NFL Draft Prediction for Ty Simpson Raises Concern Over Alabama QB

When the NFL Draft arrives from Pittsburgh, there should be no surprises when it comes to when the best overall quarterback is selected, as Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza remains the Las Vegas Raiders’ expected pick.

Mendoza’s standout season for the Hoosiers included leading his team to an undefeated season and winning the Heisman Trophy and National Championship. The consensus among many is he’s a franchise-altering quarterback, though time will tell whether he delivers the results Las Vegas expects.

On the other hand, there hasn’t been a clear consensus regarding the second-best quarterback in this year’s draft, Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Based on remarks from those evaluating him and mock predictions, he could find himself in an interesting position when the first round occurs.

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There had been some previous mock draft projections that showed Simpson going off the board in the first round. However, Bleacher Report recently predicted he could fall to the second round, based on comments from evaluators.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, one AFC executive weighed in on Simpson, and based on their evaluation, they don’t expect anything remarkable from the Alabama QB.

“I don’t think anyone expects him to come in right away and be great. If picked in the 20s, he’ll get experience and reps and get legs under him. He’s a good kid, a coach’s kid, had a lot of good production and success. Maybe not on the same tier as top guys, but he’s still a player,” the exec said.

While that’s one opinion, it could foretell that others don’t predict a superstar career for Simpson in the league anytime soon, if at all. However, other quarterbacks have gone later than the first round and flourished in the league.

An NFL personnel evaluator noted that something working in Simpson’s favor is that he “made a lot of NFL throws” in college.

“Some guys were running a glorified high school offense in college, but [Simpson] was throwing deep in-breakers, corners, deep outs, seams, curls,” that personnel evaluator said, per ESPN.

A recent mock draft via NFL.com still suggests that Simpson will land in the first round, as they predict he could go 20th to the Arizona Cardinals as part of a trade involving the Dallas Cowboys’ two first-round picks. In that projected deal, Arizona would get the Cowboys’ No. 12 and No. 20 picks, while Dallas would move up to the third pick in the draft to select Texas Tech’s David Bailey.

There has also been speculation that teams looking to address their quarterback issues, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Jets, might be interested in Simpson, but it’s unclear when and where they would draft him. The Jets have the No. 2 pick, and most expect them to choose Ohio State edge Arvell Reese there, while the Steelers have the No. 21 pick.

Simpson received one of the 16 invites to this year’s NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, meaning he should be present for the event. However, being there and not going in the first round could really show how teams value his potential as a future QB1 in the league.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 12:21 PM.