There is little doubt that the New York Jets will probably use one of their first-round picks in April on a replacement for Justin Fields. However, a top NFL Draft expert is predicting the team takes a signal caller from a program known for QBs that struggle at the next level.
New York stole the show before the Tuesday NFL trade deadline with a pair of blockbuster trades. First, they stunned the football world when they sent star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for a pair of first-round picks. A couple of hours later, they sent disgruntled defensive lineman Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in a deal that included another first-rounder.
Following the deals, they have multiple first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. With the team owning one of the worst records in the NFL and moving on from two of their best players this week, there is no reason not to expect one of their two picks in the opening round of April’s draft to be in the top three. That puts them in a position to get one of the best QB prospects in next year’s class.
On Wednesday, ESPN NFL Draft experts Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr. presented one of their first mock drafts for the 2026 events and focused on who will be taken in the top 10. Right now, the New Orleans Saints would have the No. 1 pick, and both analysts expected Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza to be the player taken first overall.
Will the Jets make Alabama’s Ty Simpson their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
jets
Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
With the second pick, the Tennessee Titans will not go after a QB since they selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick this year. Meaning, the Jets at No. 3 can take the next best QB available in college football. That means talented prospects like Garrett Nussmeier, Dante Moore, and LaNorris Sellers will be available. However, Yates believes New York will select Alabama QB Ty Simpson.
The Crimson Tide junior is having a big year, and he is a major reason why the program is ranked in the top five. However, Jets fans should still be worried because Alabama has long been a school that is not good at developing future signal-caller stars in the NFL.
Ty Simpson stats: 2,184 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 1 interception, 162.6 passer rating
There are four Alabama alums in the NFL right now, and most of them are inconsistent at best. Bryce Young was taken No. 1 overall several years ago and is solidifying his place as another big first-round bust. Mac Jones looked good early in his career, but is now seen as just a solid backup. Tua Tagovailoa has had some big seasons, but his history of concussions has changed the trajectory of his career, and he is having a rough season in 2025.
Jalen Hurts played three seasons at Alabama. However, he left in his senior season and became a bigger star at Oklahoma. NFL history is littered with disappointing quarterbacks from Alabama. You have to go back to the 60s and 70s to find Bama alums who were great in the NFL. Oddly enough, one of them played in New York.
Jets legend Joe Namath is one of the few Alabama QBs who became stars in the pros. It would be fitting if the team found its next franchise QB from the same school as its last one.
avatar
After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos