Mel Kiper reluctant to go all-in on Ty Simpson in 2026 NFL Draft due to one major concern

by: Nick Geddes 11 hours ago NickGeddesNews

At the midway point of his first season as starting quarterback at Alabama , Ty Simpson looked like a surefire top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft . Simpson’s stock has since faded after a rocky second half to his and the Crimson Tide’s campaign.

Still, in a quarterback class considered to be dry on high-end talent, Simpson could hear his name called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during Round 1 of the NFL Draft. ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. acknowledged Wednesday that Simpson coming off the board in Round 1 is still very much a possibility. However, Kiper is concerned about Simpson’s limited reps during his time in Tuscaloosa.

“He could be. Trinidad Chambliss will be in that mix as well,” Kiper said. “Ty Simpson was having a really good year. The offensive line let him down, he had no running game and Ryan Williams didn’t have the year we expected at wide receiver. Ty Simpson’s had some turnovers, some fumbles, but he didn’t get a lot of help.

“Only 23 years of age but only 15 starts. That’s a risky, dangerous number coming into the NFL when looking at the history of guys with that number of those starts. Most of those guys were disappointments. Ty Simpson, hey, he’s gonna be a first-round pick potentially, Trinidad Chambliss will be right there vying with him but 15 starts, for me, is not enough.”

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