The top quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft landed in four very different rooms.
Fernando Mendoza was the No. 1 overall pick to Klint Kubiak and Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas. Ty Simpson went No. 13 to Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles. Carson Beck joins Jacoby Brissett and Mike LaFleur in Arizona. Drew Allar landed in Pittsburgh at No. 76, with Aaron Rodgers’ return still an open question. Which QB will have the best apprenticeship based on their current support system?
PFSN’s Football Debate Club asked this exact question, and NFL analysts Jacob Infante and T.J. Randall were split on whether it’s Mendoza or Simpson.
Why Ty Simpson to the Rams Is the Best Landing Spot
Infante anchored his argument in coaching and infrastructure.
“I’m going to go with Ty Simpson with the Los Angeles Rams,” Infante said. “Sean McVay is obviously one of the best offensive play-callers, best offensive minds in the NFL today. You’re looking at the situation he’s inheriting. Three offensive linemen who would have B- or better by PFSN’s OL impact grade.
“You’re going to have the opportunity to throw to Puka Nacua, assuming they do sign him to a long-term extension. Nathan Scheelhaase as well, the offensive coordinator, he’s a potential head coach. In the first year, maybe even the second year, he’s somebody very highly regarded around the NFL, and I think he’s going to get a lot of screen time with the OC.”
The Rams can afford to be patient with Simpson, allowing him to develop over time since Stafford is the reigning NFL MVP. Simpson doesn’t have to be ready in 2026.
He will compete with Stetson Bennett for the backup job, watch McVay’s offense at MVP-quarterback speed, and develop on the Rams’ timeline rather than his own. That’s the textbook definition of an apprenticeship.
Why Fernando Mendoza Has the Best Path to Success With the Raiders
Randall went the other way and built his case around the coach who runs the room. Kubiak got the Raiders job after helping the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX as the offensive coordinator and play-caller.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
“It’s hard not to land on Mendoza,” Randall said. “He has a head coach with an established offensive identity. He essentially resurrected [Sam] Darnold in that Seahawks offense. He kept the Saints offense afloat the year before in 2024 when they lost Derek Carr and a slew of offensive contributors to injury. They’ve shown a commitment to bolstering the personnel around the quarterback and continuing to bolster the coaching staff.”
Cousins played for Kubiak in Minnesota for three seasons from 2019 to 2021, two under Kubiak as quarterbacks coach and one as offensive coordinator, so he’ll also be able to help Mendoza learn the offense. It helps that the veteran the Raiders signed to welcome Mendoza into the league already speaks the offense the rookie will be learning.
The disagreement between Infante and Randall isn’t really about quarterback evaluation. Both Simpson and Mendoza have legitimate cases for the best support system. The disagreement is about what you think an apprenticeship is supposed to do.
If the goal is patient development inside a contending team’s structure, Infante’s Simpson pick wins. If the goal is the cleanest path from rookie clipboard to franchise quarterback inside a system designed for the transition, Randall’s Mendoza pick wins.
