Ty Simpson is a quarterback from Alabama who is ranked No. 4 on my NFL Draft Top 100 Big Board. This comprehensive scouting report analyzes Simpson’s draft potential, current mock draft trends, and where he ranks among the top prospects.
Ty Simpson’s NFL Draft Potential
Ty Simpson is a first-year starter who’s only started seven career games as of this writing. Yet, he’s already broken into Round 1 range as a prospect, and he’s still climbing — at a quickly steepening pace. Through those seven games, Simpson is 6-1, he has completed 153 of 218 (70.2%) of his passes for 1,931 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just one interception. And he has the highest adjusted PFSN CFB QBi metric in the nation, with a score of 91.1.
One-year starters don’t have an inspiring track record as early-round NFL Draft picks, but Simpson is giving evaluators every reason to believe he’ll be an exception to the rule. Many of the potential drawbacks for Simpson’s profile are anecdotal or cosmetic. He’s just a one-year starter who finally earned the job in his fourth year, he couldn’t beat out Jalen Milroe, and he’s not quite the ideal prototype at just 6’2″, 208 pounds. But turn on the tape, and he’s just a gamer who exudes NFL qualities.
Despite his closer-to-average size, Simpson has a fairly strong and elastic arm, and he’s a jittery, agile athlete with supreme creative instincts and extension ability both in and out of structure. He doesn’t rely on his athleticism as a crutch; he exhausts all options in the pocket, and can even move the pocket to nullify pressure threats with his spatial feel and eye discipline, and he has the strong processing ability to read and anticipate windows over the middle. Meanwhile, on release, Simpson is one of the most accurate throwers in the class, with crisp, congruent mechanics and infallible hip torque to maximize velocity.
All this, and Simpson’s greatest strength can’t always be quantified: It’s his clutch gene, and his ice-cold nature in high-pressure situations. On “need to have it” downs, Simpson’s laser focus, discipline, and accuracy win time and time again. This advanced stat is proof of that: In final two-minute situations, at the end of each half, Simpson generates a mind-boggling 1.27 EPA per play, according to TruMedia. In a small sample, Simpson has gone from unproven sleeper to unquestioned Round 1 candidate, and more sustained success could elevate him into the QB1 conversation.
CFB Week 9 Update
It wasn’t perfect, but Ty Simpson helped lead Alabama on a late-comeback victory against the South Carolina Gamecocks — once again proving his mettle in clutch situations. Simpson’s peak accuracy has become a question mark; while he’s generally accurate and gives his wide receivers a chance, his situational precision can falter at times and make things harder for pass-catchers.
Nevertheless, Simpson dialed in when he needed to, made a couple excellent drive throws over the middle while stepping up into fluctuating pockets, and showed the resolve needed of a franchise quarterback in high-pressure circumstances. Simpson’s Round 1 climb continues, and there’ll be plenty more high-stakes games for him down the line.
CFB Week 10 Update
Alabama was on a bye in Week 10, but the Crimson Tide will return to action in Week 11 against the LSU Tigers. The Tigers are reeling after the firing of Brian Kelly, but their offense remains in command of a collegiate veteran in Garrett Nussmeier, and the defense will pose a threat to Alabama’s offense with Mansoor Delane and AJ Haulcy looming in the secondary.
CFB Week 11 Update
There’s still football left to be played, but we have big news on this Week 11 update: Ty Simpson has jumped Fernando Mendoza for QB1 on my personal 2026 NFL Draft board.
It’s still close between them, and if you prefer a more prototypical passer with a slightly larger arm, Mendoza might be your choice. But Simpson has an acceptable level of athleticism, arm strength, and arm elasticity, and his age-defying mastery of the mental elements of the QB position simply can’t go overlooked. One-year starters aren’t supposed to be as sharp as Simpson is pre-snap, or as quick-to-process and anticipate as Simpson is post-snap, or as fearless as Simpson is throwing over the middle of the field.
Against LSU, Simpson’s quick diagnosis, aggressive but calculated approach, and keen conceptual eye helped lift the Crimson Tide overtop the middling Tigers. While his non-elite arm strength showed up on occasion when pushing to the deep third, his reliable first and second-level distribution kept the engine humming. Simpson is what a starting QB looks like: A high-level operator who runs the offense, but can also create when things go awry.
CFB Week 12 Update
Alabama suffered a surprise 21-23 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 12, and Ty Simpson was a culprit. Brent Venables deserves credit for scheming up a game plan to get Simpson off-balance and uncomfortable, and Simpson’s worst qualities were magnified by that game plan. The Oklahoma defense disguised intent pre-snap, gave Simpson confusing box looks, and unleashed blitz threats through multiple gaps. The results? Simpson forced a hot throw for a pick-six early on, and his frenetic mechanics contributed to lapses in accuracy and situational precision throughout.
Simpson still threw for over 300 yards, but it wasn’t enough for Alabama to come away with the victory — or stave off the questions surrounding Simpson amidst a late-season run where many — myself included — started considering him for QB1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s still very much a top contender for QB1, but the inconsistency with accuracy and situational precision — especially when pressured — is a notable concern. And with two losses, the margin for error is very slim if Alabama wants to make the playoffs.
Where Is Simpson Being Selected Most Often in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator?
Simpson currently holds the No. 10 overall rank among prospects, indicating his elite standing as of the most recent update. His most recent Average Draft Position (ADP) of 6.0 as of November 19 reflects that he is typically being selected within the top 10 picks overall.
This small gap between rank and ADP suggests he’s consistently valued among evaluators, even amid fluctuations in player evaluations at this stage of the draft cycle.
Users controlling the New York Jets have been the team that selected Simpson the most frequently over the past week, accounting for 3.3% of their picks across all seven rounds. Notably, 11.0% of the New York Jets’ first-round selections over that same period were used on Simpson, underscoring users’ strong preference for him as a potential immediate-impact quarterback.
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Where Does Ty Simpson Rank Amongst Other NFL Draft Prospects?
Simpson is currently ranked No. 4 overall in my November 2026 NFL Draft Big Board. Among QB prospects, Simpson ranks 1st at the position, making him the top-rated QB in this draft class. With a top-10 ranking, Simpson is considered one of the elite prospects in the 2026 class.
Want to see how we rank all the draft prospects in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator? Check out our NFL Draft Prospect Rankings page, which includes more than 750 prospects.
