Of all teams in this year’s NFL draft, 5 carry two first-round picks. Amongst those, only two have a QB need, and those two are the only hope for Ty Simpson now. With just 15 starts in college football, teams with just one first-round pick will be unlikely to pick a risky prospect like Ty Simpson. His best bet is those two teams, one of which is now looking hard at all QBs, apart from him. It makes things doubtful for Simpson’s first-round hope.

The $8.1 billion Jets have a 2nd overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, along with the 16th overall pick. Incidentally, they also want to correct long-term QB instability post-Rodgers and Zach Wilson era. And yet, only Fernando Mendoza is a sure-shot 1st-round QB prospect, whom the Raiders, with the 1st overall pick, will take. Because of the dynamics, they are looking at several QBs like Carson Beck, Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier, and even UConn’s Joe Fagnano to be thorough.

Jets’ GM, Darren Mougey, reportedly dined with former Miami QB, Carson Beck, last Sunday at his pro day. Before that, on March 20, Mougey and Co saw former Penn State QB Drew Allar work out at the team facility and later scheduled a visit with former LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier. Subsequently, ESPN reported that the Jets are even looking at a Day-3 prospect like Joe Fagnano closely, and Ty Simpson isn’t a sure-shot pick for them.

The Jets’ search is also interesting since the team hasn’t been on the pro day recruiting trail since 2021, when they drafted Zach Wilson. Before that, they roamed college pro days in 2018 and drafted Sam Darnold as the third overall pick. In those years, though, the Jets were sure of the QBs they were drafting; this year, they might not even draft a QB and may wait for the QB-rich 2027 NFL draft. And that is concerning news for Simpson.

“I wouldn’t be in a rush to draft a quarterback this year,” ESPN’s draft analyst Jordan Reid said about the Jets. “Personally, I don’t have Simpson rated that high at No. 16 overall. That would be a little bit too rich for me. But if he’s there with one of those other picks in the second round (33 and 44), I would feel a little bit better about that.”

So far, Mougey and Co. have visited five colleges across the country and traveled 5,800 miles to evaluate QBs and other prospects. They went to Miami first, followed it up with a visit to Ohio State and Texas Tech, and finally came to Tuscaloosa to visit Simpson for his pro day. Although Jets insider Rich Cimini has signaled “some level of interest” from the Jets in Simpson. But since Simpson is a risky QB prospect, it may take some courage to draft him at 16th overall.

Can Ty Simpson become a first-round pick even if the Jets decide to ignore him?

Simpson did not have the luxury of playing 2-3 years of college ball like Fernando Mendoza. His 2025 season was the sole exhibition where he passed for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns. In terms of game prowess, Simpson has already mastered that pre-snap process and consistently decodes coverages. He knows how to buy time for receivers that provide extra separation and create throwing windows when they aren’t even there. Additionally, Simpson’s zero interception rate in 9 games was commendable for 21 TD passes. But that inexperience still makes him a gamble.

“His lack of experience might be a concern, as Simpson didn’t start a game until last season,” Mel Kiper Jr wrote about Simpson, predicting him to go 25th overall. “The production is hard to ignore. Simpson knows the game and competes on every down. He’s a battler who is always trying to make a play—sometimes to his detriment.”

While the Jets won’t be a sure-shot place for Simpson, the Cleveland Browns at 24th overall might just land him. They also have the 6th overall pick, so they won’t mind risking the second one on Simpson. Deshaun Watson’s massive contract and poor play have created a difficult middle ground, and starting the season with Shedeur Sanders would be betting big. Although the Browns could even ignore drafting the QB, they are still in a could-use-an-upgrade situation, and Simpson might just become that required upgrade.