The 2026 NFL Draft is almost here.
While this is not regarded as a particularly special quarterback class, former Alabama starter Ty Simpson is hoping to be the second signal caller off the board on Thursday night.
Simpson, who shined early in the year before battling through injury down the stretch, is expected to be a late first-round pick but could slip to the second round depending on how the board falls.
Where will Ty Simpson be picked?
Simpson’s eventual landing spot has been subject to much debate on social media. Opinions are also split on Kalshi, which allows users to predict the team that will draft Simpson this weekend (among other things).
As of this writing, the Arizona Cardinals are seen as the favorites to draft Simpson. However, the Los Angeles Rams are another possibility as they’re looking for a long-term successor for Matthew Stafford. There are several other QB-needy teams, too, such as the New York Jets, who could get in the mix.
Here’s what the current market looks like on Kalshi:
Let’s break down some of the top candidates:
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are far and away the favorite to take Simpson at just over 50% odds on Kalshi as of publication. Arizona moved on from Kyler Murray this offseason, necessitating a long-term answer at quarterback.
The Cardinals have the No. 3 pick but are not expected to take Simpson that high. Instead, Arizona would be expected to take him with its second-round selection (No. 34 overall) or trade into the first round to ensure it gets him.
Entering the draft, Arizona’s quarterback room includes Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis. Brissett would likely enter training camp as the favorite to be the Week 1 starter, but Simpson would have a chance to earn playing time as a rookie in Arizona.
RELATED: Interested in learning more about prediction markets like Kalshi? Here’s a Kalshi promo code you can use to earn a sign-up bonus ahead of the NFL Draft!
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are next up with a 10% chance to take Simpson during the NFL Draft, according to the latest prices on Kalshi. That’s down significantly from 22% a couple of days ago. Matthew Stafford is expected to return for the 2026 season, but the former Georgia product, 38, appears closer than ever to retirement.
Without a long-term option in-house, the Rams could look to take a quarterback late in the first round — similar to what the Packers did when they took Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick in 2020 as Aaron Rodgers was beginning to age out of Green Bay.
The Rams have picks 13 and 61, so a trade (either down from 13 or up from 61) would likely be in the cards if Simpson is their guy. Stetson Bennett is the Rams’ current backup quarterback behind Stafford.
New York Jets
The Jets have been fruitlessly scouring the draft for a franchise quarterback for decades. That’s not an exaggeration. They haven’t had a quarterback earn first-team All-Pro honors since Joe Namath in 1968.
The Jets haven’t been overtly linked with Simpson, but they’re certainly expected to take a quarterback at some point this weekend. Geno Smith is slated to be the Jets’ starter in 2026 but they still need a long-term development project at that position.
The Jets have picks No. 16 and No. 33, which may represent the ceiling and floor for Simpson’s draft range. They also have pick No. 44 which they could use to package with No. 33 in a hypothetical deal to move up for Simpson late on Day 1.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
