Fernando Mendoza to Saints, Ty Simpson to Jets in Kiper and Yates' 2026 NFL Mock Draft

Heading into the final stretch of the college football and NFL seasons, mock drafts are heating up with teams projected to be picking early keeping a close eye on the incoming quarterback class.

On the latest episode of First Draft (starts at 5:40 mark), ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates projected Fernando Mendoza to be the No. 1 overall pick to the New Orleans Saints, followed by Ty Simpson going to the New York Jets at No. 3.

One thing that's becoming increasingly clear is that Mendoza has the inside track to be the top pick in the 2026 draft, regardless of which team owns that selection, but it's far from a lock at this point.

Yates did note there were multiple options he considered for the Saints, but it Mendoza made too much sense given where their roster is at right now.

It would mark the second consecutive year the Saints have invested a high draft pick in a quarterback, but there's a big difference between making Tyler Shough the No. 40 selection and potentially adding Mendoza with the top pick.

Mendoza is the only quarterback ranked among the top 10 prospects overall in the 2026 class by B/R's NFL scouting department. Dante Moore (No. 11) and Simpson (No. 19) are in the top 10, but there's some uncertainty either or both will even be available in the upcoming draft.

Moore's draft status is a big question mark because of Oregon's NIL flexibility, potentially taking one major chess piece off the board in the upcoming class. Yates noted "some people" are skeptical that Simpson will declare for the draft, but his improved play over the course of the season does help his NFL stock.

After transferring from Cal to Indiana in December, Mendoza has been incredible this season. He has thrown for 2,124 yards, 25 touchdowns and completed 72.3 percent of his passes through nine games for the second-ranked Hoosiers.

The Jets seem all but certain to add a quarterback in the draft and could make a play for the No. 1 overall pick in a trade if they don't get it on their own. Their trade-deadline deals involving Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams brought back three extra first-round picks over the next two years, giving them a total of five between 2026 and '27.

No one club is better equipped to build a trade package to move up than the Jets with all that extra capital, but they are currently slotted in at No. 3 where a player like Simpson could easily be available.

After three years as a backup, Simpson got his first opportunity to start for the Crimson Tide this season. He has taken advantage of it with 2,184 yards, 20 touchdowns, one interception and a 67.8 completion percentage in eight games.

One AFC area scout told ESPN's Jordan Reid that Simpson's lack of size "will hurt him at the very top because teams usually chase ceilings with those QBs early on" in the draft.

Simpson is listed at 6'2" and 203 pounds on Alabama's athletic website. Caleb Williams, as a comparison, measured in at just under 6'2" and 214 pounds leading up to the 2024 draft, but he was also regarded as a dynamic athlete with incredible arm talent coming out of USC.

It's not hard to imagine a scenario where Simpson goes very high in the draft between his resume and potential lack of quarterback depth, but the Jets really can't afford another miss at the position, especially given how well Sam Darnold has played since leaving New York.