The 2025 NFL season is barreling toward its conclusion, and although no one wants to think about it, soon it will be February, and Super Bowl LX will be in the history books. Then, attention will immediately turn toward the draft and the slew of highly thought-of college prospects looking to cut their teeth in the big league. But as the quarterback class of 2025 will tell you, making it in the NFL is by no means an easy task.
Quarterback Class of 2025 Continues to Struggle
Consider Cam Ward, whose journey with the Titans has been nothing short of a weekly trial by ordeal. Selected first overall with the expectation of immediately resurrecting the ailing franchise, the former Florida Gators standout has instead been greeted by many of the NFL’s darkest realities: a creaking offensive line that collapses with harrowing frequency, receivers too often blanketed, and midseason coaching turbulence leaving the playbook in constant flux. Over in the Big Apple, Jaxson Dart has enjoyed more success after initially backing up veteran Russell Wilson, but injuries and concussion concerns due to an inability to aptly slide before being drilled by the opposition look to weigh heavily.
For Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, the pain was more like death by a thousand cuts. The latter’s woes began on draft night, when he shockingly slid to the fifth round, despite many expecting him to be selected somewhere in the first. The pain got even worse when he was ultimately selected by the Cleveland Browns to sit in fourth place on their depth chart, one spot behind fellow rookie Gabriel, selected in the third.
Since then, both Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett have left the Browns, while Gabriel’s injury has catapulted Sanders to a starting berth. But the former University of Colorado superstar has hardly claimed the position for himself, with Cleveland sitting at a measly 3-9, prompting oddsmakers to give them next to no chance to reach the postseason. The latest NFL lines at Bovada currently price the Browns as a whopping +30000 to win the AFC North, and there’s a huge chance that their paltry record will see them secure a top position on the NFL draft board next April.
So, which quarterbacks will Cleveland – and the rest of the league, for that matter – be eyeing up in the 2026 draft? Here are the names currently expected to dominate the headlines.
Fernando Mendoza
If you crave redemption stories, watch the tape on Fernando Mendoza. A year ago, he was an afterthought at Cal, his name barely murmured in draft circles. Fast-forward, and he now stands as a living, breathing challenge to college football’s power structure—Indiana undefeated, their offense a marvel, and national pundits running out of superlatives.
In Curt Cignetti’s scheme, Mendoza is poetry in motion: 72% completions, 2,758 yards, 32 touchdowns, a jaw-dropping 9.4 yards per attempt. What separates him? It’s not just the metrics—it’s the composure under duress, the fearless layering of throws where others see ghosts, the sense that he is dictating, not merely reacting. It’s no wonder half the league’s front offices are already plotting aggressive moves up the board.
Dante Moore
After a year rotting on the vine at UCLA, Dante Moore arrived in Eugene and gave the Oregon Ducks a jolt reminiscent of Marcus Mariota. His numbers leap off the page—72.5% completions, 2,733 yards, 24 touchdowns—but it’s how he gets them that has scouts swooning. Watch him stretch a defense with a rainbow deep shot, then feather a sideline curl between two All-Big Ten defenders.
The experts are united in their praise: Moore’s off-platform ability and field vision draw fair comparisons to early C.J. Stroud—a blend of artistry and calculation. With Oregon surging into playoff contention, Moore’s draft stock is white-hot. If he jumps, expect him to be the class’s second quarterback taken and a Day 1 difference-maker.
Ty Simpson
Dynasties are built on patience, grit, and a dash of serendipity. Ty Simpson has exhibited all three at Alabama. Forgotten amid years of five-star churn, the Junior seized his moment in 2025 and never let go—256-for-389 (65.8%), 3,056 yards, 25 touchdowns to only four picks, and an SEC title shot for the Crimson Tide.
What’s more telling than the statistics is Simpson’s surgical command of the offense: the pre-snap diagnosis, the manipulation of safeties with his eyes, the perfectly timed seams. Scouts consider him the safest, most pro-ready quarterback of 2026, and we can see why. Don’t be surprised if Simpson’s draft night mirrors that of Mac Jones—a steady riser, perhaps not the flashiest, but coveted by franchises desperate to quiet the storm at quarterback.
Garrett Nussmeier
There’s a certain comfort in pedigree, and Garrett Nussmeier overflows with it. Son of New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, owner of one of college football’s quickest releases, the 23-year-old senior has spent the last two seasons carving up secondaries—and, occasionally, his own tissues, as injuries bit back in 2025 (67.4% completions, 1,927 yards, 12 touchdowns).
The key to his draft stock is his anticipation and aggression in the intermediate zones—a trait that’s more Sunday than Saturday. Draw up a West Coast playbook, dial up tempo reads, and Nussmeier is your man. Most mocks point to a late first or early second round landing, and don’t bet against a shock rise if he nails the interview circuit. And with Papa’s Saints in dire need of some creativity at quarterback, don’t be surprised to see the Louisiana native rock up at the SuperDome in a few months’ time.