Ty Simpson Talks 2026 NFL Draft Hopes, Alabama Career and More in B/R Interview

One of the biggest questions of the entire 2026 NFL draft is whether Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson will be a first-round pick.

He certainly hopes to hear his name Thursday.

"It would mean the world, that's why I'm here in Pittsburgh," Simpson told Bleacher Report. "I fully believe I will be a first-rounder. But if it doesn't happen that way, then it doesn't happen that way. There have been plenty of good quarterbacks taken after the first round. I'm blessed to play anywhere, regardless of the round I am taken. I'm super excited and just want to be a part of a team and something bigger than myself."

The penultimate mock draft from B/R's NFL Scouting Department underscores just how close it could be for Simpson with the Alabama product landing with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 34 overall, which is the second pick of the second round.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that "many believe" Arizona "is the real team to watch for Simpson" with that 34th pick. However, other teams around the league surely know that, which could inspire someone to trade into the end of the first round to take him before the Cardinals get their chance early in the second.

Perhaps even Arizona will trade up to avoid such a scenario.

Ty Simpson highlights

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One thing that is more certain is Simpson is widely seen as the second-best quarterback in this draft behind only Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. B/R's NFL Scouting Department's big board of prospects placed him as the No. 2 quarterback and No. 44 overall player, which was well ahead of Drew Allar (103rd overall), Garrett Nussmeier (107th) and Carson Beck (120th).

So what will the team that ultimately decides to draft Simpson be getting?

"Just a gritty player," he said. "A guy who is going to do everything there is to win. A guy who loves football and is process-oriented and wants to make sure he has all the right answers for the test. A guy who is willing to give tremendous effort on every down, and a guy who is willing to put the work in. And a guy who is a true leader who will make sure all his guys are ready to go."

Simpson highlighted his own intangibles, while B/R's NFL Scouting Department praised "reading the entire field and working through his progressions" as one of his strengths in his scouting report.

It also pointed to his overall accuracy at different levels of the field while recognizing he needs to improve anticipation from the pocket and handling interior pressure.

That passing ability was clear from an early going when he arrived at Alabama as a highly regarded 5-star prospect and the No. 3 quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Nick Saban recruited Simpson to the Crimson Tide, although he had to wait his turn behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe before he finally had the opportunity to start during the 2025 season after remaining loyal and avoiding the transfer portal.

All he did in that one season was complete 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions while leading Alabama to the SEC championship game and a spot in the College Football Playoff. It also defeated Oklahoma on the road in the CFP before losing to the eventual national champion Indiana in the quarterfinals.

But far more than just the individual accomplishments will stand out the most when Simpson reflects back on his time with Alabama.

"Even with all the statistics and the fun I had, it is putting my legacy and my handprint and footprint at Denny Chimes as a co-captain that will live on forever for me," he said. "It's one of the reasons why I stayed, it's one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Alabama to be able to cement my legacy there. Being able to be there with my guys and be in the great company of former players is very humbling."

Full Alabama Crimson Tide - Oklahoma Sooners Highlights

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Simpson's one season as Alabama's starter cemented his place in school history, but it was just one season. There may be some teams going into the draft concerned with the lack of starting experience compared to some of his peers.

After all, Mendoza started at California before transferring to Indiana and leading the Hoosiers to a national championship. Allar and Nussmeier were multiyear starters for Penn State and LSU, respectively, while Beck started at Georgia for multiple seasons before transferring to Miami and leading the Hurricanes to the CFP.

This is an experienced quarterback class outside of Simpson, although it should be noted he was at one of the best programs in college football for a number of years and surely learned plenty under Saban and current head coach Kalen DeBoer. He also worked with two NFL players in Young and Milroe.

"I played in more games than just the one season," Simpson said. "Go watch the tape, go watch the NFL system that I ran. Go watch the teams I played and the schemes I was going against. Everybody can talk about the number of starts I had, but I carry myself like a 10-year vet more than a one-year starter."

He is also already making vet moves off the field, such as his decision to partner with Toyota to help with the 2026 Toyota NFL Draft Flag Football Training Camp on the eve of the draft in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh area high school girls were given the opportunity to work with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., Simpson and Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, as well as Vanita Krouch and Isabella Geraci, who are players on the United States women's national flag football team.

Toyota, which is the official automotive partner of the NFL, put on the event that provided instruction and mentorship for the young players. It will also cover NFL Flag fall registration kit fees for players in the Pittsburgh Flag Football League (PFFL) coed youth and high school girls leagues.

"It's been great, Toyota is a great company," Simpson said. "I'm really honored to help them roll out the NFL red carpet and host this training camp. It's exciting to put the spotlight on the next generation, and I'm doing some coaching here.

"To be able to partner with a company that is looking to help the next generation is everything I can ask for."

Photo Credit: Toyota

Selected participants will even  have the chance to walk the NFL draft red carpet before Simpson and the rest of the 2026 class find out where they will be starting their professional careers.

Now that Thursday has arrived, Simpson is turning his attention to the start of that professional career. 

Given his draft outlook, it is far from a guarantee he will arrive in the NFL as a surefire starter for whichever team takes him. Even if that puts him in a position where he has to learn and adjust to the pro level as a backup, it is something he is familiar with from the start of his Alabama career.

"I think whatever the team needs and whoever drafts me, I'm going to make sure I put my best foot forward," he said. "That will give me the best chance to be the best player I can be. I've been blessed to play for a defensive head coach, I've been blessed to play for an offensive head coach. So whatever team drafts me, just know I'm going to be able to be process-oriented and make sure I get better each day I'm in the building."

The metrics for overall rookie success will surely depend on which team drafts him and what that club sees as his immediate role, but Simpson knows what he will be focusing on once he arrives.

"As long as I'm heading in the right direction, that's all that matters to me," he said. "As long as I'm a better player than the first day I stepped in the building, that's one step in the right direction. I trust the process."

That process has landed him on the doorstep of his NFL dreams. Now all he needs is one team to take a chance on him.