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Las Vegas Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza.

The Las Vegas Raiders did a lot of work on Fernando Mendoza ahead of the draft, and they also looked into a number of other quarterbacks. One quarterback they didn’t seem to pay much attention to was Ty Simpson.

The former Alabama standout ended up going to the Los Angeles Rams at pick No. 13, which was much higher than anybody expected. Mendoza was widely considered the top quarterback in the class, despite some in the media propping up Simpson.

Mendoza won more, is bigger and has a lot more starting experience than Simpson, even though he is a year older. Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski decided to predict which quarterbacks drafted in 2026 are going to have the best career. He had Mendoza at No. 2 behind Simpson.

“The Raiders continue to rework their lineup after four straight losing seasons, which included three different coaching changes (and a fourth at the helm now),” Sobleski wrote. “As such, expectations should be tempered. … From an individual standpoint, Mendoza’s toughness and poise cannot be questioned after what he accomplished at Indiana. At the same time, the Raiders owned this year’s top pick for a reason. His growth as the team’s QB1 will take time, possibly multiple years, because the situation isn’t nearly as good as it is for another incoming rookie.”

Why Is Simpson Expected to Have Better Career?

There’s no denying that the Rams are the better franchise than the Raiders. They’ve won a Super Bowl this decade and are perennial contenders. That’s not to mention Sean McVay, who is arguably the best head coach in the NFL.

General manager Les Snead consistently stacks the roster with tlaent everywhere. That’s the biggest reason why Sobleski thinks that Simpson will have the better career when it’s all said and done.

“The franchise’s decision to choose the Alabama product as early as it did might have been surprising in the moment, but a clear succession plan at the game’s most important position provides an opportunity for the Rams to seamlessly transition from one quarterback to the next,” Sobleski wrote.

“Simpson won’t be judged based on what he does early in his his career, because it should be very little. However, he’s in the best possible situation to create long-term success and emerge as the best quarterback from his draft class.”

Who Will Actually Have Better Career?

It’s very bold to suggest that Simpson will have the better career, even if the Rams are the better franchise. The success rate for quarterbacks who started in 15 or fewer games in college is incredibly low. Simpson is already 23 with just 15 starts under his belt.

Now, he’ll be able to sit behind Matthew Stafford and learn, but what he really needs is experience. Mendoza might not have as easy a time going to the Super Bowl as Simpson may have, but it’s hard to see how he’s not going to be better.

Mendoza has the edge on Simpson in almost every category. There’s a reason everybody was shocked when the Rams took Simpson, but nobody questioned the Raiders’ decision to take Mendoza.