Ty Simpson is one of the more debated quarterbacks heading into the 2026 NFL Draft and his draft stock is starting to reflect that uncertainty.
The Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback put together a strong final college season. He completed 305 of 473 passes for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and just five interceptions while starting all 15 games. He rushed for two more scores and captained the offense all year.
The resume earned him second-team All-SEC honors and a Manning Award finalist nod. By most accounts he's the QB2 in this class. But that hasn't stopped the debate over exactly where he lands on April 23.
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ESPN's Peter Schrager released his latest mock draft on Tuesday and left Simpson outside the first round entirely. For a player widely considered the second-best quarterback available, that's a notable call and it didn't sit well with everyone.
Dan Orlovsky has been one of Simpson's loudest supporters throughout the process preferring him over Fernando Mendoza and he wasn't about to let Schrager's projection slide without a response. The two exchanged messages directly before Schrager addressed the whole thing on The Pat McAfee Show.
"Yeah Dan Orlovsky texted me. It was a real exchange this morning. I was not showing Dan up by putting Ty Simpson to no team in the first round by any means," Schrager said.
He went on to explain the reasoning behind the decision and it came down to roster reality more than talent evaluation.
"I could have put him late first round and done some fictional trade in my head but I'll be honest with you. Teams like Ty Simpson. There are only so many rooms at the Inn. Teams aren't gonna draft a quarterback in the first round because he's a good player if they have a quarterback they believe in. First-year GMs, first-year coaches are not drafting a quarterback unless they absolutely love them."
Schrager pointed to the New York Jets and the Arizona Cardinals as the most realistic fits for Simpson. He doesn't see either team taking him at No. 3 and even the Jets at No. 16 feels like a push. The more likely outcome, he suggested is Simpson going early in the second round, where both clubs hold picks in the 33 to 34 range.
A slight trade up into the back end of the first round is still possible if locking in that fifth-year option becomes the priority.
Where Simpson ultimately lands depends on how badly a team needs a quarterback by draft night. Right now, that answer isn't as clear as his numbers suggest it should be.
