Will Ty Simpson become the Shedeur Sanders of the 2026 NFL Draft?

Last spring, numerous outsiders assumed that quarterback Shedeur Sanders would be selected at some point during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It's now believed that Sanders' handling of the predraft process and questions about whether or not he was "committed to being a great player" caused him to fall to the draft's fifth round before the Cleveland Browns took a flier on him. 

More recently, ESPN's Matt Miller predicted in a mock draft posted on Monday morning that the New York Jets will be able to acquire Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson with the first pick of the second round of the 2026 draft. During a Monday appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" program, Miller explained why Simpson could experience a draft slide somewhat similar to Sanders' from roughly a year ago. 

What teams are allegedly saying about when Ty Simpson could be drafted

"That's where I have him ranked," Miller said about Simpson. "I have him as the No. 40 overall player in this draft. And I know there's been a lot of conversation about where he's valued by teams, where he's ranked by those of us in the media. I can't find one team that tells me they believe he will go in the first round. What you get is a lot of teams that say, 'Yeah, I think someone else will do it. We don't value him there, but we think someone else will do it based on quarterback need, positional value, and because generally those players do get pushed up the board artificially this time of year.'" 

A different story on Monday quoted at least one general manager who referred to Simpson as "way more of a project than a prospect." While former NFL quarterback/current analyst Dan Orlovsky and former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum have suggested some teams do view Simpson as a better prospect than Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers, it's widely believed the Las Vegas Raiders will select Mendoza with the draft's first pick. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly not "all-in on" drafting Simpson regardless of whether or not Aaron Rodgers returns to be their QB1 for another season. It's unclear if the Browns have a first-round grade on Simpson or any signal-caller other than Mendoza. 

This "doesn't exist" about Ty Simpson's draft stock?

"It reminds me a lot of the Shedeur Sanders conversation last year, where we all sat around and said, 'Okay, we don't think this team will take him in the first round, but maybe someone will,'" Miller added about Simpson's draft stock. "And I think it's similar with Simpson this year, where I can't find one club that says, 'Gosh, we got a big old grade on him. We think he's going to be a first-round pick.' ...In terms of teams that have a true first-round grade on him, that doesn't exist, at least in the conversations that I'm having in the weeks before the draft."

Interestingly, host Mike Greenberg responded that Miller is "the second person I've had say almost exactly that to me in almost exactly the same way in the last couple of days" regarding teams not viewing Simpson as a first-round choice. Of course, Simpson just needs one club to fall in love with him before the night of April 23 arrives, but it sounds like he may have to wait until the draft's second round to hear his name called.