The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on April 23 in Pittsburgh, marking the first time the city has hosted the event since 1948, and the quarterback class waiting to hear their names called is one of the deepest in recent memory. Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Indiana, is the consensus top overall pick and widely expected to go first to the Las Vegas Raiders. At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Mendoza finished his final college season completing 71.5% of his passes for 3,536 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions while leading the Hoosiers to their first football national championship. His combination of arm strength, field vision, and decision-making under pressure has drawn comparisons to the best pocket passers to enter the league in the last decade, and most evaluators consider him the most pro-ready quarterback in this class by a comfortable margin.
Behind Mendoza, the depth of the class is where things get interesting and where teams picking in the middle and late first round will have real decisions to make. Alabama's Ty Simpson has the physical tools that make scouts dream, with a live arm and the kind of athleticism that translates to extending plays at the next level, but his consistency remains a question mark after an uneven 2025 season that saw stretches of brilliance followed by games where his reads broke down under pressure. Clemson's Cade Klubnik finished the year strong after a slow start and has the benefit of having operated in an NFL-style offense under Dabo Swinney's staff, which could ease his transition to a professional playbook. The debate between Simpson and Klubnik as the second quarterback off the board has been one of the defining storylines of the pre-draft process.
LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Miami's Carson Beck round out the top five quarterbacks in this class, though their draft stock has fluctuated more than the others throughout the evaluation period. Nussmeier is viewed by many evaluators as a player whose ceiling might be lower than Simpson or Klubnik but whose floor is significantly higher. He processes the field quickly, rarely makes the catastrophic mistake, and has the awareness and mentality that coaches believe can keep him in the league for more than a decade, even if his career trajectory looks more like a reliable starter than a franchise-altering talent. Beck spent five years at Georgia winning two national championships as a backup before transferring to Miami for his final season, where he finished second in the FBS with a 72.4% completion percentage. His maturity and experience in big-game situations are assets, but questions about his arm strength in cold weather and his ability to create outside the pocket have pushed him toward the back end of the first round.
The broader draft class extends well beyond quarterbacks, with several defensive players expected to hear their names called in the top ten. But the quarterback conversation dominates because of how many teams need one. The Raiders at number one, the Panthers at number four, and the Giants at number eight all have quarterback as their primary need, and teams picking later could trade up if they believe their guy is about to come off the board. Mock drafts from ESPN, NFL Network, and PFF all project at least two quarterbacks in the top ten and as many as five in the first round, which would make this one of the most quarterback-heavy drafts since 2018.
Pittsburgh as a host city adds a layer of significance that goes beyond logistics. The Steelers' own quarterback situation has been a talking point all offseason, and the irony of the draft being held in a city that has been searching for its next franchise signal-caller since Ben Roethlisberger retired is not lost on anyone covering the event. The draft will be held at the intersection of the city's three rivers, with stages set up near Acrisure Stadium and the surrounding area expected to draw more than 300,000 fans over the three-day event. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has called it one of the most anticipated draft locations in years, and the city has invested heavily in infrastructure and hospitality upgrades to handle the influx.
For fans watching at home, the quarterback class is the main attraction, but the depth at other positions, particularly edge rusher, offensive tackle, and cornerback, means that the first round should move quickly with minimal dead time between picks. The draft begins at 8 PM Eastern on Thursday, April 23, with the first round airing on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. Rounds two and three follow on Friday, and rounds four through seven wrap up on Saturday. The biggest question entering the week is not who goes first. That answer has been Mendoza for months. The question is who goes second, and how many teams are willing to trade significant draft capital to make sure they do not miss their quarterback.