The quarterback class in the 2026 NFL Draft is weak. It is almost guaranteed that Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza is going to be the top pick to the Las Vegas Raiders, but after that, there’s no real prize at quarterback. Alabama QB Ty Simpson could be the next QB off the board, but one NFL analyst sees some major flaws and doesn’t have Simpson anywhere close to QB2 in his rankings.
NFL Analyst Ranks Ty Simpson Low on His Draft Board For 2 Main Reasons
Simpson was a projected first-round pick throughout the college football season. His performance tapered toward the end of the season, and the perception around him soured.
NFL analyst Emory Hunt praised Simpson for his ability to compete and keep his team in games when the team isn’t at its best. But he doesn’t have Simpson as one of the top quarterbacks entering the 2026 NFL Draft; instead, he ranks him QB6.
“Problem is, and we saw this kind of manifest itself as the season went on, as things got busy around him accuracy, placement went by the wayside. It was awful and it led to some bad plays, it led to some turnovers, some questionable throws. And now you sitting here with a guy that has one year of starting on his resume, well, what’s the true Ty Simpson?” said Hunt.
“What I LOVE about Ty Simpson… the mental toughness.”
“Problem is… as things got busy around him, accuracy, placement went by the wayside. It was AWFUL…” @FBallGamePlan breaks down why the Alabama QB is his QB6 in this NFL Draft: pic.twitter.com/4S5do9wg8c
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) February 23, 2026
The sample size to judge Simpson’s performance is small. He only started this past season for Alabama and showed flashes, but also concerns, as Hunt addressed. According to PFSN’s CFB QB Impact score, Simpson ranked 25th overall with a grade of B and a score of 85.4.
In the playoff game against Indiana, his Alabama offense looked out of sorts and disorganized on its way to putting up a measly three points. It wasn’t great for his draft stock, but he also took a beating that knocked him out of the game due to injury.
Simpson will have plenty of suitors in the draft, though. There are numerous teams that will be looking for options to play quarterback for them, and all of them won’t find their answer in free agency. Malik Willis and Daniel Jones are the top two free agents on the board, but outside of that, the market isn’t very deep.
Simpson will find a home, whether it’s with a team in the first round or in the later rounds, as Hunt’s evaluation might suggest. He is going to be throwing at the NFL Scouting Combine before the draft, which could tell the world whether the concerns around his accuracy and lack of starting experience are valid.
