If there is one thing we know to be true every single NFL offseason, it's that you can expect teams to take desperate measures for their desperate needs at the quarterback position. There is always demand for the quarterback position in the NFL, which is why none of us should be surprised by Adam Schefter's latest report regarding Alabama quarterbak Ty Simpson.
On The Pat McAfee Show, Schefter stated that he's confident -- based on what he's heard from executives around the league -- that Simpson will be one of the top 32 players selected come April's NFL Draft.
The buzz around Simpson hasn't really been there, at least not until recently. Schefter's cohort at ESPN, Dan Orlovsky, recently suggested that Simpson could be a better prospect than even presumptive #1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
Adam Schefter believes Ty Simpson will be a 1st-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
"The one thing that I can say confidently right now is that Ty Simpson will be a first round draft pick..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 23, 2026
Talking to front offices that's what I believe"@AdamSchefter #PMSLive https://t.co/8WAIXvyscD pic.twitter.com/tIuZQUWrli
This is certainly a fascinating report from Schefter, and good to know for the purposes of future NFL mock drafts. It felt like Simpson's stock had cooled off considerably. There was a time when he was going as high as 2nd overall to the Jets in our mock draft scenarios, so who knows how far this can go?
If a team like the Jets does love Simpson, they might have to take him 2nd overall, because what happens if the Browns love him at 6? Or the Dolphins at 11? Or really any other team in need of a quarterback?
Once again, supply and demand drives the ship, and this year's draft has very little supply and the same amount of demand as always.
One of the reasons why Simpson's stock has cooled is because of the fact that he has very little starting experience at the collegiate level. In fact, he has just one season starting for the Crimson Tide, but talent has never been a question for him. He's a former five-star prospect who played really well this past season, but more time on task could have helped give us all a better picture of what he might be bringing to the pros.
But that's part of the game with the NFL Draft. There's projection involved. And there are traits beyond what we all see on the field that make Simpson a 1st-round prospect. It's very likely that Simpson has interviewed well with teams, and that's part of the reason why he's being considered a surefire top pick at this point.
We'll get to have some fun exploring where those rumors could lead over the next month with the 2026 NFL Draft on deck.