The 2026 NFL Draft is a month away, meaning it’s time for hot takes to ramp up. The one that made the rounds in the media space this week was Dan Orlovsky professing his love for Alabama’s Ty Simpson. So much so that he claimed he has him ranked over Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza as the top quarterback in the draft.
Many have called him out for the take, saying that he’s only doing it to stir the pot and get engagement. Orlovsky believes that Simpson was asked to do more “common NFL things” during his time at Alabama than Mendoza did at California and Indiana. That may be true, but it doesn’t change the gap in production and on-field performances.
Ty Simpson ran a lot of NFL concepts while at Alabama, but still showed flaws
In order to bring some sense and nuance to the conversation surrounding the quarterbacks, legendary NFL Films producer and NFL analyst Greg Cosell has given his thoughts on Simpson in a recent interview. Cosell actually agrees with Orlovsky’s point about Simpson running a lot of NFL concepts at Alabama.
But his experience doesn’t mask the fact that he showcased major flaws over the latter half of the 2025 season, including inaccurate passes and struggling with handling pressure.
Despite the weaknesses, Cosell still views Simpson as the second-best quarterback in the class. But it’s clear that the things Simpson struggled with were strengths of Mendoza, whose accuracy and pocket awareness are considered very good.
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