Fernando Mendoza has been treated like the clear QB1 in the 2026 NFL Draft for months. That is why Dan Orlovsky’s recent push for Ty Simpson sparked such a strong reaction. Orlovsky’s ESPN colleague Ryan Clark now believes that backlash says more about how Mendoza is being discussed than about whether Orlovsky’s take is actually unreasonable.
Ryan Clark Is Defending Dan Orlovsky’s Take on Fernando Mendoza
Clark posted on X in support of Orlovsky after the ESPN analyst drew heavy criticism for repeatedly pushing Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson over Mendoza.
“Dan Orlovsky is one of the best sport’s analyst in the world… period,” Clark wrote. “No one studies the game more. This is especially true when it comes to QB play.”
“The reaction to his Mendoza take is laughable,” Clark added. “Fernando Mendoza is the #1 overall pick, but the gap isn’t as wide as some believe.”
That is the part worth slowing down on.
Clark was not arguing that Mendoza should suddenly fall out of the QB1 conversation. He was pushing back on the idea that even questioning how much separation Mendoza actually has should be treated like some absurd draft take.
That is what makes his defense of Orlovsky more interesting than simple media solidarity.
Orlovsky has spent the past week arguing that Simpson is the better quarterback prospect, pointing to NFL-style throws, pocket presence, and how each player handles plays as they break down. Whether people agree with him or not, Clark’s point is that the reaction only makes sense if Mendoza is being treated like a generational quarterback beyond debate.
Why Mendoza Isn’t Framed as a Generational Prospect
Mendoza is an excellent quarterback prospect and still the most likely player to go No. 1 overall. But he has not been discussed the way recent top quarterback prospects like Joe Burrow or Trevor Lawrence were, and Clark pointed directly to that.
“There’s no comparison between Mendoza & former number 1 picks like Burrow, Lawrence etc…” Clark wrote. “If Arch Manning had declared there’d be discussion on whether or not he should go ahead of Mendoza.”
That is a strong point.
Because it gets to the difference between being the best quarterback in a draft class and being viewed as a truly rare prospect.
Mendoza looks much more like the former. That does not weaken his profile. It just means the conversation around him should probably stay more open than people would like.
The Ringer’s Todd McShay recently echoed part of that same tension when comparing Mendoza and Simpson. McShay said Simpson’s tape was “clearly better” than Mendoza’s at points during the season but still called Mendoza the safer projection because of his size, résumé, late-game poise, and overall risk profile.
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That is probably the fairest way to frame this. Mendoza may still be the safer bet. He may still go No. 1, but that is not the same thing as saying the debate should be closed.
PFSN’s board still reflects a sizable gap, with Mendoza ranked No. 5 overall and Simpson at No. 43. Mendoza also finished second in PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Rankings, while Simpson came in at No. 25. Those numbers support why Mendoza remains the favorite to go first.
But Clark’s point is still fair.
If Mendoza were truly viewed as a Burrow- or Lawrence-level quarterback prospect, Orlovsky’s take would sound absurd. The fact that it doesn’t fully land that way is probably the clearest sign this conversation is more open than many people want to admit.
And that is what Clark was really defending. Not that Mendoza should lose QB1 status, but that the outrage over even questioning how wide the gap really is has probably gotten ahead of the class itself.
