Ty Simpson is now widely considered the QB2 in this year’s NFL draft after Dante Moore announced he will forgo the draft and return to school. With multiple quarterback-needy teams in the first round, it’s now likely to hear Simpson’s name on day one. The Alabama QB is now set up to be the next first-round quarterback to cost a general manager their job.
Simpson has started just 15 games at Alabama, accumulating just 523 throughout his collegiate career. This limited experience is almost unheard of when it comes to entering the draft. Just five quarterbacks drafted in the first round in the last ten years have had similar levels of experience.
Those five QBs are Anthony Richardson, Trey Lance, Mac Jones, Kyler Murray, and Mitch Trubisky. Each of those players had fewer than 575 pass attempts in college. A majority of them possess some trait that makes a pick seem worthwhile at the time. Richardson was viewed as a stud with raw talent who could be shaped into the next Cam Newton. Lance had an uncanny ability to throw and run. Murray was a world-class athlete who could do anything on a football field, regardless of size.
Simpson, though, does not have that standout trait. Many praise his pre-snap process and protection setting. He has the mind of an NFL QB. That is something that cannot be questioned. He simply does not possess the physical traits that warrant a first-round pick, especially given the limited sample size.
Simpson, as mentioned prior, is considered a pre-snap wizard. He can set protections and adjust plays based on what he sees before the ball is even in his hands. The troubling part is what happens after that, and does that really make him worthy of a top pick?
Simpson does not have supreme arm talent. He does not have a quick release. He doesn’t have good touch on his deep ball, and a majority of his successful deep passes likely would’ve been picked off against NFL competition. He leaves the ball up in the air way too long. He completed just five passes on 25 attempts on deep passes across the middle of the field. So, there’s one area where he doesn’t excel; however, he must be lethal when targeting the sidelines, right? Not at all.
Simpson completed just 31% off his passes to the sidelines, another horrible area of his game. So, in all, he catches throws deep, in the middle of the field, and he can’t complete passes on the sideline. Does this sound like a first-round pick? Apparently, some are seeing it that way, and if a front office does as well, they could be signing their own exit papers.
Simpson has almost been set up to be a laughing stock for whoever drafts him. In a typical draft, there is no way he is considered a top-two quarterback worthy of a first-round pick. His skill set/experience screams third or fourth-round talent. Now, mock drafts could put him as high as second overall to the New York Jets.
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