The Pittsburgh Steelers need a quarterback, and they’re picking in the back half of the first round. Thus, it’s no surprise they’re being linked to Alabama’s Ty Simpsoon, the consensus second-best quarterback in the draft.
But is Simpson landing in Pittsburgh actually a realistic scenario? To NFL insider Albert Breer, it’s not as likely as some might expect.
“I don’t think the Steelers will. Because I think that’s basically repeating what they did four years ago,” Breer said Monday on The MMQB NFL Podcast.
Breer compares it to the Kenny Pickett selection in 2022, and while the two are different quarterbacks, the circumstances are similar. Then, the Steelers needed an answer at quarterback, and ended up reaching for Pickett with the 20th overall pick. That obviously didn’t work out, and Breer believes the Steelers learned from that experience. It’s a comparison plenty are already making this offseason.
As a quarterback, Simpson’s value might be higher than it should be. There’s always a chance a team jumps on a quarterback earlier than it should, but it feels like he’s a mid to late first-round selection at the moment. Breer isn’t even sure he should go in the first round at all.
“I just can’t find very many people that think Ty Simpson’s a first-round talent. And maybe I will, over the next couple of months. I’m just not seeing it right now,” Breer said.
There are a lot of things to like about Ty Simpson, and if it all pans out, he can develop into a great NFL quarterback. He has a good feel for timing, plays with confidence, processes things well, and is very accurate. All things that could make franchises salivate if he’s on the board at their selections.
But he’s also a player who needs more snaps to truly develop. And while dealing with injuries, his level of play dropped as the 2025 season went on. Teams are going to have to decide if the healthy version of Simpson in the first half of the season is the real version of him. Or if his faults that surfaced in the back half of the year might plague him in the NFL.
The Steelers’ ample draft stock does give them some flexibility. Perhaps they feel ready to take a chance on Simpson, someone they’re reportedly closely evaluating. Having four picks in the second and third rounds helps soften that risk. On the flip side, having those picks could make them feel more comfortable about selecting a quarterback on Day 2 or 3, and opting for a different need in the first round instead.
Either way, the Steelers have options. And for what it’s worth, Gerry Dulac reported on Monday that he doesn’t expect Pittsburgh to draft a quarterback at the 21st pick. Breer seems to share the same thought, in the sense that it won’t be Ty Simpson in Round 1.
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