NFL draft: Ranking Fernando Mendoza vs. recent first-round QBs - ESPN

Fernando Mendoza had a storybook 2025 season, which started with a transfer from Cal to Indiana and ended with him leading the Hoosiers to their first-ever national championship. That performance, which included a Heisman Trophy, made him the unquestioned QB1 in the 2026 NFL draft. But how does he compare to first-round quarterbacks of the recent past?

I answered that question by stacking all 17 first-round quarterbacks from 2021-2025, then adding Mendoza — my only signal-caller with a first-round grade for 2026 — to the mix. The list includes the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Young, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.

I polled NFL scouts, decision-makers and analysts to help build the list, and predraft grades were the only consideration here. While I added each quarterback's pro performance for additional context, it has no bearing on these rankings. This is just those 18 quarterbacks stacked together as if they were all in the same draft class.

So who is No. 1 on the list as the top QB prospect going back five years, and how does Mendoza compare?

Jump to top QB from each class:
2021 | 2022 | 2023
2024 | 2025 | 2026

Drafted: No. 1, Chicago Bears

Potential is a scary word when it comes to prospects, but Williams was (and still is) loaded with it. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he has excellent arm strength and the ability to create on the move. He's a true playmaker and an artist, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2022, then throwing for 3,633 yards and accounting for 41 total touchdowns for USC in 2023.

Despite the enormous predraft hype, it has been a building process. After an uneven rookie season in which he finished 28th out of 33 qualified quarterbacks in QBR (46.7), Williams took a leap in 2025 under first-year coach Ben