As the 2026 NFL Draft officially gets underway at 7 P.M ET Thursday evening, the spotlight isn't just on finished products—it's also on projections, patience, and long-term vision. Few prospects embody this tension more than Alabama's quarterback Ty Simpson, whose evaluation over the past three and a half months has felt less about what he's proven and more about what he could potentially become. In a class filled with quarterbacks boasting extensive college reps, Simpson enters the conversation as a different kind of investment—one that requires context, discipline, and the proper developmental timeline.
That's where Nick Saban offers a necessary grounding perspective, as Simpson comes into Thursday night as the No. 2 projected passer to be selected at his position, and a potential first-round selection. Rather than inflating his former 5-star recruit's stock with surface-level traits, Saban leaned into the reality of Simpson's unique collegiate career: experience still matters. While the physical tools are there, the former Alabama head coach framed Simpson's trajectory through a developmental lens, emphasizing that growth at the quarterback position is rarely linear—especially for players who haven't logged significant in-game reps.
Nick Saban gives honest assessment regarding Ty Simpson's pro career ahead of 2026 NFL Draft
"I think Ty Simpson is a guy that didn't play as much in college as a lot of these quarterbacks as they developed,” Saban said Wednesday on the Pat McAfee Show. “He's only played 15 games or whatever, I think maturity would be the word that I would say is important in the development of his game.”
To the Hall of Famer's point, this has been the No. 1 knock on Simpson throughout his draft process. Beyond what he showed in his one season as a starter in Tuscaloosa—passing for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 5 total interceptions—it's no secret that Simpson is still very raw in his growth as a signal caller. Yes, he showed efficient flashes of high-level quarterbacking, but many don't view his body of work as complete enough to eliminate projection from the evaluation. This is why Saban continued his pre-draft analysis with a reality that may ultimately serve Simpson best at the next level, as he looks to prove he can develop into a franchise quarterback early in his NFL career.
"I think he can throw it well enough. I think he's athletic enough,” Saban said. “Decision-making, processing, drifting in the pocket—things you can improve on with experience. Because maturity is nothing more than making the right decision at the right time, and that comes with experience and repetition. He doesn't have enough of that, but he will get it, and I think be a very good player… But he needs to go some place where he has a chance to develop and not play right away. That's just my opinion."
Saban's honest assessment isn't a negative for Simpson in my opinion. I say this because many mock drafts have projected the Alabama quarterback to teams like the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Los Angeles Rams, among others. Each of those situations offers a veteran presence at quarterback, whether it's Geno Smith in New York, Jacoby Brissett in Arizona, Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh, or Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles, among others, depending on how things unfold.
For Simpson, that specific landing spot matters. It would give him the opportunity to learn behind established starters without the immediate pressure of being thrown into the fire of a Week 1 starting role, something we've seen rattle rookie quarterbacks in past seasons. And in a league where developmental quarterbacks often get a bad wrap or fail entirely because they're rushed onto the field too early, that kind of patience could be exactly what stabilizes his long-term trajectory.
With that being considered, make no mistake about it—Simpson has the mental fortitude and background to succeed at the next level. But it'll truly be interesting to see what kind of foundation he walks into when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell calls his name on draft night and his professional journey officially begins.
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