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Ty Simpson: NFL Draft Profile
Main Photo: [Gary Cosby] Imagn Images

Ty Simpson is one of those prospects whose grade basically depends on how much you trust your coaching staff. The physical tools are right there. Clearly, nobody is going to complain about his arm strength or mobility. The biggest question is whether or not Simpson can play consistently in the NFL and oversee an offense without it feeling chaotic. Fortunately, he spent his development years in Alabama, so he has seen some of the best collegiate competition and worked inside a system that was very structured. But when you watch film of him, he looks like a player slowly growing into the position rather than someone who has mastered it like first-round draft picks before him.

Ty Simpson NFL Draft Profile Strengths and Weaknesses

The very first thing you will notice is Simpson’s arm strength. He has enough arm talent to really challenge coverage. His ball placement is usually very clean, but “usually” does not cut it in the NFL. The keyword yet again comes down to consistency.

He handles pressure relatively well and does not immediately drop his eyes when he’s in a tight spot. His pocket presence is solid. He slides within the pocket, and when he does leave the pocket, he looks to throw instead of just running.

Toughness is not an issue with Simpson. He will stand in and take contact to finish a throw.

Now on the flip side.

It has been mentioned a few times so far. He can be inconsistent. You just never know what you are going to get week to week. His footwork can get a bit sloppy when the pocket falls apart. Because of this, his accuracy goes down. Sometimes even the simple throws can become a challenge for him.

Simpson is also known to hold the ball a bit longer than he should. While you can get away with that sometimes in college, there is less room for error in the NFL. Mistakes like that often turn into sacks and potentially fumbles.

While he can throw the deep ball, it can sometimes be uneven. The arm strength is certainly there, but the placement of the ball can be inconsistent.

Chasing big plays is something else that may work in college but does not always translate to the NFL, so he needs to become a bit more risk-averse in those situations.

Draft Grade

Projection: Late Round 1 to Round 2
Grade: Developmental starter with high upside

Simpson feels like the type of quarterback teams talk themselves into late in the first round because of his traits alone. More realistically, he profiles as a strong value early on Day Two. He is a bet on upside, with coaching and patience rather than immediate production.

Final Take

Simpson needs a bit more polishing. He is not the safest quarterback in the class, but he has tremendous upside if given the chance to learn for a year or two under a veteran and patient QB coach.

He has the arm strength, the mobility, and the toughness. What he needs is refinement and patience when it comes to making the hero throw. He is not an instant fix by any means, but he can be an asset in the right system.

If you want a full look at where this Ty Simpson NFL Draft profile stacks up against the rest of the class, check out our latest 2026 NFL Draft Big Board Version One, where we break down the top prospects across every position.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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