NFL insider addresses Ty Simpson, Fernando Mendoza draft narrative

One reason that analyst Dan Orlovsky has said that he thinks Ty Simpson, not Fernando Mendoza, "is the best quarterback" in the 2026 draft class is that game film allegedly shows that Simpson made "more NFL throws" in college than Mendoza. 

At least one fellow ESPN analyst seemed to pour cold water over Orlovsky's claim ahead of the Easter holiday. For a piece published on Tuesday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested that Orlovsky could be both right and wrong about his evaluations of the advertised top two quarterbacks in this year's draft class. 

Why Ty Simpson isn't seen as a better prospect than Fernando Mendoza

"His tape shows him doing far more 'NFL things' than Fernando Mendoza (throwing guys open, working through progressions, etc.), but that doesn’t make him a better prospect, because, again, this is about where a guy’s going, not where he has been," Breer wrote about Simpson. "And while where he has been will help him play right away, where he’s going is about projecting his ceiling." 

Simpson's supposed draft stock could become one of the more-discussed NFL-related stories until the player-selection process gets underway on April 23. Some think he will slide all the way to the second round. For a mock draft posted on Monday, The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner predicted that the New York Jets will be able to get Simpson with overall pick No. 33. 

Ty Simpson once again compared to Super Bowl quarterback

In March, Orlovsky insisted that he saw "so much of Brock Purdy" while reviewing Simpson's game film. It appears Orlovsky isn't the only member of the NFL community who feels that way. 

"The comp I’ve heard most often for Simpson is Brock Purdy, who already has started in two NFC title games, a Super Bowl and eight playoff games as a pro," Breer added. "Yes, he’s had great talent around him, and he has played great. But it’s hard to tell how good he’ll be when the 49ers’ star-studded core ages out — that’s no shot at him, but we just don’t know yet." 

The Las Vegas Raiders almost certainly will make Mendoza the draft's first pick. That said, Simpson could become the best value choice of his class if the likes of Breer and Orlovsky are right about the young signal-caller following in Purdy's footsteps as a pro.