Carson Beck, Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik & more: What to expect from every late-round NFL rookie QB in training camp

Fernando Mendoza has a fair shot to start for the Raiders sometime in 2026. Ty Simpson has zero chance to see the field for the Rams, barring a Matthew Stafford injury.

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The outcomes for the only two quarterbacks selected in the first round of 2026 NFL Draft are straightforward. Mendoza, sooner or later, will live up to being Las Vegas’ franchise quarterback. Meanwhile, Simpson will be groomed for a potential big future role in Los Angeles.

But what about the other eight quarterbacks selected, from the third through seventh rounds? That group includes a lot of big and polarizing college names trying to prove to the league they were undrafted based on upside.

From the Cardinals adding the QB who lost to Mendoza in the College Football Playoff championship game to the Chiefs landing a young arm to develop behind Patrick Mahomes, here’s the training camp outlook for those other green passers:

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Carson Beck: Cardinals’ chaos can play in his favor

Arizona officials have taken their time in signing Beck, but at the same time, they are working on giving veteran starter Jacoby Brissett a raise from his $4.88 million base salary. Beck, 23, needs to take advantage of the replacement reps he does get with No. 2 Gardner Minshew II to convince them he deserves a shot sometime as a rookie.

With the Cardinals not expected to win much and be out of NFC playoff contention by midseason, it would make sense for them to take a look at Beck as a potential option for 2027 when Brissett, now 33, is unsigned. 

The new coaching staff led by offensive-minded Mike LaFleur has no attachment to Brissett and should want to be open-minded about the QB situation. For a third-round pick, Beck stepped into one of the better competitive situations. He will look to lean on his vast high-level college experience from Georgia and Miami to position himself for on-field evaluation sooner rather than later.

Drew Allar: Steps into steely situation in Pittsburgh

The Steelers know for sure it will be Aaron Rodgers’ last NFL season so the evaluation process for next year is in the background as they work to take one more playoff shot with the future Hall of Fame QB. Mason Rudolph is a career backup and now is dealing with a brand-new offense with coach Mike McCarthy and coordinator Brian Angelichio. 

Rudolph is in the final year of his return contract with the team. That positions Allar, a third-rounder from Penn State, to compete most with former Big Ten rival Will Howard, a 2025 fifth rounder from Ohio State. Neither is likely Pittsburgh’s long-term post-Rodgers solution, but Allar’s job is prove he has more developmental upside to execute McCarthy’s offense. Between past and present Buckeyes offensive coordinators Chip Kelly and Arthur Smith, Howard is in the process of being in a third system in three years.

When healthy Allar is the better pocket passing than Howard. He needs to go out and prove it fast so he doesn’t get caught in the numbers game and Howard sticks as the third QB instead. There’s optimism he will be a quick study with his experience and will get every chance to ascend on the deprh chart.

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Cade Klubnik: Express Jet to top backup role

Other than Mendoza, the buzziest rookie going into training camp has been Klubnik, the Jets’ fourth-round pick from Clemson. Klubnik already has impressed the well-experienced combination of offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave with his passing mechanics and natural athleticism. 

Klubnik has risen to the point so far in the offseason that he’s zoomed past Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe as New York’s most viable QB on the 2026 depth chart after returning Geno Smith. Much like the Cardinals’ situation, there’s greater uncertainty beyond this season with Smith on only a one-year deal.

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The Jets also need to give Klubnik a long look to see if he might develop into a potential starter vs. diving headfirst into a early first-round quarterback in 2027. He has favorable physical talent to accelerate his growth with the most meaningful camp reps after Smith. He also figures to see extensive playing time in three preseason games. It’s trending to Klubnik getting a multiple regular-season starts when the Jets fade out of contention with Smith.

Cole Payton: Eagles can see a little Hurts in him

The Eagles acquired Andy Dalton to become their seasoned top backup for Jalen Hurts. Tanner McKee, a 2023 sixth-rounder, has been stuck in developmental status despite some initial buzz. Dalton is finishing up a two-year deal he got from the Panthers and will turn 39 in October. McKee is in the final year of his rookie contract.

That sets up Payton, a lefthanded fifth-rounder from North Dakota State, to lay the rookie camp groundwork to be Hurts’ long-term No. 2. Payton (6-2, 232 pounds) has some similar early physical attributes to Hurts (6-1, 223 pounds). Unlike Dalton and McKee, he’s a dynamic athlete with strong rushing resume. He’s also strong and well-built with a promising powerful arm.  With the Eagles flipping to Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator, Payton’s goal is to beat out McKee in camp.

The Eagles were excited to take a late flyer on Payton given his makeup and upside. Teh more he can absorb from Hurts early in his execute, the better his chances to stick on the team, displacing McKee.

Taylen Green: Caught in a Dawg Pound crowd

Green blew up with his speed and athleticism at the Combine. While the attention falls on whether Deshaun Watson can solidify his starting status over Shedeur Sanders, don’t forget about the No. 3 battle between Dillon Gabriel, the 2025 third-rounder and Green, a 2026 sixth-rounder. He has oodles of young raw talent to make a mark in camp under offensive-minded coach Todd Monken. The goal should at least stick on the practice squad with a chance to be elevated at some point during the season.

Athan Kaliakmanis: Still Commanders’ curious choice

Marcus Mariota is back on a one-year deal and has been the ideal veteran fill-in for Jayden Daniels. Washington reached a bit in the seventh round to land Kaliakmanis to give the team some developmental alternative to Sam Hartman. Although Kaliakmanis isn’t the same style of QB as Daniels, as a pure pocket passer, he can stick over Hartman with flashes of his big arm strength.

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Behren Morton: One stat can help Patriots’ path

Drake Maye, during his big second-year breakout that led New England to the Super Bowl, led the NFL with his 72.0 completion percentage. Morton, before being drafted in the seventh round out of Texas Tech, led FBS with his 66.0 completion percentage. Maye also averaged a league-best 8.9 yards per attempt. Morton was at an impressive 8.4 during his final college season.

There was a backup void behind Maye, where the current No. 2 remains viral former Giant Tommy DeVito, who didn’t need to play at all last season. Morton has some upside to think he can develop into the better, preferred understudy to Maye, starting with a solid camp that shows his downfield accuracy.

Garrett Nussmeier: Chiefs eye long-term backup

Nussmeier didn’t end up going from LSU to staying in-state with the Saints in the offense now coordinated by his father, Doug Nussmeier. But landing with Andy Reid as a late seventh-rounder is more than. a fair consolation.

The Chiefs added a different kind of contingency for Patrick Mahomes, coming off his torn ACL, with young athletic Justin Fields vs. a seasoned pocket-oriented passer. Fields can settle in well as the No. 2, or just not execute well enough passing to last more than the one year on his contract.

Garrett Nussmeier is more in line with Mahomes’ previous recent backups, only with less experience. The first trick is showing he’s no longer bothered by the oblique and abdominal injury issues that caused his draft stock to plummet. The second, before awing with his ar from the pocket, will be mental in showing he can began to grasp Reid’s system through his camp work. Even if Fields would be the top option for Mahomes at first, Nussmeier has a few months to prove he’s better to have behind a healthy Mahomes.

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