New Ty Simpson Rumors, Intel on Potential Landing Spots, Slide in 2026 NFL Draft

Two weeks away from the 2026 NFL draft, Ty Simpson's potential landing spot remains a mystery even to people in the league.

Per ESPN's Matt Miller, the feeling from people within the NFL right now is that Simpson will "likely" still be available on Day 2 because there's no obvious team to trade back up into the first round to select the Alabama quarterback:

"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. Even the idea of the Cardinals trading back into Round 1 was met with skepticism from one scouting director I spoke to. '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. A surprise team could emerge as a landing spot for Simpson, but the more likely reality is he's still on the board in Round 2."

One of the biggest issues with finding a landing spot for Simpson is all of the teams that might be interested in a quarterback early all pick in close proximity to each other.

For instance, in a five-pick span from No. 30 to 34, the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals will be on the board.

Miami just signed Malik Willis to a three-year contract and might not want to invest draft capital in a quarterback right now, but adding the second first-round pick in the Jaylen Waddle trade at least opens up the possibility.

The Jets own three of the first 33 picks and four of the first 44, so taking a quarterback with one of those selections wouldn't be a stretch. They could decide to take a flier on Simpson to see what their coaching staff can do with him, and if they don't necessarily believe he's a future superstar, they have three first-round picks in 2027 to try finding a long-term answer at the position.

Arizona's quarterback depth chart right now is Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II, so using a second-round pick at No. 34 on Simpson wouldn't be a bad idea.

B/R's NFL scouting department projected the Cardinals to make a trade with the Buffalo Bills for the No. 26 pick to select Simpson in its most recent mock draft.

The projected trade would cost Arizona its picks in rounds two (No. 34), three (No. 65) and a 2027 third-round pick. That's not necessarily a great use of resources for a roster that needs an infusion of talent across the board, especially given how difficult it is right now to play in the NFC West, but Simpson potentially developing into a starter would help expedite the rebuild process.

Given that there are no obvious landing spots for Simpson, nor has it felt like many NFL scouts or executives are over the moon about his skill set, it wouldn't come as a shock if he doesn't go in the first round.