TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The twists and turns of the NFL draft process never cease to amaze. Or in some cases, provide a crazy jolt or two.
That’s probably why Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson had to laugh a little bit after events unfolded this week that thrust him into a national debate.
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Simpson was just minding his own business as the second-best quarterback in the draft behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza — a lock to be picked first overall by the Raiders — when out of the blue, ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky told anyone who would listen that his evaluation process led him to conclude that Simpson was the best quarterback in the draft.
Quarterback Ty Simpson talks with the media during Alabama’s NFL football pro day, March 25, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. AP
Orlovsky’s bold take was met with a collective sense of bemusement across the NFL. A handful of decision-makers ranging from general managers to scouting directors essentially said this week that they don’t take orders from former NFL quarterbacks turned television personalities, especially when the hot take misses the mark as much as Orlovsky’s did.
Not so for the rest of the football world.
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Orlovsky basically started a national debate, pitting Mendoza, the presumptive first pick overall, against Simpson, whose one year as the Alabama starter was a roller-coaster ride that left NFL teams in a conundrum about what they might get.
There were moments through the first half of the season when he looked like the country’s top quarterback prospect, only to taper off over the second half of the season to such an extreme that many evaluators thought he should return to college for one more season.
Alabama’s Simpson runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Feb. 28. AP
Simpson’s slide coincided with Mendoza’s climb, which included a brilliant performance during Indiana’s playoff run when he made one game-changing play after another, including in the Hoosiers’ 38–3 rout over Simpson and Alabama in the playoffs.
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In that game, Simpson threw for just 67 yards to conclude an unfortunate stretch in which he completed less than 55% of his passes in a closer-than-expected win over Auburn and a 28–7 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship game.
It’s why Mendoza is universally considered the best quarterback in the draft, with Simpson likely to be drafted somewhere within the first round or early second.
“I have him graded as a third-round player,” one NFL personnel executive said this week. “Some people have him as a second-rounder. All that said, he will go in the first round.”
Simpson, caught in the middle of all of it, just kind of laughed it off when asked about it Wednesday after he sparkled in front of a throng of NFL decision-makers at Alabama’s Pro Day.
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In one ear and out the other is how he basically digested the fire Orlovsky started.
“The same way that I processed you guys at the end of the year last year,” Simpson said. “You just have to ignore it and keep playing.”
Simpson runs the ball against Indiana during the college quarter finals at Rose Bowl Stadium, Jan. 1. Getty Images
That included the immediate backlash directed at Orlovsky, which was an indirect swipe at Simpson. Orlovsky anointing Simpson as the best quarterback in the draft drew out the naysayers who pointed to Simpson’s lack of ideal height — he’s a shade over 6-foot-1 — the fact that he only started 15 games in his college career, and how his play dipped just as the games became more important down the stretch.
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He’s learned to just tune it all out.
“I get it, there’s gonna be a lot of questions around my name,” Simpson said. “But I know what I’m capable of, and I know that whoever’s going to get me is gonna get a really good player, and a guy who loves football and a guy who loves his team and loves being a part of something bigger than himself.”
With Simpson, there continue to be questions.
“Great kid. Very smart. Pro in his approach. About the right stuff. Wired right. Just doesn’t have a lot of starting experience,” an NFL personnel executive said. “He’s really accurate. Can process. He’s tough. And athletic. But he’s undersized. Doesn’t have a great arm or overall talent. And didn’t play well down the stretch.”
Simpson throws in passing drills during Alabama’s NFL football pro day, March 25 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. AP
Whether he put any of those concerns to rest Wednesday is a debate only 32 front offices can truly answer. But it’s hard to imagine anyone left Alabama with any more doubts about him than when they arrived.
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Simpson looked dynamic during the on-field portion of his workout, throwing with accuracy and velocity to every level of the field, including while operating under simulated pass pressure that forced him to use his feet and make adjustments on the fly.
Just as importantly, he looked completely healthy. That was a problem for him in the second half of last season, when nagging injuries began piling up and he suffered stomach issues that led to a 30-pound weight loss.
The cause and effect were real. The injuries and illnesses clearly resulted in diminished play and heightened criticism. Few people knew all the details, and most people simply looked at the results with no understanding what he was dealing with.
The thought of sitting out never crossed his mind, though. Even when it meant the heat getting turned up on him by the critics.
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“That’s one thing about Ty, he knows that if you can walk and play, you go and play,” said his father, Jason Simpson, the head coach at Tennessee-Martin. “You only get so many of these games in life, and you’re not guaranteed … the next one. I never had any doubt that [he] would go and play.”
That it led to some people turning on him was disappointing but not surprising.
“I get it, and he did [get] some criticism for the end of the season, which comes with [the] territory,” his father said. “Statistically, was it as good as the first 10 games? No. But people just have to look at the tape and make good decisions.”
Simpson rushes the ball against Michael Williams II of South Florida at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, 2023. Getty Images
Wednesday was an opportunity for Simpson to show everyone he was completely healthy and back to being the quarterback some considered the country’s top prospect for a good portion of the season.
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No one would have held it against him had he not thrown Wednesday, especially coming off the solid performance he produced at the NFL scouting combine. But Simpson went the opposite direction, accepting the challenge of performing one more time in front of NFL evaluators and putting together a throwing session that shied away from easy throws in favor of high-leverage ones.
“Why not? Let it rip,” is how he described his thought process. “That’s something, if you look at my tape, I make the big-time throws. I make easy throws, but this was something that, it was fun, and being able to show off my arm and show off my feet is something I wanted to do.”
In fact, he instructed his coaches to make Wednesday’s workout as difficult as possible.
“Hey, let’s go show out and have the best pro day ever,” Simpson said. “And I felt like I did.”
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Whether it was the best is up for debate. But Simpson clearly had himself a day.
“Y’all see it, like, what can I say?” said Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard, a consensus second-round pick, after the workout wrapped up.
Simpson looked dynamic during the on-field portion of his workout. Getty Images
Among the teams that could be interested in the first round are the Rams, who need a long-term replacement for Matthew Stafford, the Jets, the Cardinals and the Steelers.
Each of those teams had a representative at Simpson’s pro day, with the Rams sending senior scouting executive Billy Johnson.
Simpson believes the overall tape, and what he’s done during the evaluation process, state a strong case for him to be a first-round pick next month.
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“I feel like I’ve done everything that I can, but it’s not up to me,” Simpson said. “I just know that wherever I go, I’m gonna give it my all and make sure that I’m gonna put my best foot forward.”
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