ESPN's Dan Orlovsky has decided to be the annual pre-draft contrarian and argue that the consensus top quarterback in the NFL Draft is NOT as obvious as everyone says it is. Despite getting repeatedly roasted for saying that Alabama's Ty Simpson is better than Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, he doubled down on Wednesday.
On this morning's edition of Get Up, Orlovsky did a film review of Simpson's play while he was at Alabama and asserted that, while Simpson may not have the physical "traits" that Mendoza does, his "tape" is better.
"I know we're not comparing the players, but it's a tape vs. traits decision," Orlovsky explained. "I believe that Ty Simpson's tape is better. He doesn't have the traits that Fernando Mendoza does and you are going to, as an organization, make the determination on him not having those physical traits or starts, is that a yes or no for you? I understand if the answer is no. I don't subscribe to that."
Fan Response
NFL fans widely dismissed Orlovsky as trying to make things more difficult for Simpson as he tries to carve his own niche in the league:
"I feel terrible for Ty Simpson being throwing into this fire unsolicited. The moment he has a stinker all this will come back and haunt him the rest of his career. I wish him the best of luck. Dan is doing him a disservice," one user replied on X.
"Now the problem comes that people are going to expect Simpson to light it up as soon as he starts. What Dan is doing is creating a HUGE standard that Simpson has to live up to now and it's not fair to him," another wrote.
"How the ball pops in your hand has nothing to do with being capable. You're truly bad at your job because you focus on aesthetics rather than qualities that matter...Ty has a very long way to go. Just SHUT up," wrote a third.
Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) passes against the Indiana Hoosiers in the first half of the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.
Simpson did some good things at Alabama but has rarely come close to being as impressive as some of his Crimson Tide predecessors who went in the first couple of NFL draft rounds. The consensus seems to be that Simpson will be at best a late first- or early second-round pick.
ESPN's draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. currently has Mendoza going No. 16 overall to the New York Jets in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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