Darren Mougey peels back the curtain on Jets' Ty Simpson workout

Quarterback prospect Ty Simpson‘s draft stock is heating up as the 2026 Draft gets closer, as analysts are starting to say that he’s a lock for the first round. One of the few teams that could realistically make Simpson a first-rounder is the New York Jets, and they have been doing their due diligence on the quarterback out of the University of Alabama.

The Jets recently had an exclusive workout with Simpson, and on Monday, New York’s general manager, Darren Mougey, talked about that visit. Speaking with media members at the NFL’s annual meetings, the general manager expressed that the team had a good visit with Simpson, having dinner with him and taking him through a workout.

Mougey was also asked about one of Simpson’s biggest concerns — only having 15 starts in college — and the GM gave an answer that may have revealed New York’s true evaluation of Simpson.

Mougey emphasized that New York likes to have the biggest sample size it can when evaluating prospects, but made sure to point out that there are a lot of good things on Simpson’s tape in the games he did play.

Darren Mougey’s comment about sample size raises questions about Jets interest in Ty Simpson

"It was a good visit with Ty,” Mougey told reporters. "We want the biggest sample size we can. But there’s a lot of good things to see in the games he did play."

It’s important to note that the NFL is in smokescreen season, and general managers are experts at talking a lot without saying much. Still, this comment from Mougey about sample size is worth paying attention to when it comes to a quarterback prospect like Ty Simpson.

For starters, the success rate of quarterbacks in the NFL who had just one season as a full-time starter in college is already low. Additionally, Simpson’s lone season as QB1 for the Crimson Tide was a mixed bag of results.

Early in his season, he was playing lights out. Down the stretch, however, Simpson was inconsistent. While that could have been because of injuries, his supporting cast, or just a decline in play, teams only have a small sample size as they prepare to make a massive decision.

With that in mind, Darren Mougey and the Jets probably won’t be drafting Ty Simpson in the first round of the 2026 Draft. Instead, New York will likely use either one of its two first-round picks to either build up the rest of the roster or for a trade, where the franchise can gather more picks for the 2027 NFL Draft.