Ty Simpson's Outlook Compared to Shedeur Sanders Last Year by MMQB as QB in 1st-Round Mock Drafts

Ahead of next week's NFL draft, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson remains one of the most polarizing prospects in this year's class due to the ongoing questions about whether he's worth a first-round pick.

During an episode of The Breer Report (5:15 mark), Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer compared the chatter surrounding Simpson to what Shedeur Sanders faced before the 2025 NFL draft.

"This Ty Simpson thing, I'm sort of on Ty Simpson where I was with Shedeur Sanders last year, where a lot of people were talking about Shedeur Sanders like he was a first-round pick, and I remember saying I just can't find teams that view Shedeur as a first-round pick," Breer said. "I sort of feel the same way on Ty Simpson."

Sanders spent most of the pre-draft process projected as a first-round pick before he fell all the way to the fifth round last year, allowing the Cleveland Browns to select him after already drafting quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round. The move paid off, as Sanders earned a Pro Bowl selection as an alternate after his rookie year.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked Simpson as its No. 2 quarterback in its draft big board behind only Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. In its mock draft, Simpson was predicted to land with the Arizona Cardinals after they acquired the No. 26 pick by trading back into the first round.

Breer said that he would project Simpson as an early Day 2 pick in this year's draft, and he praised him by saying he could "see more things that translate to the NFL from Ty Simpson on tape than you see from Fernando Mendoza."

However, Breer pointed out that Simpson's physical limitations and lack of experience have affected his draft stock. He went on to add that if Simpson doesn't prove himself in his rookie year, the team that drafts him could once again seek a franchise quarterback in the 2027 draft, which is expected to be filled with top-notch quarterback prospects.