Ty Simpson draws underwhelming comparison ahead of NFL Draft

The No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft seems to be crystal clear.

Barring a historic turn of events, the Las Vegas Raiders will take Indiana's Fernando Mendoza with the top selection.

Notably, the Heisman Trophy winner might actually be the only quarterback taken in the first round of a draft class that's quite underwhelming at the position.

According to Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer, multiple teams aren't that excited about Ty Simpson, the projected QB2. In an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," he revealed that league executives see him as Brock Purdy 2.0.

Ty Simpson draws Brock Purdy comparison

"The comp I hear for Fernando Mendoza is [Jared] Goff, where the comp I hear for Simpson is [San Francisco 49ers quarterback] Brock Purdy. And then the question becomes, are you comfortable taking somebody with a Brock Purdy profile in the first round? A lot of teams aren't," Breer said. 

While that's not necessarily a bad thing, given how well Purdy has fared in the league when he and his weapons have been healthy, we're talking about someone who was literally the last pick in the NFL Draft and snuck his way onto the field after a string of injuries.

Simpson's tape is impressive, especially in the first half of the season, but his physical limitations, limited experience and underwhelming post-injury game raise questions.

He could still wiggle his way into the first round because of positional needs, but barring a surprise, he may not play much — if at all — in 2026. He'll be taken, that's for sure, but "when" is a major question right now.