Why Garrett Nussmeier is about be the steal of the 2026 NFL Draft – Foxton News

The time period “draft shock” at all times has damaging connotations. It tends to conjure reminders of leaked Wonderlic scores, the off-field concern that wasn’t reported, or the harm that wasn’t revealed till draft evening. Nevertheless, within the 2026 NFL Draft we had one hell of a draft shock drop that would change lots about what we thought of this class.

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who was being slated as a mid-round decide after a tragic senior season may need a full justification for why he was so unhealthy in 2025. Tom Pellisero of the NFL Community is reporting that testing on the mix revealed that Nussmeier had a cyst on his backbone, which was urgent on a nerve, inflicting important ache and discomfort in his indirect muscle groups. Throughout the season it was reported that the quarterback was coping with a “persistent belly harm,” although the explanation for the harm was largely unknown.

It’s troublesome to overstate what an enormous downside it’s to attempt to play quarterback by means of an indirect harm. Each component of getting good throwing mechanics includes driving off your legs, by means of your core, and eventually to the arm. With ache and poor muscle response in that space, it essentially breaks the chain within the throwing movement altogether. If we take a look at Nussmeier’s season by means of this lens then a lot extra comes into focus.

Nussmeier was very inconsistent along with his throws. On one play he’d throw an ideal spiral to a decent window, and on the following miss his man utterly. There have been additionally quite a few occasions he’d use an excessive amount of arm and lose his approach, notably when working off platform. Each of those might be immediately attributed to the harm. Moreover, he was labeled an harm concern due to the missed video games — however in actuality in was one persevering with, ever-present harm that altered every little thing about how he performed the place.

The Pellisero report says that Nussmeier could have surgical procedure to take away the cyst, which is minimally invasive — and he can resume figuring out in 2-3 weeks after it’s full. As quickly because the incision website ache is gone and his stitches are eliminated, he’s good to go. As well as, as a result of this was a nerve-based harm, as quickly because the stress is gone, there gained’t be any lingering points.

That’s the place this will get fascinating.

There was no scarcity of disappointment when it got here to this class of quarterbacks. Coming into the 2025 school soccer season Fernando Mendoza was firmly sitting within the QB4 slot, trending to be a late 1st spherical decide or at finest falling someplace within the teenagers. The three guys forward of him: Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier out of LSU, and LaNorris Sellers from South Carolina. It was mainly Mendoza vs. Drew Allar for QB4.

Klubnik was abysmal and is sort of undraftable at this level. Sellers returned to high school to attempt to enhance his draft inventory. Allar will probably be a Day 3 decide. Mendoza is, and ought to be QB1, however if you happen to’re now making an attempt to work out QB2 there’s an actual debate available inside your warfare room. Ty Simpson is QB2, all issues being equal — however all issues aren’t equal. This Nussmeier harm throws your entire technique of scouting him into doubt, as a result of now you actually need to look again on 2024 and use that because the barometer, somewhat than his senior season.

There was actual 1st spherical hype surrounding the LSU QB after his junior 12 months. In April of final 12 months he was No. 16 on the large board. There have been positively issues Nussmeier wanted to work on after his junior 12 months, however these smaller mechanical fixes by no means received to happen. Regardless, in 2024 he completed the season with 4,052 yards passing on 64.2% completion, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. It was sufficient that we thought he could be the No. 2 general decide in our too early mock draft, and the primary QB off the board a number of weeks into the school season. Nussmeier has big arm expertise, and above-average athleticism which results in him having far more upside than Simpson, who would possibly prime out to be a Mac Jones-level QB at finest.

Meaning if you happen to’re sitting on the prime of the 2nd spherical and debating on a QB there’s an actual likelihood that the significantly better transfer is making Nussmeier QB2, buying and selling as much as the underside of the first to get him with a fifth-year possibility. From the place I sit that is nonetheless the child who had all of the promise on the planet after his 2024 season at LSU. There are nonetheless considerations over his slight body, however all issues being equal there’s completely ludicrous bang-for-the-buck potential to get a man who would have been a Prime 5 decide at a complete steal, all as a result of he developed a cyst throughout final summer time.

If the Pelissero report is appropriate and this the cyst is the explanation why Nussmeier struggled, then be careful — as a result of he would be the steal of the NFL Draft.