In analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest edition, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has been projected as the No. 16 overall pick to the New York Jets in the 2026 NFL Draft.
While there are a couple more predictions for Simpson that could land him with teams like the Browns and the Rams, Kiper Jr. advised the Jets to get the Crimson Tide star.
“If Frank Reich, the offensive coordinator, loves Ty Simpson, why not?” Kiper said on the ‘Get Up’ podcast. “He wants to be a Jet. You have Geno Smith there, who will be 36 in October. Ty Simpson only had 15 starts. It’s a great situation where he can sit, watch, and learn for a year with the New York Jets.”
“Who says they’re gonna have a chance to get Arch (Manning) or Dante (Moore) next year? Who says Arch will even want to be a Jet? So get the guy. If you love Ty Simpson, you get him at 16. Be happy, bring him in, and let him sit behind Geno Smith for a year,” he added.
Analysts like Joel Klatt have expressed hesitation about Simpson’s decision to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft with just one season as a starter and shared that going back to college would have helped him in his career.
Dan Orlovsky Expresses Approval with Mel Kiper Jr.’s Ty Simpson Take
Analyst Dan Orlovsky has been vocal about his likeness towards Ty Simpson and has even claimed that there isn’t as much of a gap between him and the projected No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza, as people think.
While dissecting Mel Kiper Jr.’s mock draft on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Orlovsky talked about whether he believes No. 16 is too early for Simpson and said that he thinks of the Alabama star like a Brock Purdy-caliber quarterback.
“If Ty Simpson was 6’4 or he had 20 plus college starts, I think the Jets would be very much so, very much so, in play at two play for Ty Simpson. Outstanding tape, up and down for this past season. I think if you’re the Jets and you’re sitting there at 16 and you like him, you take them. And if it doesn’t work out or he doesn’t play well or I’m wrong, then you readdress it in 2027 when they have three first-round picks. But absolutely makes a ton of sense. I think he’s very much so worthy at 16,” Orlovsky said.
Simpson secured 3,567 throwing yards along with 28 touchdowns against 5 interceptions in the 2025 season.
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