2026 NFL Draft : Roundup of Every Quarterback Taken

With the 2026 NFL Draft in the books, a total of 257 players were selected and are ready to begin their NFL careers. Less than 4% of those players were quarterbacks - but let's face it, quarterback is the most important position in sports, so that's where much of the attention goes.

Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, as expected, was the first overall draft pick, going to the Las Vegas Raiders. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson was the only other first-round quarterback, going to the Los Angeles Rams with the 13th pick.

Overall, 10 quarterbacks were drafted. A few more have signed on with teams as undrafted free agents. Here's a rundown of the NFL's newest class of quarterbacks:

Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders (Round 1, first overall)

It will be interesting to see if Mendoza can push for the starting job right away in Vegas. The Raiders signed veteran Kirk Cousins as a bridge, and Cousins has experience playing in new head coach Klint Kubiak's offense. So the team can afford to let Mendoza learn behind Cousins for a bit, but don't be surprised if the No. 1 pick tempts Kubiak to get him on the field sooner than later.

Ty Simpson, Los Angeles Rams (Round 1, 13th)

The surprise pick of the draft - some think the pick was a mistake and others say it made sense. Time will tell, though the Rams certainly hope we won't know for a while. The plan is obviously for Simpson to sit at least one year behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. If Simpson sees any significant playing time in 2026, it will only mean something bad happened to Stafford.

Carson Beck, Arizona Cardinals (Round 3, 65th)

Between his time at Georgia and Miami, Beck has plenty of experience in high-pressure games. The first pick in Round 3, Beck lands in a spot where he can at least compete for the starting job, as he's currently behind veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew.

Drew Allar, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 3, 76th)

Allar went into the 2025 season as a potential first-round prospect, but the Penn State product looked shaky even before a season-ending injury put him on the shelf. Still, this is a potentially great landing spot. It would be a big surprise if Aaron Rodgers doesn't come back for one more season … but if Rodgers is not in the picture, then Allar's only competition for the starting job in Pittsburgh are Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.

Cade Klubnik, New York Jets (Round 4, 110th)

When the Jets signed Geno Smith to be their starting QB this season, they made it clear they are focused on getting one of the highly-rated QBs expected to be in the 2027 draft. Still, after landing three good players in the first round last week, grabbing the Clemson quarterback in the fourth round here was a worthwhile use of the pick

Cole Payton, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 5, 178th)

The North Dakota State QB is a project at best. With Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton in the fold as Jalen Hurts' backups, Payton will have to show the Eagles enough to earn a roster spot. But Payton is more of a dual-threat player, which makes him intriguing.

Taylen Green, Cleveland Browns (Round 6, 182nd)

This raw prospect from Arkansas turned heads at the combine with his speed and measurables. At 6-6, 227 pounds, he can be an effective running quarterback, but he needs much work as a passer. Cleveland has a wide-open quarterback situation between Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson, but new head coach Todd Monken might be interested in finding ways to get Green on the field.

Athan Kaliakmanis, Washington Commanders (Round 7, 223rd)

Kaliakmanis passed for 3,124 yards and 20 touchdowns last season for Rutgers. The 6-2, 216-pounder wasn't considered a major prospect, but the Commanders, with Jayden Daniels under center, can afford to bring Kaliakmanis along slowly and see if anything develops.

Behren Morton, New England Patriots (Round 7, 234th)

The Texas Tech quarterback is more about toughness and competitiveness than arm talent. He's a longshot to make the New England roster… then again, the current No. 2 QB on the Patriots is Tommy DeVito.

Garrett Nussmeier, Kansas City Chiefs (Round 7, 249th overall)

Coming into the draft, there was a growing consideration that Nussmeier might be the third QB off the board behind Mendoza and Simpson. So when he nearly didn't get drafted at all, it was quite the nosedive. He lacks ideal size, has an injury history and a penchant for turnovers. But there is potential, so getting to learn under Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes is a positive.

Undrafted free agents

Several quarterbacks that did not get drafted have been invited to join teams and earn a training camp invite. Here's a rundown of where undrafted quarterbacks have signed:

Jack Strand, Minnesota-Moorhead (Atlanta Falcons)

Joe Fagnano, Connecticut (Baltimore Ravens)

Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (Ravens)

Haynes King, Georgia Tech (Carolina Panthers)

Miller Moss, Louisville (Chicago Bears)

Luke Altmyer, Illinois (Detroit Lions)

Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech (Green Bay Packers)

Joey Aguilar, Tennessee (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Jacob Clark, Missouri State (Raiders)

Matthew Caldwell, Texas (Rams)

Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State (Miami Dolphins)

Jake Retzlaff, Tulane (Seattle Seahawks)

Jalon Daniels, Kansas (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Chandler Morris, Virginia (Buccaneers)

Kaidon Salter, Colorado (Tennessee Titans)

Related: NFL Draft Grades: Instant Analysis of Every Team's 2026 Class

Related: 2027 NFL Mock Draft: Never-Too-Early 1st-Round Projection

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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 9:42 AM.