QB Ty Simpson gets more bad news about 2026 NFL Draft

Whispers grew louder throughout the first couple of weeks of the spring hinting that Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson could slide all the way out of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Such chatter isn't going away heading into the second weekend of April. 

Teams may have already made Ty Simpson decision

For a piece published on Friday, ESPN's Matt Miller suggested that clubs in need of a young quarterback simply don't have a first-round grade on Simpson. 

"I'm still struggling to find a team for Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in Round 1," Miller revealed. "In talking to sources throughout the league, you often hear teams suggest someone might take him, but no one is convinced on who that might be." 

Recent reports have indicated that the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers won't grab Simpson on the night of April 23. Some NFL executives may not even view Simpson as the undisputed QB2 of this draft class.

Earlier this week, ESPN's Ben Solak mentioned that the Arizona Cardinals could make a trade so that they can draft Simpson late in the first round. 

"Even the idea of the Cardinals trading back into Round 1 was met with skepticism from one scouting director I spoke to," Miller explained. 'Why give up draft picks to jump into Round 1 when the Jets didn't like him enough at No. 2 or No. 16 to take him?' they said."

Ty Simpson now facing harsh draft "reality?"

Simpson is among the invited prospects who are currently scheduled to attend the draft in Pittsburgh. According to Miller, Simpson may want to reconsider those plans to avoid becoming the subject of an awkward storyline. 

"A surprise team could emerge as a landing spot for Simpson," Miller added, "but the more likely reality is he's still on the board in Round 2."

A team with an established QB1, such as the Philadelphia Eagles or the Los Angeles Rams, could view Simpson as a project for the future and take a flier on him in the second round. That said, it seems that no team may want to hand him the keys to its offense before the 2026 season gets underway.