Once again, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in need of a quarterback. And once again, there aren’t many to choose from. Neither the free agent nor trade markets look promising. And while the Steelers are ready to bring Aaron Rodgers back, that’s not a guarantee just yet. While the quarterback class in this draft class isn’t impressive either, Alabama’s Ty Simpson is a name that’s been mocked to the Steelers plenty.
Simpson has many intriguing qualities, but draft stock can change plenty with two months still to go. To NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah, Simpson may have the most at stake of any quarterback during the pre-draft process.
“I think he probably has the most at stake. Between where we are today and when we get to the draft. Someone who, I think, most teams will have as the second quarterback. It’s not really so much, is he number two? It’s just how high a pick is he worthy of? And when you have the limited number of starts he has, teams are going to have to get comfortable with that,” Jeremiah said Thursday on his annual pre-draft conference call.
There are lots of things Simpson does that NFL teams will love. He understands timing, plays with poise, processes things quickly, and throws an accurate ball. He’s not super athletic, but his good pocket presence helps make up for it.
All those tools helped him get off to a hot start in 2025. Unfortunately, the year didn’t end quite as well. He was banged up with a few different issues, including injuries to his back, ribs, and even his elbow. Simpson tried his best to play through those, but they certainly slowed his momentum down.
With that being his only season as a starter, he carries some risk. Ty Simpson would probably do well learning behind a veteran and sitting for a year, but he still needs reps to develop. That’s something teams will have to come to terms with, as Jeremiah says.
“With Ty, there’s the first six or seven games, he was excellent. Making good decisions, accurate, layered throws,” Jeremiah said. “But he didn’t play well, coming down the stretch. So, when you see that, you don’t have another three or four years’ worth of good tape to forgive that and be comfortable with it.”
To Jeremiah, Simpson’s overall evaluation isn’t in the first round. But he does see a world where Simpson creeps up into that territory. With the Steelers picking in the back half of the first round, Jeremiah sounds relatively confident he’ll be there.
“For me, he’s in the thirties, forties range for me, as just a pure grade. But, I wouldn’t be stunned if he ended up going in the first round because there’s enough teams in need at the position,” Jeremiah said.
Many have compared this cycle to that of 2022, when the Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett. In some ways, it is similar. However, this year has a consensus top quarterback, and the Steelers won’t be getting him. So, they find themselves in nearly the same spot at 21st overall, with a quarterback who will probably be available, yet might not be worth a first-round pick.
Maybe if Aaron Rodgers comes back, the Steelers pass on a QB early in the draft altogether. With free agency before the draft, Pittsburgh could fill that hole with someone like Malik Willis as well. Or, the Steelers could even roll with Will Howard, who’s already in the building. By the time the draft comes around, the quarterback position should look much clearer in Pittsburgh (at least we hope).
Ty Simpson could also make himself more desirable with a good combine performance and pre-draft process. He’ll remain in the conversation until the Steelers figure out their answer. But for now, he’ll have to prove himself worthy of a late first-round selection.
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