It’s no secret that the New York Jets are in the market for a quarterback.
They’ve taken multiple swings in the past. Mark Sanchez, despite a couple of AFC Championship Game appearances, wasn’t their savior. Geno Smith wasn’t their savior. Sam Darnold wasn’t their savior. Zach Wilson wasn’t their savior. Their two-year rental of Aaron Rodgers didn’t go as planned. Now what?
Jets Bluffing Their Interest in Alabama QB Ty Simpson, Says Draft Analyst
Another poorly-kept secret? This year’s draft class isn’t exactly bursting at the seams with talent at the quarterback position. Outside of Indiana’s Heisman-winning passer in Fernando Mendoza, who is the projected No. 1 overall pick, there’s very little to write home about. Alabama’s Ty Simpson is the next-best thing on the board, but he can fall anywhere from the No. 3 overall pick into the early stages of the second round.
Of course, the NFL Draft is all about smokescreens and, well, lying. The Jets’ supposed interest in Simpson could be exactly that. Knowing how enamored the Arizona Cardinals are with the Alabama product and that they, too, need a franchise quarterback after releasing Kyler Murray last month, the Jets could use that to their advantage.
On “The Rich Eisen Show,” renowned draft analyst Todd McShay said the Cardinals aren’t ignorant of the possibility that they may not be the only ones interested in Simpson.
“I think the Jets would consider him at 33, but I don’t think they’re in a position to move up,” McShay said. “Everything you’ve done, strategically, is to get it right for 2027. Keep building.”
It has become clear that the Jets are entering a rebuild, and both Eisen and McShay were in agreement about the team’s rumored plan to get a quarterback next year. On March 11, they traded for Smith, their former 2013 second-round pick, to serve as a stopgap starter during their transition to the future.
They have four selections in the first 44 picks of this year’s draft, as well as three first-round picks for next year. They’ve done everything right so far; spending a premium pick on Simpson, who is far from the belle of the ball in this year’s class, wouldn’t be wise. He simply doesn’t fit their timeline.
“I think it’s a front,” McShay suggested. “I think the Jets are letting people know in the media, nationally, that they’re more interested in Ty Simpson than they actually are.”
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There’s a benefit to that for the Jets. They pick ahead of the Cardinals at Nos. 2 and 33 overall. The Jets’ reported interest in Simpson could prompt the Cardinals to skip the line at No. 34 and trade up for him, which would push other impact players down the board.
After redshirting his freshman season with the Crimson Tide, Simpson became a full-time starter last season. He threw for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns to just five interceptions, while also rushing for another two scores.
Simpson helped lead Alabama to the Rose Bowl, where they’d fall to Mendoza’s Hoosiers. His efforts last season earned him a PFSN College QB Impact score of 85.4, ranking 25th among players at his position.
