ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky raised eyebrows March 23. Surprisingly, he suggested presumed No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza is not the best quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft.
“I think Ty Simpson is QB1,” Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, said. “I think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this draft.”
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Additionally, Orlovsky said the former Alabama Crimson Tide signal-caller reminds him of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) runs against Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) in the Rose Bowl. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Meanwhile, another ESPN NFL analyst, former GM Mike Tannenbaum, backed up Orlovsky, posting on his X account, “In talking to clubs this opinion is shared by other teams as well.”
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On the March 24 episode of ESPN’s “Get Up,” host Mike Greenberg asked veteran draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. to weigh in on the debate. As a result, Kiper scoffed at the notion Simpson is a better prospect than Mendoza, the Indiana Hoosiers quarterback expected to go No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Yeah, that’s not shared by anybody I’ve spoken to,” Kiper said, per the show’s X account. “Fernando Mendoza is [No.] 1 on my board; Ty Simpson is at 25. You say, why? Fernando Mendoza’s nearly four inches taller than Ty Simpson.”
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Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to the school’s first national championship in football. He completed 273 of 379 passes for 3,535 yards, an FBS-leading 41 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
On the other hand, Simpson led the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff in his first season as the full-time starter. He completed 305 of 473 passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Clearly, Mendoza won the head-to-head matchup in the Rose Bowl/CFP quarterfinal. Indiana defeated Alabama 38-3 as Mendoza threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns to Simpson’s 67 passing yards and no scores.
JIndiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs against Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Jordan Renaud (11) in the Rose Bowl. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
In his most recent mock draft, Kiper has Mendoza going No. 1 to the Raiders. Whereas, he predicts Simpson will go No. 16 to the New York Jets.
Consequently, Kiper didn’t show any doubt about Mendoza’s status as the top pick. “Including the No. 1 selection in mock drafts is just a formality at this point. It’s going to be Mendoza,” he wrote.
Finally, the 2026 NFL Draft begins April 23 with first-round selections.
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