Jets, Raiders, Rams Projected to Land QBs in Field Yates' Latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft

Three quarterbacks came off the board in the newest 2026 NFL mock draft from ESPN's Field Yates.

Yates projected the New York Jets to trade up to the No. 1 overall pick in order to get Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. The Las Vegas Raiders followed up by taking Oregon's Dante Moore at No. 2.

Then there was a long wait for the next signal-caller. Yates had the Los Angeles Rams picking Alabama's Ty Simpson at No. 31 to map out a succession plan from Matthew Stafford.

Opinions on the 2025 QB class were pretty lukewarm. Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough were the only three taken in the first three rounds. It originally looked like 2026 would be a different story.

Instead, a lot of notable draft-eligible quarterbacks have failed to meet expectations. Texas' Arch Manning, Penn State's Drew Allar, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier have all seen their stock slide.

Still, positional value all but guarantees at least one team will reach early in the hope of finding a long-term solution under center.

Four quarterbacks rank in the top 50 prospects on Bleacher Report's big board: Mendoza (No. 4), Simpson (No. 11), Moore (No. 14) and Manning (No. 44).

Draft boards are fluid and always evolve once the season ends. For now, Mendoza will hard to dislodge as the top-ranked passer. The Hoosiers star has thrown for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns to six interceptions. His 10.7 adjusted yards per pass attempt rank first in FBS.

Mendoza is the heavy favorite for the Heisman Trophy and the starting quarterback for the unbeaten No. 1 team in the country. He has fully justified why he was on the radar for draft experts and talent evaluators coming into the year.

Mendoza Heisman Reel

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The Giants, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans are all tied for the NFL's worst record at 2-11.

New York or Tennessee would be in an advantageous position if either lands the No. 1 overall pick. They aren't in need of a quarterback, while the Raiders are a strong candidate to go in that direction.

As was evidenced by Yates' mock, a trade up could be required in order for a team to leapfrog Las Vegas and get the QB it covets. That means the Giants or Titans would get additional assets to help accelerate their ongoing rebuilds.