2026 NFL Draft QB live picks: Tracking where quarterbacks are drafted

No position in the NFL is as important as the quarterback.

Perhaps that's why Fernando Mendoza has been the foregone conclusion for months to be the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, this year will almost certainly mark the fourth straight year a quarterback goes first overall, and the 22nd time in the last 29 drafts since Peyton Manning went No. 1 in 1998.

Of course, this year's class has a drastic fall-off after Mendoza, making the Las Vegas Raiders' draft position even more valuable. However, with an immediate need at quarterback, the Raiders are heavily expected to select Mendoza rather than sell the pick.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is the favorite to be the second signal-caller selected, but it's unknown if he will be selected in Round 1 or become a Day 2 selection. After that, it's anyone's guess, with LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Arkansas' Taylen Green and Miami's Carson Beck behind the Crimson Tide quarterback.

Here's a look at the quarterbacks selected in the 2026 NFL Draft:

Quarterbacks selected in 2026 NFL Draft

First round:

• No. 1 overall: Fernando Mendoza to the Las Vegas Raiders (Indiana)
• No. 12 overall: Ty Simpson to the Los Angeles Rams (Alabama)

Third round:

• No. 65 overall: Carson Beck to the Arizona Cardinals (Miami)
• No. 76 overall: Drew Allar to the Pittsburgh Steelers (Penn State)

Fourth round:

• No. 110 overall: Cade Klubnik to the New York Jets (Clemson)

Fifth round:

• No. 178 overall: Cole Payton to the Philadelphia Eagles (North Dakota State)

Sixth round:

• No. 182 overall: Taylen Green to the Cleveland Browns (Arkansas)

Seventh round:

• No. 223 overall: Athan Kaliakmanis to the Washington Commanders (Rutgers)
• No. 234 overall: Behren Morton to the New England Patriots (Texas Tech)
• No. 249 overall: Garrett Nussmeier to the Kansas City Chiefs (LSU)

2026 NFL Draft rankings: Quarterbacks

Here's a look at how USA TODAY Sports' draft expert Ayrton Ostly ranked the top quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft:

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama
3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
4. Taylen Green, Arkansas
5. Drew Allar, Penn State
6. Carson Beck, Miami
7. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

2026 NFL Draft quarterbacks

Here's a look at all the QBs eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, in no particular order:

• Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
• Drew Allar, Penn State
• Luke Altmeyer, Illinois
• Carson Beck, Miami
• Jalon Daniels, Kansas
• Joe Fagnano, UConn
• Taylen Green, Arkansas
• Haynes King, Georgia Tech
• Cade Klubnik, Clemson
• Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
• Behren Morton, Texas Tech
• Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
• Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
• Cole Payton, North Dakota State
• Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
• Ty Simpson, Alabama