With just a month to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, former Alabama QB Ty Simpson is seeing his draft stock skyrocket.
It no longer appears to be a question of if Simpson will go in the first round. That seems like a lock. The only real question left is how high Simpson will get selected.
If it were up to former NFL QB turned ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, Simpson might go No. 1 overall, ahead of Indiana QB - and Heisman Trophy winner - Fernando Mendoza.
Orlovsky caught plenty of flak recently for stating Simpson was just as impressive on tape as Mendoza last season. On Monday, he took it a step further by stating the Alabama product was the premier quarterback in the 2026 draft class:
"I think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this class," Orlvosky stated on First Take.
“I think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this class.”
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 23, 2026
—@danorlovsky7 makes a strong claim ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Kgj0Z9Rgtc
Orlovsky explained his reasoning, stating that more was asked of Simpson than Mendoza, and that the former Crimson Tide signal-caller was consistently asked to make more NFL-type throws than the Heisman winner. He stated several of those things were "not even close" on tape.
It didn't take long before a prominent figure backed up what Orlovsky stated.
Former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum backs Dan Orlovsky's Ty Simpson take
Armchair quarterbacks may disagree, but Orlovsky spends a lot more time breaking down tape than 99.9% of so-called "experts" out there. His opinion is formed by it, not from any preconceived opinions or biases.
And Orlovsky isn't on an island, anymore.
Former NFL GM and EVP Mike Tannenbaum jumped on social media to support Orlovsky's take. Not with his own opinion, but with opinions gathered by current NFL executives. Some, not all, agree that Simpson is the top QB in this draft class instead of Mendoza:
In talking to clubs this opinion is shared by other teams as well https://t.co/kYLHgLHedy
— Mike Tannenbaum (@RealTannenbaum) March 23, 2026
A lot of mock drafts continue to have Simpson in the 20-30 range of the first round. It's starting to feel like that is far too conservative a placement for the soon-to-be first-round pick.
With Orlovsky and others sounding the horn in his favor, and some franchises obviously agreeing, don't be surprised if Simpson ends up working his way into the Top 10 next month.