Is former Alabama football quarterback Ty Simpson worthy of first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft?
At least one college football analyst believes so. On Monday, Fox Sports' Joel Klatt unveiled his final mock draft ahead of the NFL Draft and made a bold prediction for Simpson.
Klatt, the lead commentator on Fox's "Big Noon Saturday" games and an analyst for NFL Network's upcoming draft coverage, sees a team trading back into the first round to grab Simpson.
That team is the Arizona Cardinals, who Klatt believes will select Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick and then work a trade with the Buffalo Bills to nab Simpson at No. 26.
"The Bills don't have a second-round pick, and someone is going to be itching to get back into the first round to get Ty Simpson. I think this pick is tailor-made to get traded. The Cardinals have the opportunity to not only get Simpson, but also get him on a first-round rookie contract, meaning they would have an extra year of team control." --Joel Klatt, Fox Sports.
Massive NIL offer from ACC school almost led Ty Simpson to skip draft📸 Dale Zanine, Dale Zanine-Imagn Images https://t.co/papFOabtHr pic.twitter.com/BAOikpnX4M
Klatt admits that Simpson is "a bit polarizing." In his lone season as Alabama's starter, Simpson threw for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns to five interceptions. The Crimson Tide finished 11-4 overall and 10-2 in the regular season.
Simpson was held to 67 passing yards in Alabama's 38-3 Rose Bowl loss to Indiana, but he sustained a cracked rib in the first half on a hit from D'Angelo Ponds that forced a fumble. Simpson started the Tide's first series of the third quarter but didn't return. Austin Mack took over and finished the rest of the game.
Klatt is nevertheless high on Simpson, the former five-star recruit in the class of 2022, and calls him an "excellent" player.
"Even though he's a touch undersized, he can make all the throws, especially outside the numbers and down the field. Simpson also knows what it takes to be a leader, showing that when he led Alabama to a comeback victory over Oklahoma in the CFP. My one area of concern for him is that he only started for one season."
Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft begins at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday from Pittsburgh. Rounds 2-3 will be held starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, with rounds 4-7 on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama QB Ty Simpson logs bold NFL Draft prediction from Joel Klatt