One of the biggest traditions of the NFL Draft is for prospects to go to the stage after their names are called. However, this is mostly limited to the first-rounders who are certain their names won’t take much longer to be called. As a result, the announcement that Ty Simpson would attend this year’s draft surprised the NFL World.
NFL World Surprised by Ty Simpson Attending the NFL Draft
Simpson is widely considered the No. 2 quarterback in 2026. However, while Fernando Mendoza is all but certain to be taken as the first overall pick, Simpson’s status as a first-rounder is murkier. While he could be taken earlier due to positional value, there are no guarantees.
This is why analysts on social media were surprised by the announcement that Simpson will travel to Pittsburgh to attend the draft. No one wants to see a repeat of the 2023 scenes, when Will Levis’ anxiety was filmed as he fell out of the first round.
“ESPN is already salivating over the Ty Simpson green room camera shots”, said Kansas City Chiefs reporter Price Carter.
ESPN is already salivating over the Ty Simpson green room camera shots https://t.co/Q2Eexx8qeS
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) April 9, 2026
“Does Ty Simpson bring one or two suits to Pittsburgh?” asked Alex Barth, a reporter who works for multiple outlets covering the New England Patriots.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, who still don’t know whether Aaron Rodgers will play in 2026, are a possible landing spot for the Alabama quarterback. This was noted by CBS Sports analyst JP Acosta.
“Ty Simpson won’t even have to leave the area”, Acosta said.
Ty Simpson won’t even have to leave the area https://t.co/az3Ksthyqs
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) April 9, 2026
For Underdog analyst Hayden Winks, Simpson is part of a three-man list who could wait more than a few hours to hear their name called. He dubbed Simpson, Colton Hood, and Kayden McDonald as “fringe players” who aren’t sure-fire first-rounders:
The Sleeper CFB account also referenced Will Levis’ anxious wait in 2023. Levis was more likely to be a first-rounder than Simpson, which could make for interesting scenes around the waiting.
Ty Simpson: https://t.co/JqUn5CQunp pic.twitter.com/k2GQMfQ647
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) April 9, 2026
And finally, analyst John Frascella believes that Simpson attending the draft is a clear sign that he knows his name will be called, especially after what happened to Levis in 2023.
Take a real close look at these names… would Ty Simpson attend the Draft after what happened to Will Levis…
unless he KNEW he was going in the first round?🤔 pic.twitter.com/ofyOI7XANz
— John Frascella (Football) (@NFLFrascella) April 9, 2026
Simpson is ranked as the No. 43 prospect in PFSN’s Big Board for the 2026 draft. According to PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric, he was the 25th-ranked quarterback in college football last year with an impact score of 85.4.
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However, as a quarterback, he always has a better chance of becoming a first-rounder. We’ll see how the draft pans out for him in two weeks.
