2026 NFL Draft: The Book on Alabama QB Ty Simpson

With the 2026 NFL Draft less than a month away, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has entered the chat as the most polarizing prospect in the class. After Simpson's impressive throwing exhibitions at the NFL Scouting Combine and Alabama Pro Day created a buzz in scouting circles, evaluators could not wait to dig into the tape to determine whether the consensus QB2 of the class is worthy of a first-round pick.  

Simpson, who passed for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2025, is a mechanical marvel with flawless footwork and throwing mechanics that stand out on his tape. As the son of a college football coach with an extensive offensive background, Simpson operates like a clinician from the pocket, working through his reads at warp speed before routinely delivering darts to open receivers. 

The combination of his high-IQ and refined mechanics resulted in a sizzling nine-game run in 2025 — a 66.8% completion rate with 21 touchdowns and one interception during that span — that had scouts buzzing about his prospects as a QB1. Directing a pro-style offense created by former NFL offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, Simpson showcased his managerial skills and big-play potential with his surgical dismantling of four ranked opponents — Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee. 

In a 24-21 upset over No. 5 Georgia last September on the road, Ty Simpson threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third TD. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

That scintillating stretch piqued the interest of evaluators intent on finding a potential QB1 in the 2026 or 2027 classes. Few expected Simpson, with another year of college eligibility and only 15 starts on his résumé, to enter this year's draft. But the flashes