Ty Simpson Draft Slide Predicted by Peter Schrager in New NFL Mock Draft Based on Rumors

NFL insiders are split on whether former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson will hear his name called in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.

ESPN's Peter Schrager projected Simpson falling out of Round 1 in his latest mock draft published Tuesday.

Schrager's prediction left former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to go to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1, as the lone quarterback coming off the board on Day 1.

That marks a split from the latest mock by Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski, who projected that the Arizona Cardinals will trade with the Buffalo Bills in order to select Simpson at No. 26.

Sobleski also named the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns as teams that could consider taking Simpson in the latter half of the first round.

The Jets are on the board at No. 16, followed by the Steelers at No. 21 and Browns at No. 24.

Simpson (No. 28 overall prospect, No. 2 quarterback on the latest Bleacher Report big board) is considered the consensus QB2 in the 2026 class, so how early he comes off the board could depend on how urgent these teams' quarterback needs are by the time the draft starts April 23.

That will hinge at least in part on Aaron Rodgers, whom the Steelers are reportedly still waiting to hear from regarding whether he plans to return for a second season with the team.

Should Rodgers decide to retire from the NFL prior to the draft, the Steelers would become a much more likely landing spot for Simpson at No. 21.

At that point, other potentially interested teams like the Browns or Cardinals could need to consider trading up into the top 20 in order to select the former Alabama signal caller.

Simpson only made 15 college starts in his one season as Alabama's top quarterback, during which he recorded 3,567 passing yards for 28 touchdowns with five picks.

How NFL teams decide to weigh last season's success against Simpson's relatively limited college experience could impact how high he ranks on their boards by the time the draft kicks off April 23 in Pittsburgh.