ESPN draft guru addresses Steelers, Ty Simpson rumors amid Aaron Rodgers uncertainty

For a mock draft published on Feb. 11, ESPN's Field Yates predicted that the Pittsburgh Steelers will make Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson the 21st overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

During Monday's edition of the "First Draft" podcast, ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. touched upon whether or not recently hired Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy may want to take a flier on Simpson later this spring. 

Could Steelers be good landing spot for Ty Simpson?

"If you watched him up until mid-October, 21 touchdowns, only one interception over the first nine games," Kiper said about Simpson's 2025 season, per Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "Then he has that seven-game period where he had five fumbles lost. Last six games, seven touchdowns, but four interceptions. But if you looked at him over those first nine games, getting the ball out, he was letting it rip. There's a lot to like. You say, 'He's only had 15 starts.' But he's 23 years of age. Get him, be patient, have somebody else there that can be that bridge quarterback."

Of course, 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers is expected to be that bridge option for the Steelers during McCarthy's first season with the organization. Pittsburgh also has Will Howard on the roster, but the 2025 sixth-round draft choice was seen as a developmental prospect before he suffered a hand injury during training camp and took zero meaningful snaps as a rookie. 

On Monday, The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner named Simpson the QB2 of this year's draft class behind presumed No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Baumgardner referred to Simpson as "a top-40 player this cycle" who "could easily slide into the first round — perhaps even well into Round 1 — if he impresses at the combine." 

Kiper seems to believe Simpson will be able to do just that. 

Ty Simpson makes "a lot of sense" for the Steelers

"You have plenty of evidence about this kid being worthy of being a top 10-15 pick," Kiper added about Simpson. Kiper also said that selecting Simpson with the 21st pick "would make a lot of sense" for the Steelers. 

The Steelers reportedly want Rodgers to return for another season, so much so that they are "in no hurry" to learn about his plans. One wonders how Rodgers would feel about the Steelers using draft pick No. 21 on a project for the future rather than on somebody who could start for Pittsburgh at a different position this coming fall.