Dan Patrick provides theory on why Dan Orlovsky is pushing for Ty Simpson to be 1st QB taken in NFL Draft
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Dan Patrick is well aware of the debate about whether Fernando Mendoza or Ty Simpson will be the first quarterback off the board at the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
For some, it’s clear-cut: Mendoza is the one after leading Indiana to an undefeated national championship season in 2025. Others think Simpson deserves to be taken first despite Alabama‘s disappointing season and his much less substantial body of work (15 starts to over 30 for Mendoza between Cal and Indiana).
One person who’s in the latter camp is ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky. On Tuesday’s edition of “Get Up,” the former NFL signal-caller said that Simpson’s reactions “in moments of panic with the football” make him the choice, adding that “it’s not close.”
Patrick, on his national radio and streaming program later in the day, had an interesting theory about why Orlovsky has been beating the drum for Simpson. He noted that Orlovsky and Simpson share the same representation: CAA.
“CAA represents a whole lot of people in the sports world. I don’t know if Orlovsky’s doing somebody a solid here,” Patrick said. “ESPN does have the draft, and all of a sudden, you’re now pushing this out.” I don’t know if anybody’s going to react. I don’t know if a team goes, wait a minute.”
He added that if he were an NFL GM, he’d reach out to Orlovsky to get his thoughts on what he saw in Simpson, adding that Orlovsky’s take may not necessarily be the correct one.
“I would say, ‘Hey, tell me what you’re seeing. Tell me what I might be missing here.’ Because Orlovsky did play the position. He’s very educated in analyzing those who are playing the position. And just because he says he’s better than Fernando Mendoza doesn’t mean he’s going to be a great quarterback,” Patrick said.
Here’s the latest Kalshi market showing the odds of players to be taken in the NFL Draft’s first round:
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
