Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson may be the second-best passer in the 2026 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be a first-rounder.
Simpson’s chances of hearing his name called on Day 1 of the draft (scheduled April 23-25 in Pittsburgh) are dwindling. Many have linked the Alabama star to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have pick No. 21 in the first round. The Ringer’s Todd McShay, however, reported the AFC North club isn’t eyeing the QB.
Todd McShay reports Steelers could draft Carson Beck instead of Ty Simpson
“The question is who’s their quarterback,” McShay said Monday on his podcast. “… It’s not Ty Simpson at (overall pick) 21. I can tell you that for a fact. I have heard them linked with [Miami Hurricanes QB] Carson Beck, so that’s just something to keep an eye on…I think Round 3 could probably be the range [when Pittsburgh could grab Beck].”
Whether QB Aaron Rodgers returns will shape the Steelers’ draft plans. But the report shows they’re not super high on Simpson, along with many other scouts.
Multiple scouts don’t view Ty Simpson as a first-rounder
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah published his third mock draft on Tuesday, in which no team selected Simpson in the first round. The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen would agree with that choice.
“Based on the factors I’ve outlined, I see him as more of a third-round pick who will get pushed up into the second round because of a weak overall class,” Nguyen wrote in a film review published March 13.
Simpson (6-foot-1, 211 pounds) fails to check all the boxes for many scouts. He lacks prototypical size for an NFL QB and elite arm talent.
Per Sports Info Solutions, Simpson’s average depth of target — how far downfield a QB is throwing on all pass attempts — was 8.2 in 2025, sixth among the 12 QBs listed in the site’s draft matrix. Now, let’s compare him to Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive No. 1 pick. The 6-foot-5, 236-pounder’s aDOT was 9.1, the third-best mark in the crop.
Positional value could convince a team to reach on Simpson, who tied for 12th in the FBS in touchdown passes (28) last season. The last time just one QB was selected in Round 1 was during the 2022 draft when the Steelers grabbed QB Kenny Pickett with pick No. 20. That didn’t work out for Pittsburgh, which traded the QB to the Philadelphia Eagles after two seasons with the club.
Even so, it’s beginning to look like the 2026 draft may unfold similarly to 2022. Simpson doesn’t appear to be on a first-round trajectory in the weeks leading up to the event.