ESPN’s Field Yates projects NFL team to trade up to draft Ty Simpson in Round 1
By Adam Spencer
Published:
ESPN analyst Field Yates released his Round 1 2026 NFL Mock Draft on Tuesday. He had 10 SEC standouts going in the first 32 picks.
However, this article will focus on just 1 of those guys — Alabama QB Ty Simpson.
While fellow ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky thinks Simpson is the best QB in the class, having him rated higher than Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Yates isn’t quite there.
But Yates does think the Arizona Cardinals will see enough in Simpson to trade back into the first round on Thursday, April 23, in Pittsburgh to draft the Alabama signal caller. Here’s what Yates said in his mock draft analysis:
With a hat tip to my pal Jordan Reid — the thought leader behind the Cardinals trading up for Simpson — Arizona can execute its own version of what the Giants accomplished in 2025. New York landed edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall before trading up to take quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25. After taking Arvell Reese up top, the Cardinals can land the clear-cut second-best quarterback in this class here.
Through the early part of the 2025 season, Simpson stood out with his ability to navigate the pocket and throw with accuracy and power when he can set his feet. With Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew on Arizona’s depth chart, the team can bring Simpson along methodically. All 15 of his collegiate starts came this past season.
The Cardinals have started Kyler Murray at quarterback for the last few years, but Murray is now with the Minnesota Vikings.
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Will the Cardinals end up making a trade for the Alabama QB? Or will they invest their draft resources elsewhere? We’ll find out in less than a month when Round 1 kicks off in Pittsburgh!
Who will pick Simpson? Here’s what popular prediction market Kalshi thinks:
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
