ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. predicts where Ty Simpson will go in 2026 NFL Draft
By Luke Greco
Published:
ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. joined the Get Up crew on Wednesday morning and suggested that former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson will go No. 16 overall to the New York Jets in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
With Oregon quarterback Dante Moore returning to school for another year, the Jets won’t get their presumably preferred QB with the No. 2 overall pick. However, Kiper Jr. suggested Wednesday that there’s no reason for the Jets, Steelers, or Rams to pass on Simpson late in the first round.
“Ty Simpson, like I said at this point, at 16, we were talking top 5 back in October,” Kiper Jr. said. “I think would make sense for the New York Jets, or the Steelers, or the Rams late in the first round.”
The Jets have the No. 2 and No. 16 picks in the upcoming draft. The No. 16 pick is a part of their trade with the Indianapolis Colts.
This franchise has been searching for its quarterback for quite some time, and Kiper believes that they may finally find him in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, Kiper noted that Simpson would need to sit for some time to adjust to the NFL level and put some size on his frame.
Simpson only started 15 games in his college career, all of them during the 2025 season.
