If there is one thing that has become abundantly clear in recent years in the NFL: fit matters, particularly when it comes to quarterbacks.
Look no further than this weekend's conference championship games, one of which will be piloted by Sam Darnold for the Seattle Seahawks. Darnold, originally selected by the New York Jets in the NFL Draft, was considered a bust until he had a resurgent season a year ago with the Minnesota Vikings, which landed him a substantial contract from the Seahawks over the offseason.
He's now one win away from starting in a Super Bowl.
Darnold struggled in New York and then bounced around between Carolina and San Francisco before getting the opportunity last year in Minnesota.
Alabama QB Ty Simpson could find himself on a similar path if Mel Kiper's latest mock draft proves to be accurate.
Kiper has Simpson being drafted No. 16 overall by the hapless Jets, where many a potential franchise quarterback has seen his career die before it ever really got started.
The New York Jets would be a rough landing spot for Ty Simpson
Dropping to No. 16 feels unlikely for Simpson, given that he's now comfortably the No. 2 QB on draft boards behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza after Oregon's Dante Moore elected to bypass the NFL Draft and return to Eugene. The Jets are one of the most QB-needy teams, however, and have two premium selections in the first round. They also pick No. 2 after the Las Vegas Raiders, who are widely expected to select Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in April.
That means that Simpson to the Jets may be the most likely scenario for the former Crimson Tide star.
And that could mean his career trajectory ends up similar to Darnold's if he is to ultimately find success.
Darnold isn't the only example of a high draft pick QB finding success once they got out of a toxic first situation. The same happened for Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick by the Browns, who bounced around before finding his home in Tampa Bay.
Daniel Jones was on a similar path this season with Indianapolis after a failed stint with the Giants before a season-ending injury.
It is becoming a new normal across the NFL. And if Simpson has the misfortune of being selected by the Jets, he could find his career taking a similar path.