After ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter dropped a bombshell nugget about Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson all but certain to be a 1st-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, his colleague Field Yates dropped a timely two-round mock draft with a suggestion of where he might land.
Yates's mock draft has the Alabama signal caller landing with the Arizona Cardinals, after a trade-up scenario with the Buffalo Bills for the 26th overall pick. In his scenario, he suggests that the Cardinals could use the framework of last year's trade the Giants made to get Jaxson Dart (a high 2nd and two 3rds) to get the deal done.
The question is whether the Cardinals are really in a position to be able to take on Simpson at this point, and if they're in a position to be able to sacrifice 2027 NFL Draft capital with that class being so loaded at the quarterback position.
Arizona Cardinals would have to be absolutely sold on Ty Simpson to trade up in 2026 NFL Draft
The Cardinals have a brand-new head coach this year in Mike LaFleur, and just made a franchise-altering decision to cut former #1 overall pick Kyler Murray. They've got Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew on the roster, so the need for a young quarterback is obvious. But is Ty Simpson really the right fit for a team that's building from scratch?
One of the biggest issues people have with Simpson is the fact that he only started one season at Alabama. Despite the fact that he has tremendous talent, the lack of experience could be more amplified on a team like the Cardinals, where the roster needs a lot of work, and the culture under a new regime is in the infancy stages of being built.
Not that every young quarterback is going to get drafted into a perfect situation, but the Cardinals might need to have a little bit of self-awareness here. They would be much better off taking their chances for the 2027 NFL Draft class, which is supposed to be loaded at quarterback, rather than trading away any valuable 2027 draft capital, especially a pick as high as the 3rd round.
Next year's class could include the likes of Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Julian Sayin, and plenty of others. Arizona could still draft a quarterback and take a risk on someone this year, but they're not in the same boat that the Giants were when they moved up to take Jaxson Dart. That was a pick made in desperation by a brain trust that was on the hot seat.
The Cardinals are just starting. They don't need to have the long-term answer at quarterback right now, especially if it hurts their chances of getting someone next offseason.