Jets coaches reportedly 'loved' this quarterback prospect after meeting him

Throughout the first week of April, some reporters and analysts suggested that the New York Jets could and would select Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson if he fell to them at the first pick of the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

During a recent appearance on the "Jets Collective" program, team reporter Rich Cimini of ESPN touched upon how people associated with the club feel about Simpson after meeting with the polarizing prospect. 

Jets coaches "loved" meeting with Ty Simpson?

"They had [general manager Darren Mougey] and [head coach Aaron Glenn] there [to scout Simpson]," Cimini explained, per Patrick McAvoy of Sports Illustrated. "They brought [quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave] and [offensive coordinator Frank Reich]. So that to me is telling. They had dinner with him the night before. This was at the tail end of their scouting tour across America. ...They got in, they had dinner with him, they did some classroom work and from what I understand, no surprise here, he's very impressive on the board. ...He's a smart quarterback. The coaches loved him." 

Many assume the Las Vegas Raiders have already decided to make Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers the first pick of this year's draft. Meanwhile, recent whispers have hinted that not everybody in the NFL community is convinced that Simpson is the undisputed QB2 of this year's class. 

Betting odds updated on Wednesday listed the Arizona Cardinals and not the Jets as the favorites to draft Simpson later in April. ESPN's Ben Solak is among those who think the Cardinals could leapfrog the Jets in the draft order to take Simpson late in the first round. 

Why Darren Mougey may pass on drafting Ty Simpson

"...He's a coach's kind of quarterback," Cimini added about Simpson. "But is he a scout's kind of quarterback? There's a difference. The scouts are looking for the traits. The size, the arm strength, the speed. That's not where he checks the boxes. He checks it with his cerebral approach, the ability to get to the line of scrimmage and do the whole Peyton Manning thing. Move guys around, read the defense, read the MIKE linebacker. He's great at that stuff."

Dane Brugler of The Athletic agrees that Simpson "doesn’t have any top-tier physical traits" that teams often desire in a quarterback deemed to be a first-round talent. That doesn't necessarily mean the Jets wouldn't take a flier on Simpson with the draft's 33rd overall pick, but it's unclear if he will still be on the board when the night of April 23 comes to an end.