The 2026 NFL Draft is one month away, and that means we’re getting down to the wire for teams to figure out their strategy heading into the first night in Pittsburgh.
While Fernando Mendoza will likely be the first overall pick and top quarterback off the board, it gets interesting after that at the quarterback position.
The next off the board will probably be Ty Simpson, but where he will land remains a big mystery.
Dan Orlovsky Says the Vikings Are Among Teams That Could Draft Ty Simpson
Simpson is an interesting pick in the upcoming NFL draft because he’s not a sure first-round talent, but because the quarterback position is so important, he could find himself getting drafted at any time on Night 1.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky named a handful of teams that could draft Simpson during a Get Up segment on Monday morning. Among that handful of teams were the Minnesota Vikings.
“I think Minnesota’s absolutely in conversation,” Orlovsky said. “I know that might seem outrageous. They absolutely should be in conversation.”
It would seem outrageous because the Vikings just drafted J.J. McCarthy two years ago and signed Kyler Murray in free agency.
However, McCarthy has not panned out as planned, and while coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t giving up on the youngster quite yet, the addition of Murray demonstrates a low confidence level in McCarthy’s ability to be the franchise quarterback moving forward.
The Murray free-agent signing would signal that the Vikings have their tandem that will compete for the starting job in 2026. However, the Vikings aren’t paying Murray much at all because of the guaranteed money the Arizona Cardinals still owe him.
So, the Vikings don’t have to invest much in Murray. Many are still very much excited to see what he can do in O’Connell’s system.
Then again, it feels like in the NFL you can never have enough options at quarterback. That’s where the Vikings’ drafting of Simpson comes into play.
However, would it really be worth Minnesota’s first-round pick?
Orlovsky expects Simpson to be drafted in the mid-to-late first round. He noted the quarterback could be taken at any time on Night 1 and may even be left standing as the second round begins.
In addition to the Vikings, Orlovsky threw out the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and Cardinals as teams that could take Simpson in the first round.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
He added that the Cardinals would trade back to the middle of the first round if they were to draft him.
Orlovsky also named the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons. However, he said that if Aaron Rodgers returns to Pittsburgh, he doesn’t expect the Steelers to draft Simpson, and it would be difficult for the Falcons to get the Alabama quarterback without a first-round pick.
