Overview
- An ESPN survey of 25 NFL scouts and executives gave Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza 13 votes as the top quarterback, with Oregon’s Dante Moore receiving six and Alabama’s Ty Simpson three after a September poll favored LaNorris Sellers and Garrett Nussmeier.
- ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates projected Mendoza to the Saints at No. 1 and Simpson to the Jets at No. 3, noting New York’s surplus of future first-round picks could fuel a trade up if needed.
- Todd McShay reported Mendoza is believed likely to enter the 2026 draft but not definitively, and at least one scout told him to “book it” that Moore will return to Oregon next season.
- Evaluations remain split as Kirk Herbstreit labeled Simpson his top passer, Dane Brugler wrote teams are divided on Mendoza’s ceiling despite a strong floor, and ESPN’s Matt Miller said Mendoza has clearly established himself atop the class.
- Updated projections entering Week 11 list the Titans, Giants and Saints with the worst records, and multiple teams in the current top 10 — including the Browns, Jets, Raiders and Dolphins — are candidates to target a quarterback.