Will Ty Simpson be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
If the NFL Draft took place halfway through the college football season, Simpson would’ve been in the mix for the first overall pick — something that took a sizable hit after he and the Alabama Crimson Tide struggled to close out the 2025 season.
However, an impressive outing against Oklahoma in the first-round of the College Football Playoff, coupled with his Heisman Trophy worthy first-half of the season, Simpson could very well find himself greeting NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell during the 2026 NFL Draft’s opening round…something Simpson believes should happen.
During his NFL Draft Combine media availability on Friday, Simpson sent a message to the NFL’s 32 clubs — saying whoever takes a chance on him will be securing their organization a ‘franchise quarterback.’
“First off, I think I’m ready, I’m a franchise quarterback,” Simpson proclaimed. “Alabama prepares you the most for the NFL … The Alabama locker room is as close to an NFL locker room as you can get.”
During his lone year as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback, Simpson had quite the roller coaster season. Following an upset loss at the hands of Florida State in Week 1, Simpson and the rest of the Tide settled in nicely, winning eight-straight games and the first-year signal caller found himself in Heisman Trophy finalist conversations — until the final four games of the season came along.
In his final three regular season games against Oklahoma, Eastern Illinois and Auburn, as well as the SEC Championship Game against Georgia, the Tide went just 2-2, and Simpson struggled mightily, completing 59.5% of his passes and throwing for just 807 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions.
The end of season struggles took Simpson out of the Heisman Trophy conversation and forced Alabama to go on the road in the College Football Playoff’s opening round, a game Simpson bounced back in and led the Tide to a comeback victory against Oklahoma in Norman.
Despite being walloped in the next round of the playoffs against eventual National Champions, Indiana, led by projected first overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, Simpson apparently did enough to get a vote of confidence by NFL Draft evaluators, as he and his camp felt comfortable enough to turn down reported near $10 million offers to return to college for his senior season — perhaps signifying that there’s enough buzz for Simpson to be called on night one of this coming April’s draft.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.