Why Alabama pro day could help Ty Simpson in NFL draft, according to insider

The quarterback class for the 2026 NFL draft is seen as a one-man show. Indiana Hoosiers alumni and reigning Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza is the clear-cut favorite to go first overall in this year’s draft. Outside of Mendoza, though, the rest of the quarterback class is going under the radar.

There’s one quarterback right now who’s also projected to go in the first round by some analysts: Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. There are some serious questions about Simpson’s arm talent, especially after a rocky finish to the 2025 season. However, Louis Riddick of ESPN believes that the quarterback will perform great at Alabama’s pro day. Riddick says that Simpson will show that his arm is much better than what NFL draft evaluators currently give him credit for.

https://x.com/ESPNNFL/status/2036165811564429526?s=20

Most mock drafts now have Simpson being drafted in the late first round to the second round of the 2026 NFL draft. While there are some optimistic predictions about Simpson potentially going in the middle of the first round, there are concerns about his spotty accuracy on deep balls and his poor play down the stretch. His lack of experience at the college level (only fifteen starts throughout his career)

That being said, Riddick correctly points out that Simpson’s biggest strength was his processing. Even with his struggles throwing long, the Alabama quarterback displayed a lot of poise and calmness in the pocket. Simpson was great at reading defenses and quickly processing what was going on in the field. Over the last few years, more and more teams have decided to prioritize that skill over raw arm talent and physical traits.

A great showing at his Pro Day could lessen fears about Simpson’s physical tools for teams that want to draft a quarterback. Even with all of the movement in this year’s offseason, there are still a handful of teams who would take a flyer on a prospect like him. We’ll see if the Alabama quarterback can go from a Day 2 pick to an early first-rounder with his showing.

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