Ty Simpson Progressed on his 2022, 2023, and 2024 Game Film

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is one of the hottest names in the 2026 NFL Draft.

He shot up from being an afterthought to being in the first round discussion within two to three weeks.

Wowser.

That’s quite the jump 📈

It gets better.

Pro Football Focus had him No. 1 overall going to the Jets Oct. 15.

Is all the hype warranted?

Hard to say at this point. However, one thing is for sure: the Simpson hype caused me to turn on his tape.

It started by looking back. Evaluating is about identifying consistent traits, tendencies, and patterns as they relate to the NFL.

Simpson saw the most action against USF (2023), Chattanooga (2023), Western Kentucky (2024), Wisconsin (2024), and Mercer (2024).

STATISTICAL PROFILE

Simpson went 29-of-50 (58.0%), 381 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, and a long of 51 yards in the reps he played in from 2022 to 2024. He added 22 rushing attempts for 130 yards and three touchdowns in that time period. He was sacked a total of six times.

2022 season

Simpson’s first pass attempt was a PBU (pass breakup).

Welcome to college football.

Simpson didn’t play all that much ⎯

He saw mop-up duty against Utah State, Vanderbilt, and Austin Peay, going 4-of-5. Great for the stat sheet.

What were my impressions through my “NFL colored glasses?”

• Looked very much like he was in learning mode
• Very methodical pace
• Only threw short one-read passes
• Appeared more comfortable and was running the offense with better tempo by the third game against Austin Peay.

2022 film grade: UDFA

2023 season

Got his feet a little bit wetter:

Some things I jotted down:

• Struggled with anything outside of one-read passes up until the Chattanooga game
• Made it to his third read once
• Bobbled a couple of snaps
• Tended to hold the ball too long

I was starting to wonder what anyone was seeing in him.

⎯Then the Chattanooga game happened, and the ball started popping. Simpson was getting the ball out of his hand faster, and he began demonstrating a better feel for pressure. This is when I really began liking him.

2023 film grade: Fourth-Round

2024 season

The first thing that stood out was that his process seemed faster, and his arm seemed to be more under control.

Pro Football Focus confirmed his time to throw (2024: 2.69 seconds vs. 2023: 2.92 seconds).

From there ⎯

• Seemed more sure of himself
• Showed an improved understanding
• Efficient

And for the first time, Simpson began uncorking the deep ball, four times against Mercer, including this beauty shown below.

2024 film grade: Third-Round

Background work

Two things NFL teams will like about Simpson:

1. Comes from a football family.
2. Recruited by former Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Simpson’s dad, Jason Simpson, is the head coach at Tennessee-Martin (20 seasons).

Saban recruited quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, Bryce Young, and Jalen Milroe.

Watch this to learn more about Simpson’s football background ⬇️

#15 Ty Simpson 6-foot-2, 208 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Fall Grade: Third-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of October 19, 2025

2022 game film evaluated: Utah State, Vanderbilt, and Austin Peay (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2023 game film evaluated: Middle Tennessee State, USF, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Chattanooga

2024 game film evaluated: Western Kentucky, Wisconsin, Missouri, LSU, Mercer, and Oklahoma

Hobby: Building Legos

Christian

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Lanky athletic prospect with good natural arm strength and decent mobility. Level-headed. Alert. Rhythm quarterback. Relaxed tempo. Good football IQ. Average release time. Good playing strength. Mostly shotgun formation. Claps for the ball. Above-average escapability. Average feel for pressure. Depends more upon his upper body and arm, which produces average ball placement. Funky looking lower body when releasing with a kick step. Pushes the ball downfield. Can fire the ball in or throw touch passes. Some improv. Mostly rolls to his right. Deep ball needs work. Solid making one-to-two reads. Throws with average-to-above-average anticipation. Competitive runner. Average at protecting his body.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Responsive to pass-rush pressure?

2. Throwing with anticipation?

3. How do his deep passes look?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.