With Mendoza Not Participating, 5 Quarterbacks Used the Opening to Grab the Spotlight at NFL Combine

The quarterback workout at the 2026 NFL scouting combine usually revolves around the top passer in the class. This year, the top passer watched instead.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, widely viewed as the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the draft, did not participate in athletic testing or on field drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. With the presumed QB1 off the script, the combine’s quarterback day turned into a live audition for who might separate as the next option behind him.

Mendoza still made an appearance on the field, supporting other quarterbacks and chatting with former Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, but he left the throwing reps to the rest of the group. That created a clear runway for several passers to own the session, especially those viewed as potential Day 2 picks who needed a clean, efficient workout in front of decision makers.

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Here are five quarterbacks who benefitted most from that open lane.

Ty Simpson, Alabama
Simpson entered the week as one of the main candidates to establish himself as the likely second quarterback to be taken off the board in April. In Indianapolis, his throwing session did little to slow that conversation. Evaluators tracking the workout noted only a small handful of misses and pointed to consistent ball placement across the route tree, along with “quiet feet with little wasted movement.”

Simpson did not take part in on field athletic testing, but the throwing session itself was the key checkpoint. The bigger context remains the same: an older prospect with essentially one season as a starter, with a profile that could land in the late first round or early second round range depending on how teams stack the class.

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Nussmeier’s day followed a common combine pattern: a few rough throws early, then a steady correction once the timing settles. Notes from the workout described two of his first four throws as his worst, but said he “quickly settled in and avoided further erratic passes,” with overall work that consistently gave receivers a chance to finish plays.

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The combine also brought an important detail into focus for teams: Nussmeier “battled an injury all season,” a point that was visible on tape but not confirmed until Indianapolis. He did not participate in athletic testing, but his on field throwing helped stabilize his standing in the group competing to be the next quarterback selected after Mendoza and Simpson.

Carson Beck, Miami
Beck’s throwing session started sharply, with evaluators highlighting “quality accuracy and timing on out routes,” plus solid work on comeback and hinge routes. The main inconsistency showed up where teams always look first: the deep ball. Notes from the session said his touch “waned slightly” downfield, with a split between off target throws and well placed passes.

Even with the uneven deep shots, Beck remains in the mix to be the second or third quarterback off the board, which is the part of the draft where franchises start treating “pretty good” throwing sessions as real money.

Drew Allar, Penn State
Allar’s day was a reminder that quarterback workouts can look messy before they look clean. He was tagged with early errant throws and inconsistent footwork, including stretches where it looked like he was “fighting his lower body.” But the session improved as it went, and the second half was described as his best work, particularly on go balls, comebacks, and fade routes.

Allar’s size is the obvious selling point, and the on field work kept him in the Day 2 conversation for teams that still prefer a big pocket passer template.

Taylen Green, Arkansas
Green did not just take advantage of Mendoza sitting out. He put his name on the combine record board.

Arkansas’ Taylen Green posted a 43.5 inch vertical jump and an 11 foot 2 inch broad jump, both described as quarterback bests, topping the previous marks set by Anthony Richardson. He also ran an official 4.36 in the 40 yard dash, noted as the second fastest time ever by a quarterback at the combine, behind only Michael Vick’s 4.33.

Green’s workout came with a clear comparison from Kentucky defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, who said, “Kid is a stud. I was impressed with how he developed as a passer this year,” and added, “Reminds me a lot of Anthony Richardson.”

Green’s testing does not erase the scouting concerns about consistency as a passer, but it did what the combine is designed to do: force teams to reopen the file.

The bottom line
Mendoza’s decision to skip the throwing session did not stop quarterbacks from getting evaluated. It just changed who got the cleanest stage. With the presumed top pick watching from the side, the combine’s quarterback day became a wide open “next man up” tryout, and several passers took the invitation.

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