Way-too-early 2026 NFL mock draft: No Arch Manning, but Garrett Nussmeier headlines five QBs in Round 1

It’s not hard to see that Nussmeier is a coach’s son — he plays like a grizzled NFL veteran and when he’s on it’s pretty easy to see LSU Joe Burrow. The issues arise when Nuss Bus tries to do too much — and that was something of a theme as the ’24 season progressed and LSU Joe Burrow turned into New England Mac Jones. If Nussmeier can limit the poor decisions and untimely turnovers, he’ll have a great chance to be the No. 1 overall pick.

At 6-foot-7, 369 pounds, Proctor has an enormous frame and wingspan, but he’s also a good athlete who plays with power and surprising agility both as a run blocker and in pass protection.

Parker looks long frame on tape (think James Pearce Jr.). He wins with both speed and power, is stout at the point vs. offensive tackles and is a high-motor, high-end athlete who is just going into Year 3. He is consistently disruptive.

Technician in both pass protection and against the run. Played in primarily zone scheme and fit it perfectly because of mix of athleticism and power. Technically sound run blocker who wins with power/balance.

Woods plays with leverage, power and a low center of gravity. Flashes strong hands and can toss offensive linemen off-balance and shed blocks quickly to fill gaps and get to the ball-carrier.

Downs has not been overhyped this summer — he’s just that good. I really liked Malaki Starks last draft cycle, and I have Downs graded higher. In terms of on-field athleticism, I think Downs is closer to Nick Emmanwori than Starks.

Road grader/earth mover in the run game with enormous size and insane athleticism for that size. He plays with an edge and is better vs. the run than in pass protection right now, but well above average in both departments.

Allar might have been a first-round pick had he declared for the 2024 draft. He looks the part physically; he just needs to continue to make strides. We all saw glimpses of his first-round talent at various points last season, and if he can put it altogether in ’25, he could go from first-round lock to battling Nussmeier (and perhaps Arch, should he declare) to be QB1.

Bowling ball who can line up anywhere from 3T to 9T — think Ed Oliver meets Jared Verse. One of the best edge rushers when it comes to inside counters. Plays with low center of gravity, which makes up for lack of elite bend. Bain is good vs. both run and pass and is only going into his true junior season in ’25.

Williams was targeted 103 times in ’24, and while he had eight drops, he consistently wins off the line of scrimmage vs. physical corners, can get open at all three levels and has legit separation ability. He can play outside, in the slot and has punt-return ability.

Rivers can play inside or in the slot, he’s a physical player despite his size and he is consistently in the right place. Reminds me of Max Hairston in his style of play/size/ferocity. He plays the run like he’s an old-school middle linebacker: he will get off blocks, come downhill with his hair on fire and look to lay the ball-carrier out. He has a nose for the ball and for making big plays.

Plus-athlete who uses his hands well, anchors well against the bull rush and consistently moves defensive ends off the spot.

Overton has a thick frame and plays with violent hands; he’s able to disengage quickly from blocks and can rag-doll interior OL to the ground on his way to the ball-carrier. He can win with a powerful bull rush but doesn’t have an array of pass-rush moves beyond that. He is surprisingly bendy for his size but doesn’t consistently win with speed. He’s better vs. the run than as a pass rusher right now, but there is a lot to like.

Pocket passer but not a statue; he buys time with subtle pocket movements, excels off-platform and when needed, can stride out in open field. Will get through reads while hanging in a pocket closing in around him. Consistently played with pressure in his face, yet consistently stood tall in the pocket and delivered strikes to all three levels on time and accurately. Ball consistently comes out on time and with touch/accuracy to all three levels. Good feel for pocket pressure, can climb with eyes downfield and deliver accurately off-platform.

Plays with track speed and has high-end acceleration. Can stop on a dime and redirect with rare change of direction. Plays with good contact balance and has the footwork to jump-cut to avoid defenders and hit the crease. Not asked to do a lot in the pass game but flashes ability there, too.

Boston has a huge catch radius, soft hands and surprising YAC wiggle. He’s a smooth route runner who flashes urgency out of his breaks, is an asset in the screen game because he has the ability to win in small areas and can run through arm tackles anywhere on the field.

Sapp is an plus-run defender because of power, leverage and the low base he plays with. He has heavy hands that allow him to disengage from blocks quickly and be disruptive. As a pass rusher, he can overwhelm offensive linemen with sheer power and consistently collapse the pocket.

High-motor, high-end athlete who excels vs. the run, the pass and as a pass rusher.

Long-legged, long-armed big slot who moves like a much smaller nickel. Long-strider with legit makeup speed who is also a thumper when coming downhill in run support.

Has NFL bloodlines — his brother is former first-round pick A.J. Terrell. Avieon plays bigger than his listed size (see his matchup with former Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor). He can stay in phase on vertical routes and has good ball skills — he will try to bait the QB into making throws. In run support, he plays outside CB like he’s a strong safety.

A special teams standout, Sadiq is a versatile athlete who was used at QB on four extra points in ’24; twice threw TDs on rollout plays (and he’s also run fake punts from the upback position). As a TE, he runs extremely well, will run through arm tackles and is used all over the formation. He can be a quick-game target as an outside WR and was also used effectively on jet sweeps. He reminds me of Kadarius Toney in the quick game and Anquan Boldin in space with the ball in his hands.

Physical corner who can play man on an island and is also comfortable in zone looks. Consistently good at staying in phase on vertical routes, and in run support he comes downhill with purpose looking to thump someone. Might be the best CB in the class vs. go routes.

Unofficially listed at 240 pounds, so you’d like to see if he could add 10 pounds to his frame. That said, better vs. the run than Donovan Ezeiruaku and might be a better, more explosive pass rusher. He can win with speed (including an incredible first step) or power, and makes plays all over the field.

World might play with the best balance of any offensive tackle in recent memory; he’s not the athlete Josh Conerly Jr. was coming into the draft, but he’s athletic enough. In terms of summer draft grades, I have him in the same range as Kelvin Banks Jr. heading into his ’24 season.

Plays corner like an in-the-box safety or linebacker. Lines up everywhere from outside CB to slot to Tampa 2 LB to QB spy. Plays like he’s shot out of a cannon vs. quick game and in run support where he’s a no-YAC tackling machine. Might be the best CB tackler in this class.

Undersized and twitchy with short-area quickness to win in small areas. Anderson will consistently create separation from the slot vs. off coverage, and he has an extra gear in the open field. Legit track speed on go routes, and he can run the entire route tree, though he will have the occasional focus drop.

Klubnik got better as the ’24 season progressed. While he’s not the biggest QB, he has a big arm and is one of the best deep-ball passers in this class. Good athlete who can win with his feet, he throws accurately to all three levels. If he continues to progress, he’ll be a first-rounder next April.

Thickly built long-strider who can redirect and get to the ball like a much smaller player. Right now he’s better vs. the run than as a pass rusher — he lacks an array of pass-rush moves outside of a bull rush. That said, he plays with good balance, will fight through blocks and plays through the whistle to get to the QB.

Despite his size, Perkins can win with his bull rush vs. offensive tackles and force a re-anchor; he also works hard to get off blocks and get to the QB. Insane athleticism, short-area quickness and twitch; creates problems for bigger/slower OTs when he’s coming off the edge. He has legit closing speed coming downhill.

Next-level athleticism, Singleton can contort his body into any form to position himself for the catch, and he plays with a big catch radius for his size. He has track speed out of the blocks and into the second and third levels and hits top end in 1-2 steps. Explosive is the best way to describe his game — he can stress defenses at all three levels.

Missed all but one game in ’24 because of quad injury; only saw one target, no catches. That said, in 2023, he set an Oklahoma record for TD receptions by a freshman with 10. Anderson is a big, physical X receiver who can play through contact. He tracks deep balls well on go routes, and he consistently stacks CBs. He’s a YAC machine who plays with great contact balance and will drag defenders downfield — he’s almost like a RB with ball in his hands; if you need 2-3 yards, he’ll get them.

Thick, physical, athlete who can win with his feet and also has a huge arm … Sellers is just incredibly raw. That said, there was a reason that every SEC edge rusher I spoke to at the combine earlier this year described Sellers as the toughest QB they faced. I got “Baby Cam (Newton)” a lot as a descriptor, and when you watch Sellers play, it’s easy to see why. He does a lot of things really well; he just needs to play with more consistency, which will come with experience. He has the talent to be the No. 1 player in most draft classes.

Can line up anywhere along the defensive line, plays with active hands and low pad level, and is disruptive vs. both run and pass.