Ty Simpson’s name is starting to feel less like a maybe and more like an inevitability in first-round conversations. He has been climbing mock drafts, often slotted just behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Simpson doesn’t seem particularly interested in those. He’s focused on something simpler, and, in its own way, heavier: being the kind of player a team can build around, not just win with.
What We Learned From Ty Simpson’s Alabama Pro Day
There is a version of this story where Simpson plays it smart. He skips throwing at Alabama’s Pro Day, lets his strong NFL Combine performance do the talking, and protects his rising draft stock like something easily chipped. However …
“Why not? You let it rip,” Simpson said.
The word fun did a lot of heavy lifting for him. Because what Simpson actually did on that field wasn’t easy, and it definitely wasn’t casual.
Working with quarterbacks coach David Morris, he ran through a script that seemed designed to test limits rather than highlight comfort. Tight-window throws. Deep shots that demanded both timing and trust. Movement plays that forced him to reset, recalibrate, and still deliver something clean.
He completed 50 of 55 passes. The numbers look neat and impressive but don’t quite capture the intent behind them.
Simpson did not want a polished, predictable session. He wanted something that looked a little like risk.
“That was something when you look at my tape, I’d make the big-time throws. I’d make the easy throws. But this is something that is fun. Being able to show off my arm and show off my feet was something I wanted to do. That was something I emphasized to David: let’s go show out and have the best pro day ever. I felt like I did,” he added.
He had set a goal beforehand: show off his arm, show off his feet, have the best pro day possible. By the end, it felt less like a checklist and more like a thesis statement.
Yes, the arm talent is there. Yes, the mobility shows up when it needs to. But more than that, there is a certain steadiness to Simpson, something that doesn’t spike or dip with the moment.
And maybe that’s why his simplest quote hit the hardest.
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“I know what I’m capable of and I know that whoever’s going to get me is going to get a really good player and a guy who loves football, and a guy who loves the team and loves being a part of something bigger than himself.”
It’s the kind of line that could sound rehearsed coming from someone else. From Simpson, standing there after willingly choosing the harder path when the easier one was available, it didn’t.
