Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has become one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class, which is notoriously light in quarterback talent. With former Indiana star Fernando Mendoza projected to be the No. 1 overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders tonight, Simpson’s draft stock has fluctuated throughout the pre-draft process, ranging from mid-first-round buzz to a potential slide into Day 2.
Before declaring for the draft, Simpson revealed he had been the subject of a staggering $6.5 million NIL offer to stay in college for an extra season and join the Miami Hurricanes. Despite the “life-changing money,” Simpson chose to turn pro after a breakout 2025 campaign where he threw for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns, leading the Crimson Tide to a 34–24 playoff victory over Oklahoma before falling to Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
Nick Saban Details Ty Simpson Concern for NFL Teams
During Wednesday’s segment of the “Pat McAfee Show,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban praised Simpson’s talent but gave a blunt assessment of his immediate NFL readiness. Saban highlighted Simpson’s limited experience, having played in just 15 career games, as a primary area of concern for teams looking for an instant starter.
“I think maturity is the word that would be important in the development of his game,” Saban said. “Decision making, processing, drifting in the pocket… things that you can improve on with experience. Maturity is just making the right decision at the right time and that comes with experience and repetition. He doesn’t have enough of that… he needs to go someplace where he has a chance to develop and not play right away.”
Simpson’s journey in Tuscaloosa was defined by patience. After redshirting in 2022 and serving as a backup in 2023 and 2024, he finally took over the starting role last season and exploded onto the national stage. By late September, following a win over Georgia, he had rocketed to the second-shortest Heisman odds in the country. However, his late-season form was hampered by a bout with gastritis that led to significant weight loss, alongside a back injury and the rib injury that ended his Rose Bowl prematurely.
In a recent interview on the “See Ball, Get Ball” podcast with David Pollack, Simpson revealed that Saban’s counsel helped him spurn Miami’s millions. “He was like, ‘Take the money out of it, take the rounds out of it, what do you want to do next year?’” Simpson recalled. “Without hesitation, I said, ‘I want to play professional football.’ And he was like, ‘Well, there’s your answer.’”
Simpson’s NFL Draft Outlook
As the first round kicks off tonight in Pittsburgh, Simpson is widely considered the QB2 of the class. While some analysts, including Louis Riddick, believe he is tailor-made for the systems in Arizona or Los Angeles, Adam Schefter recently reported that the Rams are unlikely to select him after trading their late first-round pick. This narrows his realistic landing spots to the New York Jets at No. 33 or potentially a slide to the Arizona Cardinals at the top of the second round (No. 34).
Despite concerns over his durability and size, Simpson’s 85.4 PFSN College QB Impact score remains among the highest in the draft. For teams willing to follow Saban’s advice and provide a year of development, Simpson represents the highest-upside gamble of the 2026 class.
