Alabama QB Ty Simpson Scouting Report
Ready To Win Some With Simpson?
Image 1: QB Ty Simpson (15) celebrating after a big play
Height: 6’1
Weight: 211
Position: QB
Year: (RS) Jr
Background
Image 2: QB Ty Simpson (6) making a play as a ball carrier for Westview High School
Born on December 21, 2002, Ty Simpson was a Five-Star QB prospect in the class of 2022 coming out of Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee. Ranked as the 4th QB and 29th player in the nation, Simpson was highly sought after as a ready pocket passer who was coming off an impressive Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. With every major program wanting to sign him, Simpson chose to commit to Alabama over programs like Clemson and Tennessee.
As a member of the Crimson Tide, Simpson would see minimal playtime in his first three seasons with Alabama due to talented signal callers like Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe being locked in as starters. Though a coaching change and multiple years of bench riding would cause players to seek starting opportunities elsewhere, Simpson stayed with Alabama before earning the starting job as a (RS) Jr. As a starter, Simpson flashed impressive refinement for a one-year starter. Despite interest from other college programs to stay in school and transfer, Simpson declared for the 2026 NFL draft, where he has a chance to be a franchise’s long-term answer at QB.
Athletic Tools
Simpson is not a big rushing threat, but his lateral quickness and fluidity make him an effective play extender. While he lacks great speed or explosiveness as a movement athlete, Simpson is mobile enough to alter pursuit angles and create off-structure. Simpson’s ceiling as a play extender is limited by a lack of elite positional arm talent or athletic tools, but he is going to be effective enough to play off-schedule in the NFL.
Video 1: QB Ty Simpson (15) extends the play when facing quick interior pressure and scrambles into the open field for a big rushing gain
Video 2: QB Ty Simpson (15) pump fakes and uses the open rush lane to throw on the run
Video 3: QB Ty Simpson (15) faces quick interior pressure and dances in the pocket to avoid getting a safety
Video 4: QB Ty Simpson (15) keeps the ball on the bootleg and tries to work upfield for a gain
Video 5: QB Ty Simpson (15) keeps the ball on a power-read concept for no gain
Video 6: QB Ty Simpson (15) maneuvers outside the pocket and lacks the speed to win the EDGE to get upfield
Video 7: QB Ty Simpson (15) attempts to escape the pocket, but he lacks the speed and acceleration to get into the open field
Beyond his solid lateral movement ability, Simpson’s play extension ability relies a lot on his hip-shoulder separation and arm elasticity. Similar to the game’s top play extenders (Ex. Mahomes, Williams, Jackson, etc), Simpson can effectively pass without engaging his lower body. By separating his upper and lower body mechanics in his throwing motion, Simpson is comfortable passing with an unsettled base when on the move or throwing from a messy pocket. Simpson can generate effective power when passing in these situations due to his arm elasticity. Not only can he generate sufficient lag when driving his elbow, but Simpson can also change his arm slot to throw around defenders, utilize throwing windows, and throw cross-body passes.
Video 8: QB Ty Simpson (15) passes purely with his arm and accesses his throwing window
Video 9: QB Ty Simpson (15) throws an accurate pass on the move for the trick play
Video 10: QB Ty Simpson (15) extends the play and throws an accurate pass on the run
Video 11: QB Ty Simpson (15) delivers an accurate cross-body throw from play action
Video 12: QB Ty Simpson (15) works the pass around the free rusher on the rollout
As a passer, Simpson has good touch and generates a high spin rate, which lets him throw a tight spiral with minimal wobble or inconsistency. While he is inaccurate downfield, Simpson has flashed breathtaking, layered throws and deep completions. Simpson’s raw arm strength is more adequate than exceptional, but it does give him enough juice to drive passes downfield when he is able to throw from a set base. As mentioned earlier, Simpson’s lack of truly elite pure arm strength limits the kind of throws that are possible when he is on the move and unable to set his base.
Video 13: QB Ty Simpson (15) throws a tight, fast spinning ball
Video 14: QB Ty Simpson (15) fits a perfectly placed ball while being pressured
Video 15: QB Ty Simpson (15) fits the pass over two defenders and in front of the S for the big-time play downfield
Video 16: QB Ty Simpson (15) places the ball perfectly when leading the WR downfield
Video 17: QB Ty Simpson (15) fits the ball perfectly over several defenders for the TD
Video 18: QB Ty Simpson (15) lofts the ball to hit the crossing route while under pressure
Despite having some interesting tools, Simpson has a lower ceiling as a passer due to being undersized. By being a shorter QB, Simpson will have issues with batted balls. Simpson’s high release point helps prevent some batted balls, but his frame will make many throws impossible when the pocket collapses or when he steps up. While many short QBs have been long-term starters, Simpson lacks the size and overall thickness seen in many of the successful examples (Ex. Russell Wilson, Brock Purdy, Tony Romo, etc). People often mention durability concerns with thinner QBs, but I believe the main drawback is limited passing ability while being contacted. Simpson is great at avoiding the rush and dancing around in the pocket, but he struggles to consistently deliver accurate passes while being hit mid-throw.
Video 19: QB Ty Simpson (15) attempts to fit a pass over his OG and gets it batted
Video 20: QB Ty Simpson (15) gets hit while passing and is unable to deliver a catchable ball
Technicals
With a quick, over-the-top throwing motion, Simpson does his best to work around his shorter stature as a passer. Simpson’s main mechanical issue is inconsistent balance and weight transfer due to poor hip rotation. While his ability to pass without utilizing his lower body is valuable when passing on the run, Simpson needs to be more consistent fully rotating and throwing from an established base. Simpson often finishes his throws with his weight not fully on his front foot and off balance throughout his throwing motion. With a player who has had issues with accurately driving balls downfield, Simpson rotating more can allow him to more comfortably generate power without adding greater variance from being off-balance.
Video 21: QB Ty Simpson (15) uses his high-release point to throw over his collapsing OL
Video 22: QB Ty Simpson (15) throws over two defenders playing the passing lane
Video 23: QB Ty Simpson (15) misses the deep concept and launches the ball out of bounds
Video 24: QB Ty Simpson (15) misses left when targeting his WR downfield
Video 25: QB Ty Simpson (15) fails to transfer his weight forward and finishes off-balance after the throw
Video 26: QB Ty Simpson (15) fails to transfer his weight forward and finishes with his weight on his back foot
For comparison, Russell Wilson and Brock Purdy are two smaller QBs who have been dominant deep ball throwers due to both having clean lower-body mechanics. By remaining balanced and ensuring they transfer their weight before they release the ball, Wilson and Purdy have been able to be consistent, connecting with their WRs downfield despite being smaller QBs without top-of-position arm strength.
Video 27: QB Brock Purdy (13) violently rotates his hips and finishes balanced on his front foot when driving the ball downfield
Video 28: QB Russell Wilson (3) finishes balanced on his front foot on the deep ball
Simpson needs to work on his mechanics, but his pocket movement and pressure management are phenonmenal. Whether he is stepping up in the pocket, navigating the rush, or escaping the pocket Simpson is great at avoiding sacks and contact in the pocket. With many young QBs often having issues with pocket movement and poise, Simpson being the best pocket navigator in the draft class despite his lack of experience is incredibly impressive.
Video 29: QB Ty Simpson (15) steps up and rolls out to buy time for his WR
Video 30: QB Ty Simpson (15) steps up and throws with a defender in his face
Video 31: QB Ty Simpson (15) evades the ankle swipe and runs for a big gain
Video 32: QB Ty Simpson (15) steps up in the pocket and evades the sack
Simpson is not a standout processor, but he has been competent in handling NFL-style passing concepts and playing under center. With experience with full-field reads and turning his back to the defense, Simpson has a lot of translatable experience for a college QB. For teams that want to play under center, Simpson’s experience running similar concepts should make him a seamless fit. Simpson still has some work to do trusting the coverage he sees and throwing with anticipation, but both of these are issues that will resolve themselves with more starting experience in the NFL.
Video 33: QB Ty Simpson (15) rifles the dig from under center play action
Video 34: QB Ty Simpson (15) reads from the field to the boundary side and passes for a TD
Video 35: QB Ty Simpson (15) waits for the break to ensure the dig gets open before throwing
Video 36: QB Ty Simpson (15) waits for the break to ensure the curl gets open
Draft Projection
Ty Simpson currently has a day one grade. While he needs technical refinement and lacks good tools, Simpson is a clean prospect, projection-wise, due to his experience with NFL passing concepts, play extension ability, and sack avoidance. Though he is my QB2 behind Fernando Mendoza, I have both players in the same tier, and I would not be shocked if some NFL teams preferred Simpson because he is further along as a pocket navigator and under-center passer. If he improved the previously discussed mechanical issues, then Ty Simpson can be a long-term starting option for an NFL team. With multiple teams needing a week one starter or potential successor to an aging veteran, Simpson should get drafted in the first half of the first round.
Athletic Testing
Image 4: QB Ty Simpson’s RAS card from the NFL combine
Pro Comparison
Image 4: QB Andy Dalton (14) attempting to extend the play with the Carolina Panthers
A productive and solid starting option for many years, Andy Dalton reminds me a lot of Ty Simpson. While he has aged out of starting roles, Dalton was a productive, steady starting QB due to his processing ability and adequate physical tools. While he played in a very different scheme at TCU and Cincinatti, Dalton has developed into a dependable under-center passer and has been one of the best backups in the NFL. With his familiarity with modern NFL concepts and sufficent enough tools, Simpson is a player I think could provide the talent level of young Dalton with the current refinement/familarity of current Dalton.
Date Published: 04/09/2026
Date Last Updated: 04/09/2026
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