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NFL training camps are finally starting around the league.
As always, there will be plenty of eyes on rookie quarterbacks from the 2026 NFL Draft.
A total of 10 quarterbacks were selected throughout April's draft.
Some rookie quarterbacks are competing for regular-season playing time.
Others are simply attempting to secure placement on the 53-man roster.
The 2026 NFL Draft produced all types of quarterbacks, from promising starters to career backups.
Before all 32 teams begin training camp shortly, we've re-ranked all 10 drafted quarterbacks from best to worst.
From career-long outlooks to immediate goals and expectations, these are the individual situations each rookie quarterback finds themselves in.
2026 NFL Draft: Re-Grading All 10 Rookie Quarterbacks From Best to Worst 10.
Behren Morton, QB, New England Patriots (Round 7, No.
234) Behren Morton overcame a significant amount of adversity earlier in his career to put good things on tape in 2024-25.
The biggest shortcoming on film is that Morton appears to lack the high-level arm talent required to make NFL-caliber throws before the window closes.
The New England Patriots drafted a career backup, which is precisely what they expect from him.
9.
Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Washington Commanders (Round 7, No.
223) Former Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis displayed progress in 2025 by completing a career-high 62.2% of his passing attempts while throwing for 20 touchdowns.
The Washington Commanders used a seventh-round pick on a high football IQ quarterback who can handle progressions and protection calls.
Kaliakmanis' biggest flaws are a lack of consistent accuracy and ball placement.
8.
Taylen Green, QB, Cleveland Browns (Round 6, No.
182) Taylen Green's testing numbers at the NFL Combine indicate he's among the most athletic quarterbacks to enter the league in the past two decades.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds and leaped a 43.5-inch vertical.
Green is extremely raw as a quarterback prospect, with significant accuracy and ball security issues.
He's currently QB4 on the Cleveland Browns' depth chart and will develop behind the scenes.
7.
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (Round 7, No.
249) Garrett Nussmeier was the last quarterback drafted, but he's more naturally gifted than several signal-callers who were drafted ahead of him.
Alleged injury concerns discovered during the pre-draft process contributed to his slide.
Nussmeier has legitimate arm talent, though ball security and accuracy issues routinely appear on tape.
The 2024 version looked like a potential first-round quarterback, but 2025 was a step backwards.
6.
Cole Payton, QB, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 5, No.
178) Cole Payton was a one-year starter at North Dakota State who flashed future potential.
Based on his inexperience and having played at the FCS level, he's nowhere near ready for NFL snaps.
Luckily for him, the Philadelphia Eagles currently have so many quarterbacks that he's probably the fourth option on the depth chart.
Payton is a dual-threat prospect with good size.
5.
Drew Allar, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 3, No.
76) Drew Allar possesses every physical trait needed to develop into a franchise quarterback.
There are some major mechanical hurdles to clear before he gets there.
Allar becomes a chaotic quarterback under pressure, displaying sloppy footwork and inconsistent accuracy and ball security.
He's gotta stop putting the ball in harm's way.
He'll attempt to clean up his issues while competing with Will Howard to be the Pittsburgh Steelers' successor for Aaron Rodgers.
4.
Carson Beck, QB, Arizona Cardinals Carson Beck rehabilitated his reputation with the Miami Hurricanes in 2025, having developed into a game-managing quarterback with some big-throw ability.
The Arizona Cardinals remain in the market for a future franchise quarterback, so Beck should receive an opportunity to play before they consider drafting one in 2027.
He's occasionally shown the capability to work through his progressions in a timely fashion while throwing the ball with good anticipation.
3.
Cade Klubnik, QB, New York Jets (Round 4, No.
110) The New York Jets understandably did an extensive amount of homework on this quarterback class and came away thoroughly impressed with Cade Klubnik.
That sentiment lasted through offseason workouts, where he showed terrific maturity during OTAs and minicamps.
Klubnik has to bounce back after failing to meet expectations at Clemson in 2025, but promising traits like athleticism and arm strength.
The Jets should give him an opportunity to play this season before they strongly consider drafting a quarterback in 2027.
2.
Ty Simpson, QB, Los Angeles Rams (Round 1, No.
13) The Los Angeles Rams delivered the most stunning moment of the NFL Draft by taking Ty Simpson at No.
13 overall.
As an inexperienced one-year starter, the situation is ideal for his development, as he's expected to spend multiple seasons learning behind Matthew Stafford.
Simpson is a mechanical-forward quarterback with a crisp release and clean footwork.
Staying consistent with his decision making and ball placement when under duress is among the kinks he'll attempt to iron out while sitting behind an MVP quarterback.
1.
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Las Vegas Raiders (Round 1, No.
1) Fernando Mendoza was head-and-shoulders above every other prospect in what many scouts considered to be a one-quarterback draft.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a sound plan in place for Mendoza, with veteran Kirk Cousins expected to start the majority (if not all) of the 2026 campaign.
As a prospect, he's an accurate quarterback with excellent ball placement and precision in big moments.
The Raiders have every reason to believe they have their franchise quarterback.
Justin Melo is the publisher of NFL Draft on SI, a Sports Illustrated channel.
He has previous experience covering the NFL Draft in a professional capacity at various outlets such as The Draft Network, USA Today SMG, and SB Nation.
NFL Draft on SI will cover all things NFL Draft extensively, with scouting reports, prospect rankings, big boards, and unique first-hand stories.
It will also be home to Melo's NFL Draft prospect interview series, which has featured more than 1,000 exclusive interviews with NFL Draft picks.
Melo is also the published author of Titans of The South: Photographs and History of the Tennessee Titans, available where all books are sold.
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