Draft smoke is starting to clear, and one name keeps hanging around the top tier: Ty Simpson. After a strong pro day and steady buzz out of league circles, the Alabama quarterback is shifting from an intriguing prospect to a real first-round problem for teams picking in the teens and 20s.
One of the most plugged-in voices in football recently shared a significant update on Simpson’s stock.
Adam Schefter’s Draft Projection Solidifies Ty Simpson’s Status
On a recent appearance on “Get Up,” Adam Schefter laid it out plainly: Projecting quarterbacks this early is messy, but the current league-wide read has Simpson locked in as the No. 2 quarterback behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The bigger question isn’t talent, but the landing spot.
.@AdamSchefter provides a draft update on Ty Simpson following his pro day 🏈 pic.twitter.com/WrdBQ8jjlg
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 26, 2026
Schefter pointed to multiple scenarios, from the New York Jets at No. 16 to the Cleveland Browns at No. 24, even floating a late first-round trade-up as the most likely outcome, per ESPN reporting.
“I think it’s hard to project quarterbacks a month out… right now, the consensus is Ty Simpson is number two. The real intriguing question is where does he fit in the first round? If the Jets don’t take him at 16, do the Browns take him at 24? Do the Dolphins take him at 30? Or does a team trade back in?”
That flexibility matters, especially for a Jets team reshaping its quarterback room. Having acquired Geno Smith and moving on from Justin Fields days later, the New York Jets have options.
The intrigue is backed by tape and trajectory. Simpson threw for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns against just five interceptions in his first full season as the Alabama starter.
The experience gap compared to Mendoza is real, but so is the upside. His flashes early in the season were electric, even if production dipped as defenses caught up and injuries, including a rib fracture in the Rose Bowl, took a toll.
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Simpson currently ranks No. 25 in PFSN’s College Football QB Impact Rankings. The Alabama run game ranked 142nd nationally, forcing him into predictable passing situations. That is not ideal for any young quarterback, yet he still graded out among the top signal-callers in impact metrics.
Then came pro day, where Simpson could have played it safe. Simpson said, “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.”
He completed 50 of 55 passes, but the real takeaway was not the completion rate. That mindset, paired with his physical tools, is why teams are circling. He is not the most polished quarterback in the class.
However, he might be the one teams convince themselves they can build around. With draft night closing in, that is how risers turn into first-round locks.
