Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson’s declaration for the 2026 NFL Draft was tinged with dramatic offers behind the scenes as several programs attempted to woo him ahead of next season. Despite the temptation of mammoth financial offers, Simpson opted to leave the riches of college football behind.
In PFSN’s Big Board, Simpson has been tabbed as the second quarterback in the class of 2026, behind Indiana’s national championship-winning QB Fernando Mendoza.
ESPN Draft Expert Predicts Ty Simpson to $9B NFL Franchise
During Wednesday’s segment of the “Get Up” show, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. tabbed Simpson to fall to the $9 billion-valued Jets at No. 16 during draft night.
“He’s 23 years of age, his father’s a coach, Nick Saban’s there with him, advising him,” Kiper said. “So, he had first round, you think Ty Simpson. He could have been top five if he continued through. Offensive line let him down, he had no running game. Ty Simpson obviously goes to a team and you say, ‘Can they screw it up?’
.@MelKiperESPN projects Ty Simpson to go to the Jets as the No. 16 pick in the NFL Draft ✍️ pic.twitter.com/spTVY19poF
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 21, 2026
“Hey, let him sit for a bit. He’s only had 15 starts. But again, put some weight on that frame, this kid’s so competitive. He won’t let a play die. He fights to the end a little too much. He’ll figure it out. Ty Simpson at this point at 16, we were talking top five back in October. I think he would make sense for the New York Jets, the Steelers, or the Rams.”
Simpson finished his sole season as a starter with 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, while adding 93 rushing yards and two touchdowns to earn a PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric of 85.4.
Mel Kiper Expresses Simpson NFL Concern
In his latest mock draft on Tuesday, Kiper predicted that the Jets would pick Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese and later pick Simpson at No. 16 due to slim pickings in the 2026 quarterback class.
“Let’s be clear, though: I do have some concerns about Simpson. He has 15 career starts, which means this pick would come with a lot of risk. That’s just not enough game experience,” Kiper wrote.
“We also can’t ignore his dip in performance in the second half of the 2025 season. But there’s also no questioning his upside. Simpson has good pocket presence, and he fired 28 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this past season. If the Jets can surround him with talent on offense and develop him, he has a high ceiling.”
Before he opted to return to Oregon for an extra season, Dante Moore’s relative inexperience (20 starts) was used against him in various NFL debates. Despite showing flashes of brilliance during his first season as a starter for Alabama, Simpson also showed his inexperience in some of the Crimson Tide’s biggest games.
In his last six games, Simpson’s completion dropped to 57%, while he averaged just 158 yards per game as the Crimson Tide struggled in both the SEC championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs (48.7% completion) and managed just 67 yards in the Rose Bowl against the Indiana Hoosiers.
