Ty Simpson only made 15 starts at quarterback for Alabama in college, but he doesn’t see that as a problem heading into the NFL draft.
“I feel like I’m ready,” Simpson said Friday, via Spencer German of 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland. “I’m a franchise quarterback.”
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He just needs one NFL team to agree.
Simpson is projected to be the second quarterback selected in the NFL draft, well behind Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be the first overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. Simpson is the only quarterback other than Mendoza in the first round of Yahoo Sports’ Nate Theis and Charles McDonald’s latest mock draft.
Simpson’s situation is more complicated than Mendoza or many other first-round quarterbacks. Simpson barely played in his first three seasons at Alabama, attempting just 50 passes. Then he burst onto the scene last season.
He played well, but his lack of experience was a stumbling block for many NFL teams looking for a quarterback early in the draft. Simpson knows this and views his college experience as more than just playing. He noted that the defenses he faced in practice during his freshman season included future NFL starters such as Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr.
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“The Alabama locker room is the closest thing to an NFL locker room you can find,” Simpson said at the podium during an interview with the NFL Scouting Combine, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
One thing working in Simpson’s favor is that he was very good last season. He passed for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He played through injuries in the second half of the season, or his numbers might have been better.
Ty Simpson is expected to be the second quarterback drafted, following Fernando Mendoza. (Photo by Brian Rothmueller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sports Wire via Getty Images)
It’s only the beginning of a season, but Simpson said he’s learned a lot along the way.
“I run the offense, run the line of scrimmage, and I think that helps us a lot in making the right play decisions, putting us in the right check and giving us the right protection,” Simpson said, via Scott Petrak of the Chronicle and Medina Gazette.
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“I did a better job later in the year, getting stuff done, cutting the field in half and taking what they gave me. But I also think later in the year, not worrying about other things like the rush or what blitzes they bring or how they pressure, stay in the pocket and maybe get hit. Better pocket presence.”
This is the type of improvement teams want to see from first-time starters.
“Just simple things, easy to fix, but you can get stuck in them,” Simpson said.
Because this quarterback class isn’t ranked very high, it could push Simpson forward. This offseason, there are multiple teams looking for quarterbacks of the future and quarterbacks starting now. Maybe a team late in the first round could draft Simpson and let him learn for a year. Teams like the Jets and Rams have extra first-round picks and different quarterback issues to address — the Rams need to find Matthew Stafford’s eventual replacement, and the Jets simply don’t have one in 2026 — so maybe one of those teams will end up being the landing spot.
There aren’t many obvious future NFL quarterbacks in this draft. Simpson will wait to see which team considers him a member.
