Ty Simpson setting himself up for awkward Will Levis-type situation

Fortunately for quarterback Shedeur Sanders, he didn't make the trip to Green Bay for the 2025 Draft, when the projected first-rounder fell all the way to Round 5.

As the quarterback many view as the second-best in the 2026 class, Simpson likely has better odds of being selected in the first round than Levis or Sanders. But even that could turn into an uncomfortable moment.

Pittsburgh hosts the draft, and the Steelers are one of the most likely destinations for Simpson. But what if the Black and Gold faithful who flock to the North Shore aren't fans? Being bombarded with boos might be worse than Simpson not hearing his name called at all.

As unpredictable as the draft can be, Simpson's taking a bit of a risk spending the first round (if not longer) in the green room. The last thing a player needs is to become a meme before playing their first NFL snap.

Just how good Simpson, who only started 15 games at Alabama, projects to be at the next level has been the subject of much predraft debate. ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky has hyped Simpson up as the best quarterback in the class, while others, including The Athletic's Dane Brugler and NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, offered much more muted praise.

While both rank Simpson as QB2, Brugler projects the former Alabama quarterback "as a low-level NFL starter, with the ceiling of a mid-level starter and floor as a backup (reminiscent of Daniel Jones with less physical traits.)" He gave him a second-round grade.

Jeremiah failed to move Simpson into his top 50 prospects in his 4.0 big board rankings while writing, "I see him going in the range of Picks 20 to 40."

If Simpson hits that low end, he'll have an excruciating wait to hearing his name called. Perhaps it's not too late to cancel that RSVP.