Dan Orlovsky drops hot take on who he views as the 2026 NFL draft QB1
ESPN analyst and former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky made an eye-opening claim about who he sees as the top quarterback in the 2026 draft class.
There has been little to no debate about who the first quarterback will be that gets selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. At this point, the Las Vegas Raiders, owners of the No. 1 overall pick, have shown their cards after trading last season's starter, Geno Smith.
All sings point that they'll select Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, the winner of the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Ever since the college football season came to a close with the Hoosiers as College Football Playoff champions, Mendoza was viewed as the top passer in an otherwise weak quarterback draft class. After all, he was the top quarterback in college football, showing massive growth in his lone season at Indiana while throwing for over 3,500 yards and 41 touchdowns.
The only other potential first-round talent is widely seen as Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who also threw for over 3,500 yards along with 28 touchdowns. He's as pure of a passer as they come, with a smooth throwing motion and excellent accuracy. But his stature (6-foot-2, 208 pounds versus Mendoza's 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame) and lack of experience, as he only started one season, gives doubt to his case of unseating the Hoosiers' quarterback at the top of the draft.
Despite that, former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky provided some strong words about the contrary, pushing for Simpson over Mendoza. "I think Ty Simpson is QB1," Orlovsky said. "I think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this class.