The pre-combine phase of the 2026 NFL Draft has already centered on quarterback debates, projection battles and a long list of prospects trying to turn athletic testing into draft capital. With front offices finalizing interview boards and medical priorities, the week in Indianapolis will shape not only the top of the first round but also how teams stack the middle tiers of this class. The biggest questions orbit the quarterbacks, the risers who can own the week and the defenders and skill players fighting to be more than just supporting characters.
Scouts arrive with early boards that lean heavily on college tape and all-star game impressions, but the combine has a way of reshuffling expectations. From Fernando Mendoza’s grip on QB1 to Ty Simpson’s chance to close the gap, and from Taylen Green’s testing upside to defenders like Caleb Downs and versatile offensive weapons pushing into the top half of round one, every drill and interview feeds into a broader argument about value and risk.
How secure is Fernando Mendoza’s QB1 status?
Quarterback conversations in this class start with Fernando Mendoza, who is widely viewed as the top passer on most early boards. One detailed ranking lists Fernando Mendoza of Indiana at the top of the position, with his Height and Weight recorded at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds and his Class listed as redshirt junior. Another set of NFL Draft QB also places Mendoza first and emphasizes how consistently he operated Indiana’s offense. That combination of size, production and experience has given him a strong early claim to QB1.
The discussion now shifts from whether Mendoza is the best quarterback to how high he should go overall. One early mock scenario even has evaluators presuming the Heisman winner out of Indiana as the favorite to land first overall with the Raiders, which would align with the way recent drafts have treated top quarterbacks as franchise cornerstones. At the same time, a separate early-season evaluation framed a different passer, Dante Moore of Oregon, as the No. 1 overall prospect, which shows that Mendoza’s grip on the top spot is strong but not immune to re-evaluation if another quarterback dominates the pre-draft process.
Ty Simpson, Dante Moore and the chase pack at quarterback
Behind Mendoza, the combine becomes a sorting event for the rest of a deep quarterback group. In one prominent roundtable, Ryan Wilson framed the key storyline as, Which quarterback not can separate themselves, and he identified Ty Simpson as his QB2. That view matches broader chatter that Ty Simpson has the blend of arm talent and movement skills teams covet, even if his college résumé still leaves some questions about consistency and decision-making.
Other reporting has turned Simpson into the central storyline of the week, with one piece describing how the biggest combine question revolves around Ty Simpson and how he will handle the scrutiny of NFL evaluators. That spotlight only intensifies when multiple references, including search-based scouting notes on Ty Simpson’s profile and broader mentions of Simpson as a rising prospect, reinforce how closely teams are tracking his every move. Moore remains a key part of this chase group as well, with earlier evaluations highlighting Dante Moore as poised and accurate at Oregon, giving him a path to push for QB2 if he pairs strong interviews with clean throwing sessions.
Dual-threat wild cards and the next wave of risers
Beyond the headliners, several dual-threat and developmental quarterbacks have a chance to become combine winners. One of the most intriguing is Taylen Green, whose size and athletic profile suggest he could light up testing and force teams to consider him earlier than his college production alone might justify. Evaluators are also digging into the tools of passers like LaNorris Sellers, whose arm strength and mobility at South Carolina hint at a high ceiling if he lands with a patient coaching staff, and Drew Allar, who brings prototypical size and a more traditional pocket style.
Earlier positional previews have already framed this quarterback group as one that could dominate Day 1, with one early-season forecast stating that, even if he to school, the depth at quarterback has enough juice to control the first round and that there are more names to watch for teams to emerge as well. Another pre-combine mock framed the conversation as, Beyond Mendoza the big questions at the NFL Combine involve which quarterbacks can convince a franchise they can lead it into the future. That context raises the stakes for every throw and every whiteboard session for this second tier of passers.
Non-QB headliners and surprise risers to watch
Quarterbacks may dominate the conversation, but the combine board is loaded with non-passers who can change the shape of round one. One top 50 ranking of combine invitees opens with Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State, at No. 1 and notes that the list includes 50 prospects with only one tight end in that group, which underscores how heavily weighted this class is toward defensive backs, edge rushers and offensive tackles. Another early big-picture preview of the event framed the week around Following are some of the top prospects who face burning questions as they head to the NFL Combine, with the Quarterback group leading off but several defensive stars also carrying first-round expectations.
Wide receiver has its own potential star turn in Cincinnati playmaker Jeff Caldwell. In one pre-combine roundtable, Wilson highlighted Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati as his pick to become a big riser, pointing to the fact that Caldwell made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, which often tracks with explosive testing and eventual draft climbs. That same discussion referenced how prior combine standouts like Brian Branch used elite workouts to solidify their draft range, and Caldwell will try to follow that path with a strong week in Indianapolis.
How the combine will reshape mocks, boards and fantasy outlooks
Mock drafts and big boards are already bracing for movement once the combine data arrives. A recent roundup of early projections described how analysts are stacking the first round in the final days before Indianapolis and framed the event as a hinge point for several positions, with a focus on NFL Predictions before the combine that could look very different once testing and interviews are complete. Another pre-combine question set framed the event around Day 1 dominance by quarterbacks, with the implication that several non-QB positions will be fighting to avoid being pushed down the board.
The ripple effects of combine week extend into fantasy football as well, especially in formats that emphasize quarterbacks. Early Superflex rankings already sort prospects across Overall boards, QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DST, IDP and even Team QB and Team RB categories for dynasty managers who want to stay ahead of the curve. As front offices adjust their grades on players like Mendoza, Simpson, Moore and Green, fantasy drafters will be watching for any sign that a quarterback might land in a system that maximizes rushing value or red-zone volume. The pre-combine questions about who can separate at the top of the quarterback class, which risers can own the week and how many non-QB stars can crack the top half of round one will soon have more data behind them, but for now they define the intrigue heading into Indianapolis.
