There’s already been a ton written about the 2026 class of quarterback prospects, and there’s plenty more to come in the next several months. The league is always looking ahead with hope, as nothing energizes fans and the media quite like an exciting young quarterback. This offseason in particular will be a lean year for teams seeking help at quarterback, and it will put even more of an emphasis on the draft.

The problem is this class, despite the preseason hope of a lot of scouts this past summer, just doesn’t seem to have a battery of franchise-caliber passers available. There will be multiple first-round quarterbacks just because of the inherent demand seemingly baked into the league — I mean good grief, the Colts just signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement. But plenty of landmines await for teams.

That doesn’t mean that there can’t be good players. This is true of just about every young quarterback, but in this 2026 class especially, the outcomes are going to be driven by where each prospect lands. There are no generational prospects, no finished products. There are some interesting players, though.

Here’s a deep dive into the expected top prospects. While the Senior Bowl, Combine, workouts, pro days and all of that are still yet to come, these players have compiled 95 percent of the tape that teams supposedly will make the foundation of their assessment. The tape is what the following scouting reports are based on. Some underclassmen are included who could go back to school; consider that bonus content for 2027.

1 – Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

H/W: 6-5, 225

Games watched: 2024 Florida State, 2024 N.C. State, 2025 Iowa, 2025 Oregon

Strengths

• Gunslinger mentality. Mendoza is always looking for the chunk play and the two college offenses he’s been in have been built around his proficiency and eagerness for attacking down the field and outside the numbers. Some of his favorite routes are go balls, fades, comebacks and deep outs, and he has a knack for both going over the top or pinning it on the back shoulder.
• Well above average mobility, especially for his size. Not an elite dual-threat option but capable of pulling out of sacks and gashing defenses with his legs if he’s presented with a scramble lane. Long strider who eats up ground, yet is a little more graceful and light on his feet than a lot of other clunky 6-5 quarterbacks.
• Comfortable throwing on the move and it doesn’t compromise his attacking mentality at all — quite the opposite actually.
• Quick release and snappy throwing motion without an elongation like some passers at his size. Allows him to get the ball out quickly, including on RPOs, and his accuracy in the short game is generally strong.
• Solid pre-snap command to find completions and hone in on indicators from the defense. Go-ahead TD against Iowa was when the Hawkeyes telegraphed the blitz (which they’d had success with) and...