Fernando Mendoza is the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, but not everyone is buying it. NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner has seen enough film to argue otherwise, and he is putting Ty Simpson at the top of his class, calling him the best quarterback in the draft.

“The thing I like about Ty Simpson is… you know, I talked about Mendoza not having to play in a pro-style offense, a lot of pick and stick, first guy, throwing type of plays,” Warner said on Ross Tucker Football Podcast. I thought Ty Simpson was forced to play more quarterback than any of these guys: drop back, play from in the pocket, move in the pocket and create throws, big second level throws, overs and ins, drive posts and things like that.”

Unlike Fernando Mendoza’s offense at Indiana, which relied heavily on quick, pre-determined throws to first reads, Alabama’s system made Simpson work. He frequently faced collapsing pockets, forcing him to keep his eyes downfield. escape pressure and make complex pro-level throws on the run to survive.

Warner is a legendary quarterback who won Super Bowl XXXIV in his first season as the primary starter, becoming the first to do so and also becoming the only undrafted quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. His 12 years of experience in the NFL is why he seems to have chosen Ty Simpson, not for mere statistics, but for remarkable qualities that cannot be quantified. 

However, Simpson also had the statistics to back him up. In his first three seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide, he had Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe ahead of him as the program’s starting quarterback. The 2025 season was his lone season as QB1, and he hit the ground running in mind-blowing fashion. He threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 games.

Fernando Mendoza has had more time to prove himself at the California Golden Bears and the Indiana Hoosiers. He started in 34 games for both programs. In almost two seasons as the Golden Bears starter, he combined for 4,712 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. En route to his Heisman Trophy and national championship-winning season with Indiana, he threw for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Regardless, Warner went further with his shouts for Simpson and drew similarities between him and Patrick Mahomes. According to Warner, Simpson is the best among his peers in emulating the “fluidity” that has provided Patrick Mahomes with the outstanding quarterback that he is.

“He was forced to play the position more like an NFL quarterback than I think ANYBODY else in this class, and he played it really, really well at times. I think he is the most fluid of these guys. I like fluidity or quarterback athleticism in a quarterback. That doesn’t look like how fast you run a 40 or how hard do you throw football. But it’s the ability like a Patrick Mahomes, to play off platform and to be very fluid when you don’t have your feet to be able to make touch throws with your arms and change trajectory of throws and all of that stuff.” 

Warner values adaptability over raw arm strength. In the NFL, plays rarely go as drawn up. Simpson’s ability to adjust his arm angle and throw accurately while off-balance shows he is already comfortable in the chaotic, unscripted situations pro QBs face every week. For the umpteenth time, Warner emphasized his preference for Simpson over the other quarterbacks in his class, including Drew Allar, Carson Beck, Garrett Nussmeier, and others.

“I think Ty Simpson was the best in his class at all of those things, the most fluid of all of these quarterbacks in terms of when things aren’t perfect and on schedule and he’s got to throw with his feet moving and sliding and things. I thought he was the best quarterback in his class.”

Other experts also picked Ty Simpson over Fernando Mendoza

Kurt Warner is not the only one on this train; several other analysts and experts are with him on his pro-Simpson stance. ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky was also of the opinion that Mendoza is, at best, the QB2 in the upcoming NFL Draft.

“I think Ty Simpson is QB1,” Orlovsky said. “I think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this draft.”

He was quickly backed up by ESPN NFL analyst and former GM Mike Tannenbaum, who posted on his X account, “In talking to clubs, this opinion is shared by other teams as well.”

While Warner loves Simpson’s ability to improvise when plays break down, others love his ability to keep plays from breaking down in the first place. Draft analyst Todd McShay noted that Simpson is just as lethal when playing strictly by the book.

“If you’re a purist and you’re someone who’s studied the quarterback position your whole life and you put on the tape for Ty Simpson, it’s how the game’s supposed to be played,” McShay said.

Who do you have as the QB1, Simpson or Mendoza? Let us know in the comments below.