Ty Simpson has earned one of his biggest supporters in ESPN analyst, Dan Orlovsky, as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, with the No.1 overall spot being projected to go to Fernando Mendoza and the ex-Alabama star at one of the later spots in the first round.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza
Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (QB11) greets Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (QB17) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
In one of his recent analyses on the show, “Get Up”, Orlovsky argues that there is not much gap between Mendoza and Simpson in terms of talent, and even labelled the ex-Alabama star as the best quarterback in this draft class.
The ESPN analyst shared that Simpson is QB1, according to him, because of the body of work both quarterbacks did in the 2025 season, and claimed that Simpson had to do more to carry his team.
Orlovsky also highlighted how Simpson threw more NFL-style throws throughout the season and acted more consistently in the moments of panic, which is what distinguishes a player from good to great.
“It’s almost like Alabama and Indiana played each other last year, wanna tell me who was the better qb in that game Dan, or have you not watched the Bowl game tape because it’s post season? What a waste of a great espn salary.” one fan reacted.
“Dan doesn’t actually believe this. It’s a month out from the draft and ESPN needs content and buzz. Say a wild take like this and it draws views and attention. That’s what his job is, not providing objective analysis.” another fan conspired.
“Also, moments of panic?? What did Fernando do when his back was against the wall on 3rd down and he’s getting crushed? He throws a touchdown to beat Penn state. Dan. Everything you said her can be debated, and you would lose.” another fan wrote.
“Mendoza’s post season QBR (180.2) was higher than any one of Simpson’s last 10 games. His highest in that stretch was 161.6. All 4 teams Mendoza faced in the playoffs were top 20 defenses, with Alabama’s being the worst.”another fan highlighted.
“He backs out of the headline in his last sentence. He said he’d rather have a Simpson at 20 than Mendoza at 1. If he thought Simpson was better, he would not have brought draft position into it. He doesn’t believe Simpson is a better prospect, he thinks he’s a better value.” another fan pointed out.
“Ok, wait: the last statement undoes the discussion: at the 15-20 range vs. 1 is different from saying I would take Simpson at 1 over Mendoza. Which is it? If you think Simpson is better, then are you saying you wouldn’t take either until 15-20? Or you would take TS at 1?” another fan asked.
Mel Kiper Jr. Shares Final Ty Simpson Prediction for 2026 NFL Draft
Mel Kiper Jr. released his final mock draft ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft event that is set to take place in Pittsburgh on April 23–25, while also sharing his final prediction for the Alabama star, Ty Simpson.
While different analysts had different predictions for Simpson, projecting him to go to Browns, or the Steelers, Mel Kiper Jr, believes that the former Alabama quarterback will be picked as the No.16th overall pick.
Kiper Jr. explained that Simpson to the Jets idea works because the franchise has secured the Geno Smith trade for 3 first round picks in the 2027 Draft, hence, Simpson can develop as a rookie and if things don’t workout they can get a better quarterback like Dante Moore or Arch Manning next year.
“This is a good range for Simpson, who has only 15 career starts but throws with accuracy, processes quickly and moves well in the pocket. He threw 28 touchdown passes in 2025 and is a first-round QB in my book. Simply put, New York has to take some swings to figure out the long-term solution under center.” Kiper Jr. said.
Simpson has secured 15 starts as a starting quarterback at Alabama.
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