Let’s rank all 10 by fit, from best to worst:1. Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders (Round 1, 1st overall)Whether or not he is actually the best player in this draft is immaterial. Whether or not his potential maxes out at a Matt Ryan-adjacent ceiling – and, hey, Matty Ice was a league MVP – is immaterial.

Mendoza may not be John Elway or Peyton Manning, but the position he plays rendered him the presumptive top pick of this draft from the moment the calendar flipped to 2026. And the Silver and Black have been desperate for stability behind center since the 2022 organizational decision to pull the plug on Derek Carr – and even he never managed to notch the playoff victory Raider Nation has awaited for more than 23 years. Mendoza’s ability and demeanor – un-Raider-y as he is compared to, say, Kenny Stabler – seem just about optimal as GM John Spytek continues to rebuild this operation around him.

And having veteran Kirk Cousins on hand, reasonably allowing Las Vegas to slow-track Mendoza into the QB1 role, is another plus.2. Carson Beck, Arizona Cardinals (Round 3, 65th overall)USA TODAY Sports’ NFL draft guru, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, deemed Beck a "lottery ticket." That’s probably about right, though Beck might pay off handsomely.

His extensive college experience – 43 starts against mostly topflight competition – is impressive and potentially valuable. He’s not yet 18 months removed from UCL surgery, so his arm could conceivably generate more RPMs in the future – 49ers QB Brock Purdy certainly recovered nicely from a similar procedure. NFL Network chief draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah even compared Beck to former Cards QB Carson Palmer, high praise indeed.

Indoor home games are ideal for most quarterbacks, so Beck should like Arizona’s football environs … though he might not enjoy facing NFC West defenses all that much. Regardless, this is a golden opportunity for him and the Cardinals, who might find they have a really good player on their hands – and can easily cut bait a year or two down the road if not.3. Drew Allar, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 3, 76th overall)Big guy (6-5, 228), big arm, team player.

But the whole was too often much, much less than the sum of the parts at Penn State, inconsistent accuracy and anticipation among the factors hindering Allar – though his vexing stay in Happy Valley, an ankle injury ending it prematurely in 2025, also coincided with a lack of offensive weaponry to help him. New Steelers HC Mike McCarthy knows a thing or two about developing QBs, and Allar and second-year passer Will Howard could earn a lot of reps this spring for however long Aaron Rodgers stays away. It remains to be seen how close Allar can get to reaching his potential, wherever its ceiling is.

But apprenticing under McCarthy and Rodgers with little expectation he’d have to play meaningful games any time soon is about as good a situation as Allar could have hoped for.4. Taylen Green, Cleveland Browns (Round 6, 182nd overall)A strong arm, sub-4.4 speed, and a 6-foot-6, 227-pound frame? Green has highly uncommon physical traits for the position.

He also needs to improve his accuracy while accruing more experience – so critical to the advanced decision-making he also needs to hone. Lucky for Green that he’ll be playing for first-year HC Todd Monken, who’s fresh off coaching perhaps the ultimate dual threat in Lamar Jackson. (Like Jackson, Green has been adamant he wants to play quarterback and isn't inclined to entertain a positional switch.) And who knows? If neither Shedeur Sanders nor Deshaun Watson gets an ironclad grip on the starting job this season, maybe Green gets an audition for a franchise that’s clearly weighing its options as it tries to find the right passer for a roster that’s quickly shaping up as formidable otherwise.5.

Cade Klubnik, New York Jets (Round 4, 110th overall)The Clemson prodcut also had a disappointing 2025 campaign after it once appeared he might have first-round potential in the wake of lofting 36 TD passes in 2024, when he also did a lot more damage with his legs. Yet the smallish Klubnik (6-2, 207) can distribute the ball effectively, and the Jets suddenly appear to have a lot more pop offensively in this draft’s aftermath. And with no obvious backup for stopgap QB1 Geno Smith, Klubnik could find himself getting an opportunity to play at some point this season for a team sti