Oct 25, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) passes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
With the NFL Draft quickly approaching, teams are putting most, if not all, of their resources towards scouting the prospects that may be the future of the franchise, and one team will draft Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with that in mind.
The former five-star quarterback committed to the Crimson Tide over Tennessee and other major programs out of high school, and after sitting behind future draft picks in Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, he finally earned the starting job this past season.
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Through his redshirt junior campaign, the pro-style quarterback with the impressive ability to improvise recorded 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns. He confirmed that he also did so while playing a later portion of the season injured.
Any team will be lucky to have Simpson, but who will draft him? Two teams currently stick out as landing spots.
With the New York Jets holding the No. 2 pick in the draft, and Indiana’s Heisman-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, likely going No. 1 overall to the Raiders, the Jets would likely be the only other team in dire need of a quarterback.
The Jets have yet to find their true No. 1 quarterback after years of searching; the last time the Jets had the same starting quarterback for more than three consecutive seasons dates back to the mid-to-late 1980s. Although New York did technically have Chad Pennington for six seasons in the early 2000s, he suffered an injury, keeping him from playing in 2005.
New York most recently experimented with Aaron Rodgers in 2024, but after he tore his Achilles tendon in the first game and missed the entire season, he made the move to Pittsburgh, leaving the Jets to move on to Justin Fields.
The Fields era didn’t get off to a great start either, though, as the Jets finalized their season with a 3-14 record. That’s good news for Simpson, however, as multiple mock drafts have Simpson headed to New York, and it would make sense.
Simpson would give the Jets a level and style of play that they haven’t quite had before, getting a mix of both a strong pocket presence and an ability to improvise and throw on the run, leaving Simpson to be the new face of the franchise.
However, inconsistencies did plague Simpson during the second half of the season, and it could scare the Jets off, leaving them to draft another position and either grab Simpson or another quarterback later in the draft or next year.
Although Rodgers kept former head coach Mike Tomlin’s record of never having a losing season in Pittsburgh alive, he’ll leave the Steelers in a bit of a predicament when the time for his retirement or another move comes.
Since Rodgers decided to move on from Green Bay, his career has been unpredictable, and the consensus is that he’s on the cusp of retirement. Whether that happens in a few months or a couple of more years, the Steelers will need a replacement.
If the Steelers were to take Simpson with the No. 21 pick in the draft, or potentially later, they could solidify Simpson as the future of the club, either thrusting him into a starting position or allowing him time to develop behind a veteran in Rodgers.
It’s a new era for Pittsburgh, not only with its recent addition of Rodgers and the uncertainty of his future, but also with it moving on from Tomlin as head coach, signifying that the Steelers are ready for new, long-term success.
Simpson has proven that he’s dedicated and capable of winning, and if the Steelers buy into that, then Alabama fans could be watching Simpson lead a Pittsburgh team alongside new head coach Mike McCarthy.
It would certainly be interesting to see, but considering history, Pittsburgh would likely be the better of the two places for Simpson’s career and development. But it looks like the more unlikely situation, as of now.
Either way it goes, Crimson Tide fans can tune into the draft on Thursday, April 23, on ESPN to see if Simpson goes in the first round. Rounds two and three will follow on Friday, with rounds four through seven on Saturday.