Garrett Nussmeier’s draft projections mirror his equally dim 2025 season. Once touted to be a Round 1 pick, he has fallen to being a potential Day 3 prospect. Amid this uncertainty, LSU legend Tyrann Mathieu came to the support of the troubled QB.

“If he can go to a [team] and sit behind somebody for a couple years, I think that’s the best path forward [for] him,” LSU icon Tyrann Mathieu said on his show. “I think he’s still got some development work to do, but it’s been fun to see him sort of get back into the headlines. People talking about him again.”

The lack of numbers in 2025 will automatically be a reason for teams to look at him as a backup. But Nussmeier has only now become healthy, having played the entire 2025 season with an injury. If he waits for one year and develops at his 100%, things could be looking up for him. The QB could follow the path of Jordan Love at the Packers and Patrick Mahomes at the Chiefs. Nussmeier’s best bet is to project himself as a long-term investment. He could be the wild card player for teams after having taken some time to build himself. The way those headlines are also proof of this aspect.

The buzz around him started to grow after Nussmeier’s Senior Bowl showing, where he was named MVP. He put forward a brilliant performance despite having had only nine days to prepare, after rehabbing his injury. At the NFL Combine, Nussmeier was among the prospects with the most to prove. Much to everyone’s surprise, he did not disappoint. Popular draft expert Todd McShay said that Nussmeier improved over the first two days of the Combine. And by the last two, he was the best.

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“It’s not because of his size, it’s not because of his elite arm, it’s not because of his mobility. It’s his feel for the game,” he added in his review for the QB.

Despite Nussmeier’s stock rising, he will still have to wait for some time to hear his name in the draft order. One bad season has undone a lot of what he had achieved in the previous seasons, that too as an experienced starter. But since he’s been off his rhythm for a long while, it will be best for him to slowly find his groove in the NFL before making an impact.

That’s why he has some top teams circling above him in the draft.

Teams that would love to have Garrett Nussmeier on their roster

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have the most direct interest, as they held a formal interview with Garrett Nussmeier. Reports say they’re looking for a long-term successor to Aaron Rodgers, who is on a one-year deal.

The New York Jets have been heavily linked to Nussmeier in multiple mock drafts as a Day 2 target. After a rough 2025 season filled with quarterback struggles, scouts have pinned him as a perfect Day 2 target only if the Jets pick Arvell Reese out of Ohio State or another non-QB with the second overall pick.

A lot of experts think the Los Angeles Rams might be the perfect fit for his specific skill set. Head coach Sean McVay has a thing for aggressive gunslinger-type quarterbacks, like Matthew Stafford. They could get him anywhere between Rounds 3 and 6. Judging solely by Stafford’s last season (an MVP season), he’s got another three years of high-tank football in him. A dream come true for another gunslinger, perhaps, who will be waiting in line.