The Ringer NFL Draft Show

The Case For and Against Every QB in the Draft, and Did We Actually GO to the Moon?

·1 hr 33 min·5 clips
Danny Kelly must defend Fernando Mendoza as the next Joe Burrow after a coin flip lands heads.
The episode begins with the hosts introducing a spontaneous coin-flip challenge where Danny Kelly and Danny Heifetz must argue opposite sides for each quarterback prospect. They start with Fernando Mendoza, the likely number one pick, comparing him to Joe Burrow and Phillip Rivers while debating his clutch play and fit with the Raiders under Clint Kubiak. Next, they discuss Ty Simpson, focusing on his limited college starts and whether his inexperience makes him a risky first-round pick, citing examples like Mitch Trubisky. Garrett Nussmeier is analyzed as a gunslinger with accuracy issues, with the hosts predicting a long backup career and future podcast. Drew Aller's elite arm strength is contrasted with his mechanical flaws, leading to comparisons to Justin Herbert and Joe Flacco. Carson Beck's off-field issues, including Snapchat scandals and leadership concerns, are debated as red flags. The hosts also briefly cover Dexter Lawrence's trade request, emphasizing his interior pressure stats, and share tangents on Roman Anthony's poor baseball throw and Patrick Reed's Starbucks order. The episode concludes with the hosts picking which mid-round quarterback they'd gamble on, favoring Nussmeier for polish and Aller for ceiling.

As heard by us

A loose quarterback-board debate led by Mendoza's growth, late-round hope, Steelers speculation, and a coin flip on Drew Aller.

The Ringer NFL Draft Show frames the 2026 quarterback class as an unsettled board rather than a settled hierarchy, balancing talk of a weaker year with the idea that a third- or fourth-round swing could still turn into something useful.

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Why you'd press play

You want a quarterback episode with coin flips, Steelers speculation, and a Castaway joke? Press play.

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