Nick Baumgardner's scouting strengths and weaknesses of 2026 NFL Draft’s top 3 QBs

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QB3: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Size: 6-1, 205 | Age: 24

Strengths
A smallish quarterback with above-average arm talent and confidence to burn, Nussmeier plays with explosive hips and can create the type of off-balance torque we see from great shortstops.

From a stylistic standpoint, an NFL comp for Nussmeier might be a smaller Baker Mayfield. A very confident passer who showed great command of what the LSU offense was trying to do, Nussmeier also flashed toughness, trying to play through injuries and behind a poor offensive line last season.

Another son of a coach (Nussmeier’s father, Doug, is a longtime college and NFL assistant who’s currently the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints), Nussmeier sat behind Jayden Daniels for two seasons. He then threw for more than 4,000 yards in 2024 and could have declared for the 2025 draft, but opted to return to LSU for a fifth season.

A seasoned, intelligent player, Nussmeier is another strong processor who won’t be overwhelmed by an NFL scheme.

Weaknesses
Nussmeier’s confidence is a very sharp, double-edged sword. Some of his biggest mistakes, even as a fifth-year quarterback, were on YOLO decisions that just weren’t necessary. Many of these, in which he trusted his arm too much, led to turnovers.

It’s a good thing that Nussmeier isn’t afraid to deliver the ball over the middle into tight windows, but there were too many times in college when his risk-reward ratio was just off. He has to work to be an efficient, under-control player from wire to wire, not unlike former South Carolina and current New Orleans Saints QB Spencer Rattler.

Nussmeier is also an undersized player — he measured in at the Senior Bowl at 6 feet 1, 202 pounds with 8 6/8-inch hands. (For comparison’s sake, Nussmeier’s hands were smaller than 5-9, 198-pound Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia). Nussmeier has taken a lot of hits, although he played through an injury-riddled 2025 campaign at LSU.

Bottom line:
Nussmeier’s size might be enough to disqualify him as a starter, but his football IQ, moxie and arm talent put him in the high-floor backup category. He’s a player who can steer the ship in a pinch, perhaps more. He is a top-100 prospect and likely will come off the board on Day 2

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