Former NFL QB Sends Strong Message on Ty Simpson for Draft
There’s already a clear consensus about who the top quarterback is in the NFL Draft, as most expect Fernando Mendoza to go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, there has been much debate over the second-best option at the position. Some have felt Alabama’s Ty Simpson made the most sense as a second-round pick, while others suggested he’s among the first-round talents that will go off the board during Wednesday night’s draft.
At just over six feet tall and 211 pounds, there are expectations that Simpson will eventually take on a starting role in the league, per NFL.com. He received a 6.30 grade as a prospect from the NFL, following his appearance at the Scouting Combine several months ago.
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There have been critics and supporters regarding Simpson. Many critics note the smaller sample size of games he participated in.
Simpson had 15 starts this season, but he only played in 16 others during his first three years with the Crimson Tide. With no stars, it meant a lot of subpar numbers in those first three seasons.
Super Bowl-winning quarterback Chase Daniels shared on “Good Morning Football” that he believes the gap between Mendoza and Simpson as NFL quarterbacks isn’t “that far away.”
"First round quarterback," he said of Simpson, adding, "It's Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, and then everyone else, and everyone else is really a third, fourth, or fifth-round quarterback."
"He can't help that he only has 15 starts. Look at his tape. I go quality over quantity with him," Daniel said.
"You watch him throw the football the first eight or nine games of the season … you watch those games, and you're hard pressed to tell me that he is not the absolute best player, not quarterback – player, in college football," he also said.
Daniel said NFL teams need to question why there was that "falloff" with Simpson and what caused it for him. However, he touted him as a "people pleaser" and the type of player "you want to marry your daughter."
“I absolutely believe he’s a first-round pick,” Daniel stated, which others have also echoed.
Just as the former NFL QB gives that strong endorsement, there is also recent speculation from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that two teams are strongly interested in Simpson: the New York Jets and the Arizona Cardinals.
Neither team has done much to address their quarterback situations this offseason, suggesting they’ll look to the NFL Draft. The Jets select second and 16th in the NFL Draft, with their No. 2 pick likely being used for Arvell Reese. The Cardinals select third overall, and also have the No. 34 pick in the second round, among picks in other rounds.
Simpson, a team captain for Alabama, ranked seventh in the FBS with 305 completions, was 10th with 3,567 passing yards, and threw 28 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He’ll learn which team he’s headed to as the NFL Draft unfolds in Pittsburgh this week.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 12:49 PM.