2026 NFL Mock Draft Breakdown: Our Favorite Sleepers, Carson Beck and More

Earlier this week, we published out post-title game 2026 NFL Draft Mock. And as the saying goes, "a good mock will raise more questions than answers." So we decided to address some of this year's most burning questions here, as a complement and a service to our readers. 

Enjoy!

1. Who is Fernando Mendoza’s NFL comp?

FREEDMAN: I have a writeup on Mendoza, so check that out for my fuller thoughts … but let me say that he's a hard player for me to find a comp I 100% love. I respect Mendoza's intelligence and accuracy … but he simply does not strike me as the "typical" No. 1 pick, at least not in the modern NFL.

But this comp might suffice: Who was the last No. 1 pick who A) won a Heisman Trophy and B) offered little as a runner? Bryce Young. It feels weird and almost dirty to say, but Mendoza strikes me as a bigger Bryce.

Here are the QBs to win a Heisman and a national championship in the same season this century: Matt Leinart (2004), Cam Newton (2010), Jameis Winston (2013). and Joe Burrow (2019). Of the four, Mendoza is the most like Leinart. He doesn't have Newton's legs, Winston's arm, or Burrow's swagger—but he has Leinart's pro-readiness.

Here's the thing: Newton, Winston, and Burrow all went No. 1, while Leinart went No. 10, and they all had significantly better NFL careers.

Mendoza could have a fine career, but in a typical year I don't think he'd be the No. 1 selection. He has maximized his skill set to become a good player, but I'm skeptical that he has the pure skill to become a great player.

GENE: Mendoza reminds me of Matt Schaub. He makes great decisions with the football in his hands. He is tough as a two-dollar steak and exhibits genuine leadership qualities. He has a good arm but nothing overwhelming and he is accurate. He is consistently underestimated as a runner and uses that to be strategically productive with his legs. 

I believe he is now who he will be in five or ten years and I would not be surprised to see him earning a starting spot and playing well but maybe not well enough to ever invest a treasure chest full of money on him.

2. Did Carson Beck’s stock rise during his run in the postseason? Could he be a first round pick when the dust settles?

FREEDMAN: A little but not much...and no. Beck enters the NFL as a sixth-year redshirt senior. He's not changing anyone's mind at this point, and I think it's likelier he'll go in Round 4 than Round 1.

This is just a bad QB class: No Arch Manning. No LaNorris Sellers. No Dante Moore. In theory, that could mean someone like Beck gets pushed up the board—but in reality I think it means that NFL teams just avoid most of the QBs altogether.

GENE: I think Miami's CFP run was a perfect backdrop to showcase who Beck is as a quarterback. He is a facilitator cosplaying as a playmaker. The team does not go as he goes, he goes as the team goes. That's great for a guy who is a potential spot starter who can come in and fill in for a few games but not a guy you want to make the unquestioned leader of your offense.

3. What is the most important trickle-down effect of this class being light on QB?

FREEDMAN: This class reminds me a lot of Malik Willis' 2022 draft class, which ultimately contained just one first-round QB. With the exception of 2024, when six QBs went in the first 12 picks, the NFL generally does a good job of not reaching for overhyped QBs who don't deserve Round 1 investment.

Jimmy Clausen. Brock Osweiler. Geno Smith. Drew Lock. Will Levis. All guys who were widely mocked in Round 1 of their respective drafts but fell to Round 2. And that's not to mention Desmond Ridder and Willis, who fell to Round 3. Or—most famously—Shedeur Sanders, who just last year fell to Round 5.

Some needy teams might speculate on project QBs on Day 2, but I doubt any of them will be pushed into Round 1, because if a GM selects a QB in the top 32—that's it. For better or worse, that's his guy. Almost no GM gets a chance to select a second QB in Round 1 after selecting a first one who busted.

So in turn, I expect to see a number of veteran bridge QBs this upcoming season.

GENE: You would think with the quarterback class being light on elite talent that these teams would lean into some veteran options like Jacoby Brissett, Malik Willis or trading for a Jameis Winston to be shorter term plan until there are better prospects — but history tells us that teams will trick themselves into overpaying for a quarterback in the draft. 

The results will be teams taking a quarterback... just to turn around and take another quarterback in 2027 or even worse, they will be stuck with a quarterback that nobody really loves but feel obligated to give more time.

4. If you were a sharp front office intern, who is the sleeper player you’d keep telling everyone above you that “we need to draft this year”?

FREEDMAN: My name would be UConn WR Skyler Bell.

After a redshirt season (1-15-0 receiving), Bell served as the No. 2 WR at Wisconsin for two years (68-740-6, 13-160-0 rushing, 25 games) and then transferred to Connecticut, where he immediately stepped up as the No. 1 WR in 2024 (50-860-5) and finished as a Biletnikoff Finalist in 2025 (101-1,278-13, 13 games).

A chains-moving craftsman, Bell wins with pacing, leverage and short‑area twitch more than size and deep‑speed juice, but his polished professionalism gives him a shot to go on Day 2 as a plug‑and‑play slot/Z contributor.

And if a team gets him on Day 3, that will be great value.

GENE: Both of these guys will likely be day three selections and possibly even worse but Morgan State linebacker Erick Hunter and Georgia State receiver Ted Hurst are two people that I would want in the building. 

Hunter is a tackle merchant with length, sideline-to-sideline speed, a high football IQ and an undeniable desire to be great. 

Hurst is a 6-foot-4, big-bodied speedster who had underrated hands and basketball player hops. He will test very well but show up when the whistle is blown even better. He has a lot of the things you can't teach including the ability to grind.

5. Do all the coaching changes – especially several having ended long tenures with the same team – cloud the early mock draft picture at all for you?

FREEDMAN: I generally think teams try to hit the sweet spot of addressing biggest needs while getting value in Rounds 1-3 … but I also think HCs tend to prioritize "their side of the ball," especially early in their tenures.

That said, I tend to focus first on the players whom I believe belong in Round 1, and then from there I try to stack them in the right order and allocate them to teams based on need. HCs matter—but not as much as the team needs and the players themselves.

GENE: Whether you are going best player available or you are drafting for need the choices are usually pretty simple and straightforward. You hope to draft one of the best 32 guys in the draft. Even if you “reach” you still should add a quality piece to your team. Remember when the Lions took Jahmyr Gibbs at 12 and Jack Campbell at 18? Both were considered to be a reach at the time. Nobody is questioning them now.