. Drew Allar, Penn St 4 ate, 6-5, 235 lbs.
5. Cole Payton, North Dakota State, 6-2, 229 lbs.
Mike's Thoughts
I'm happy to let the initial stack of the position stand, as well as the inclusion of Connecticut's Joe Fagnano (6-2, 223) and his 28:1 touchdown passes-to-interceptions ratio in 2025 as the sleeper … Jalon Daniels of Kansas (6-05/8, 219) has 1,145 career rushing yards and 23 career rushing touchdowns on his resume and even lined up at running back on occasion for the Jayhawks. The four-time Kansas captain and the winner of the 2024 Big XII Scholar Athlete of the Year award threw for 22 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 2025 … Taylen Green of Arkansas (6-57/8, 227) set NFL Scouting Combine records for a quarterback (since 2003) with a broad jump of 11'2" and a vertical leap of 431/2" and ran a 4.36 40-yard dash. He's a project as a passer but an athletic marvel. His NFL Network height/weight/speed/measureables comparison is DK Metcalf … Georgia Tech's Haynes King (6-23/8, 212) also impresses as an athlete and a football player. "He might be covering some kicks next year," NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah observed of a prospect who he maintained "might be, pound for pound, the toughest dude in this draft." King rushed for 36 touchdowns in three seasons at Georgia Tech … Clemson's Cade Klubnik (6-2, 207) has experience (49 career games played), threw for 10,123 yards and 73 touchdowns (as well as 24 interceptions) in four seasons and leaves Clemson with a program-record 916 completions. NFL Network analyst Charles Davis thought Klubnik had "a tremendous day" throwing in Indianapolis. He's also a two-time ACC Championship Game MVP … LSU's Garrett Nussmeier (6-2, 203) was unimpressive in 2025 but the subsequent revelation he played through an oblique injury might necessitate a little further review of his evaluation. Nussmeier's father Doug is the Saints' offensive coordinator and played five games as a quarterback for the Saints. Garrett Nussmeier completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,052 yards, with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024 … Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia (5-10, 207) lacks size but not confidence. Stacey Dales of the NFL Network reported during coverage of the Combine that Pavia told her, "I'm a gamer type of guy. You put me on the field, we're gonna win." Pavia was a First-Team All-ACC pick and a Second-Team Associated Press All-America selection in 2025 … Baylor's Sawyer Robertson (6-33/4, 216) had an impressive 2025, completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 3,681 yards, with 321 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Robertson's combined 59 touchdown passes in 2024 and 2025 were the most in FBS.
Max's First Look
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, 6-5, 225 lbs.
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama, 6-2, 208 lbs.
3. Carson Beck, Miami, 6-4, 225 lbs.
4. Drew Allar, Penn St 4 ate, 6-5, 235 lbs.
5. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU, 6-1, 205 lbs.
Max's Thoughts
Upon taking a second look at my initial quarterback rankings, I still like my list intact and in order. I do believe Fernando Mendoza is all but assured than number one overall pick two Las Vegas Raiders and I do believe Ty Simpson has made enough waves that were now moving him as not only the number two quarterback in this draft, but the variance of where he'll go now as early as #2, but now almost certainly a first round draft pick. After that things get a little bit more interesting. I still like the order of my quarterbacks with Beck being the next best product, followed by Allar and Nussmeier. But we all know in the NFL and specifically organizations you can always find something that you like in one quarterback over another. I'll also throw in the hat, guys that can change this list, but I will regard them for outside of my top five even though statistics and playing record might dictate a different story. As I look at this this crop of quarterbacks, I think there's bugaboos with any of them. Those new names added to the list are: Cole Payton from North Dakota State, Taylen Greene from Arkansas and Joey Fagnano from Connecticut. These three are intriguing for different reasons and different strengths that they possess starting with Cole Payton. Peyton has the most touchdown throws over the last two years in all of FBS and like we said about having a gift for passing the football and scoring touchdowns when given the scoring play opportunity, but playing in a smaller conference than a lot of these other guys on this list, kind of keeps him out of my top five for the pedigree. Now, could he come out and have a season like a Carson Wentz, absolutely, but at the same time I'm not gonna hold my bre
