The 2026 quarterback draft class isn’t as good as the Pittsburgh Steelers hoped it would be. However, they could still target a signal caller in the first round. If they do, Alabama’s Ty Simpson feels like their most realistic target. They’ll have competition if they want to draft him, though. There are other quarterback-needy teams, including the rival Cleveland Browns, who are hosting Simpson for a pre-draft visit according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
Former Alabama QB Ty Simpson is on a visit with the Browns, per sources.
The consensus QB2 in this year’s NFL Draft, Simpson is coming off a strong showing at the NFL combine. Cleveland owns the No. 6 and 24 picks. pic.twitter.com/fD21j1WSr6
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 5, 2026
The Steelers met with Simpson at the Combine, and he had a lot of good things to say about that conversation. Drafting a quarterback in the first round is almost always risky, but Simpson is a different type of gamble.
He only started one year in college, and even that was a mixed bag. Simpson threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 games. For the first half of the year, he looked great, only throwing one interception in his first nine games. However, he struggled more down the stretch, with turnovers becoming more frequent.
Part of that is because he was dealing with injuries and an illness. Simpson showed a lot of promise before that, which is why the Steelers could target him at 21.
However, the Browns could take Simpson off the board long before the Steelers have a chance at him. They have picks six and 24 in the first round. While Simpson isn’t expected to go in the top 10, maybe the Browns will fall in love with him and take him high.
Even if they don’t, their other first-round pick is right behind the Steelers’ selection. If Simpson comes within range, the Browns might pull off a trade to get ahead of Pittsburgh and select him.
The Browns’ quarterback situation was complicated last year, and that probably won’t change in 2026. Shedeur Sanders ended 2025 as their starter, and while he has his fans, he didn’t show enough to walk into next season as the undisputed starter. Deshaun Watson could finally be healthy, too, and the Browns are paying him a lot of money. He could compete for the starting job.
Still, neither of them should preclude the Browns from taking a quarterback high if they like someone enough. We’ll see if the Steelers also bring Simpson in. Pre-draft meetings aren’t everything, but if the Steelers bring Simpson in, that could mean that he’ll be on their radar in the first round.
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