No one in Indianapolis is arguing over who should be considered the top quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft class. Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman Trophy-winning season has made him the consensus No. 1 pick by a comfortable margin.
What happens after Mendoza, though, is up for debate. And the New York Jets are one of the teams taking notes.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is ranked as the second-best quarterback in the draft by most analysts. He started for just a single season in Tuscaloosa, but led the Crimson Tide to the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.
Now, Simpson is ready to prove to the world that he’s better than his 2025 season showed.
“I believe I’m a franchise quarterback,” Simpson said Friday. “Alabama prepared me the most for the NFL with the infrastructure they had.”
The projected first-round pick is meeting with plenty of quarterback-needy teams around the league. Most of those teams hope Simpson’s declaration as the franchise quarterback comes true.
And the Jets are at the top of the list.
Simpson meets with Jets
Simpson told Jets X-Factor Friday that the Jets were one of the teams he had met with during the combine process. He touted his conversation with offensive coordinator Frank Reich and head coach Aaron Glenn as reasons why he could see himself in Florham Park.
“I really love the Jets,” Simpson said to Jets X-Factor. “Really blessed to be able to have a meeting with them. If I get the opportunity to play in New York, they’re going to get the best Ty Simpson they can.”
The 23-year-old prospect acknowledged during his availability that he has much to improve on after his lone campaign as a college starter. Simpson started hot before a rough, injury-plagued finish to the season.
Simpson, at times, carried the Crimson Tide with his play while the team was riddled with drops and inconsistent offensive line play.
Despite a resounding loss in the CFP, Simpson was very appreciative of his teammates at Alabama.
“I’m really proud of the team,” Simpson said. “I love those guys and am proud to be a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.”
Ty Simpson draft profile
Early in the 2025 college football season, Simpson was outplaying Mendoza. Injuries and inconsistent play caused Simpson to lose steam as the season wore on.
Still, there are many reasons why a team like the Jets could fall in love with a quarterback prospect like Simpson.
His best games came against top programs such as Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee, a stretch of games that catapulted him to the top of most quarterback conversations.
The big detriment to Simpson is his lack of game experience. He started just one full season at Alabama, a victim of the school’s rich history at the quarterback position. Instead of returning to school, his choice to declare for the draft means teams will have to compare him to other quarterbacks with just a full season of college experience.
Anthony Richardson, Mitch Trubisky, and Dwayne Haskins are among the players in that category.
Not the best list to be on.
Over his first three years, though, Simpson worked with several elite players on Alabama’s defense while running their scout team. It isn’t the same as throwing in games, but going against Will Anderson, Brian Branch, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and many other NFL defenders carries weight.
Despite the concerns about his limited number of starts, Simpson put up a very strong season of film in 2025. He played in a pro-ready system at Alabama and set protections at the line of scrimmage. Not every college quarterback comes to the NFL with the same type of experience.
His footwork is among the best in college, and a big reason for his declining completion percentage was drops, not poor throws.
The expectation in Indianapolis is that Simpson will be available when the Jets make their second first-round pick (16th overall) in April. With their Indianapolis meeting in the books, New York has more intel at their disposal to decide if the Tennessee native is worthy of a shot to be the franchise quarterback.
