Ty Simpson — 2026 NFL Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

For the first half of the 2025 season, Simpson was the best QB in college football. Then things quickly eroded over the second half of the season. The talent is still there, and I can't help but feel like the hiring of Mike McCarthy was done with QB development in mind. Maybe Simpson isn't drafted to start right away, but the Steelers need a QB, and Simpson is good value here.

One of the most pressing questions of this draft is how high Simpson will go. He was entrenched in the top-10 conversation midseason before a significant second-half slide. The pros for Simpson? He can throw with pristine accuracy, improvises in the pocket and has enough arm strength to drive the ball downfield. The cons? His decision-making waned down the stretch, as he had four interceptions and a combined 62.6% completion percentage in Alabama's final six games.

Regardless, I think the Steelers could take a chance on him here. They might bring back quarterback Aaron Rodgers if he doesn't retire, but that is far from a certainty. And while new head coach Mike McCarthy has praised Will Howard, he was a sixth-round pick last year. It feels unlikely Pittsburgh would completely anchor its future around him.

The Browns become the Ty Simpson team. Simpson struggled over the back half of his final college season due to injuries, but Todd Monken and the Browns have nothing at quarterback in a tough division not to have one. Simpson is not the highest-upside guy out there, but he gives Cleveland a chance for some much needed, bare-minimum competency with upside to get better.

We wondered if the Steelers would pick a quarterback early on last year. They didn't do that, opting to sign Aaron Rodgers instead. Well, the Steelers are in need of a quarterback, and I really like Simpson. I know Simpson doesn't have tremendous size, but he can make all the throws. He can make anticipatory and leverage throws. He's accurate on the outside. I know Indiana was able to get to Simpson in the Rose Bowl, but he was the reason why Alabama defeated Georgia in Athens this past season.