Alabama quarterback has continued to see his draft stock rise following his lone year as starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide.
One of the first 2026 mock drafts to hit came from ESPN’s Matt Miller, and it places former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson squarely in the middle of Day 2.
Miller projects Simpson to go No. 44 overall to the New York Jets, a landing spot that reflects both his developmental upside and the uncertainty that still surrounds his evaluation.
“Simpson doesn’t have a Round 1 grade on my board, and I couldn’t find a single team that would give him one during conversations at the Senior Bowl,” Miller wrote. “But with four picks in the first two rounds, the Jets can afford to roll the dice on him as a second-rounder with starter upside. Simpson’s lack of size and arm strength could ultimately push him down the board, but his poise and processing skills are NFL-level.”
Simpson led Alabama to an 11–4 record in 2025 during his lone season as the Crimson Tide’s full-time starter, throwing for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns against five interceptions while completing 64.5 percent of his passes. He protected the football at an elite rate and showed command of the offense throughout much of the year.
However, evaluators continue to point to how the season ended. In Alabama’s two highest-profile games down the stretch, Simpson struggled to generate offense finishing with just 122 passing yards against Auburn in the Iron Bowl and 67 yards in the Rose Bowl loss to Indiana.
Simpson did not participate in on-field drills at the Senior Bowl but spent the week in Mobile meeting with NFL decision-makers, using the setting to answer questions about his development and long-term ceiling as he prepares for the draft process.
