We're less than a week away from the NFL Draft, which means things are starting to come into focus...we think. Sometimes, there are a lot of smokescreens this close to the draft as NFL teams look to throw their competitors off the scent of players they are actually targeting.
Alabama QB Ty Simpson has been the most discussed prospect in the pre-draft cycle. He has plenty of believers, those like Dan Orlovsky who have pounded the drum for Simpson as a first-rounder throughout the process.
But he has plenty of detractors, too, and his draft range, despite strong performances at the NFL Combine and his Pro Day, remains pretty volatile.
While Simpson has been linked to several teams, one has seemingly moved head-and-shoulders above the others as his most likely landing spot.
The smoke around Simpson and the Arizona Cardinals grew thicker on Wednesday when ESPN's Field Yates reported that Arizona was bringing Simpson in for their final pre-draft visit to get another look at him.
The Cardinals currently hold the No. 3 pick in the first round and then will pick again at No. 34 early in the second round. The 3rd pick is probably a bit too rich for Simpson, and No. 34 is probably too late. Multiple experts have been projecting the Cardinals to package the 34th pick with others to move back into the first round to select the Tide QB.
Adam Schefter confirms the Arizona Cardinals' interest in Ty Simpson
"It certainly feels like there's a lot of smoke around the Arizona Cardinals," Schefter said on ESPN's NFL Live. "I think the Los Angeles Rams would have had some interest in Ty Simpson if they had two first-round picks, which they don't, and where was Mike LaFleur before he took the Arizona Cardinals head coaching job? Los Angeles, with the Rams. ...There is a feeling around the league that the Cardinals certainly have some level of interest in Ty Simpson."
The Rams were a popular projected landing spot for Simpson when they did have two first-round picks. With an aging Matthew Stafford, it made sense to start planning for the future. But Los Angeles dealt that second first-rounder to Kansas City to land star CB Trent McDuffie. With the Rams in win-now mode, it makes little sense to use their only first-rounder on a backup QB.
But Simpson's fit in a Sean McVay offense always made sense. And that's why he makes so much sense for the Cardinals, with new head coach Mike LaFleur coming from the McVay/Shanahan coaching tree.
The Cardinals are on the hunt for a new franchise QB after releasing former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray. They have veteran Jacoby Brissett on board, and while he's certainly a good enough bridge QB, landing Simpson makes a ton of sense as their QB of the future.
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