Chris Simms Ranks Top 5 Quarterbacks in 2026 NFL Draft

Nobody understands quarterbacks like, well, other quarterbacks. NFL analyst and former Texas and NFL standout Chris Simms certainly fits the bill and his take on the college football stars now heading pro could be insightful. Simms delivered some surprises along with some familiar favorite on his list of top five college passers now in the NFL Draft.

Simms himself was a top prep prospect before a mildly disappointing career at Texas. He was a third round NFL Draft pick and bounced around the league for seven seasons. Simms is now an analyst for NBC and a co-host for Pro Football Talk Live. Combining his personal and professional knowledge, Simms dived in on a top five 2026 NFL Draft QBs.

Simms's Top Draft QBs

Simms's top pick is absolutely no surprise. Indiana star Fernando Mendoza has been basically certain as the top QB in the class, at least since Dante Moore decided to return to Oregon. Even before that, Mendoza seemed safe in the slot, but Moore appeared to be his only real competition. Some other top passers, like LaNorris Sellers and Arch Manning, also could have given him competition, but they also returned to college for another season.

The emerging second-best QB in the Draft has become Alabama's Ty Simpson. Only a one-year starter with the Tide, Simpson has seen his stock rise steadily. Originally forecast as a likely second-round pick, Simpson is now often expected to not last beyond the middle of the first round.

A Pair of Top QB Surprises

A surprising QB3 emerges on Simms's list. Texas Tech standout Berhren Morton is his third pick. Morton didn't even make a list of ten top Draft QBs on Mel Kiper's recent positional list. In five seasons at Texas Tech, Morton threw for 8,989 yards and 71 touchdowns. He steadily improved at Tech and racked up 5,115 yards and 49 touchdowns against 14 interceptions over his final two seasons.

Joey Aguilar nabbed the QB4 spot, although apparently reluctantly. Aguilar pursued an attempt to gain another season of eligibility at Tennessee, but when it was unsuccessful, his focus moved to the NFL. Aguilar had two good seasons at Appalachian State and then passed for 3,565 yards and 24 scores at Tennessee in 2025. Aguilar is also missing from Mel Kiper's board.

The No. 5 pick for SImms is a little more in keeping with other evaluations, as former LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier got the nod. Part of an entrenched group of starters who had a rough 2025 (Clemson's Cade Klubnik and Penn State's Drew Allar also fit the bill), Nussmeier came off a 4,052 yard and 29 touchdown season in 2024 and threw for just 1,927 yards and 12 scores before his season was shut down prematurely. Nussmeier is No. 4 on Mel Kiper's board, behind Mendoza, Simpson, and Miami QB Carson Beck.

My 2026 Draft QB rankings...No surprise at #1, Fernando Mendoza is clear QB1 and worth the #1 overall pick. pic.twitter.com/8ftq4ChpYL
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) March 16, 2026