Dan Orlovsky’s Ty Simpson draft take is Jets fans’ worst nightmare

The New York Jets are on the hunt for their long-term plan at quarterback. Sure, they acquired Geno Smith as their starter for the 2026 season, but at age 35, he's clearly a stopgap and not the future of the position in New York.

With an eye on the upcoming NFL Draft, there's a handful of prospects that could pique the Jets' interest. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is going No. 1 overall; you can essentially put that in ink. But after him, Alabama's Ty Simpson has seemingly separated himself from the rest of the pack.

While Mendoza has long been seen as the best quarterback prospect in the incoming class, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky offered a different take on ESPN's Get Up on Monday morning. He says that Simpson, not Mendoza, is the best quarterback in the 2026 class.

Dan Orlovsky says Ty Simpson is QB1 in the 2026 NFL Draft

In a take that is certainly going against the grain, Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, believes what Simpson was asked to do at Alabama this past season puts him in a tier above the Heisman Trophy winner.

"I think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this class. I think when you look at the body of work and what was asked of these two quarterbacks, you have to start with the question, who needed to do more to carry their football team to play well? Ty Simpson, and it's not close between those two quarterbacks. Who took more games over throughout the course of the season? Ty Simpson. It's not even close."

Dan Orlovsky

It's not just Orlovsky who thinks so; former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum chimed in on his X account, claiming that when talking to other NFL teams, they share the same opinion.

It's unlikely that a panel of ESPN analysts is going to sway the Las Vegas Raiders away from Mendoza and pivot to Simpson with the No. 1 overall pick, but it may be bad news for the Jets, who were likely hoping to see the Alabama quarterback drop to the second round.

Taking Simpson at No. 16 may be a little rich for Darren Mougey's blood. The Jets have so many needs across the roster, and can't burn such a valuable draft pick who won't contribute on Day 1. If they take a shot at Simpson, it would likely be in the second round, at No. 33 or No. 44.

But from what it sounds like, Simpson is rising up draft boards and fast. Maybe a team in the back end of the first round will be interested in taking a swing on the Crimson Tide standout and pluck him right out from under the Jets.