Ty Simpson draft buzz may quietly impact Jets’ plans at No. 33

With the 2026 NFL Draft starting on April 23, the league has reached the portion of the calendar where significant news about draft prospects starts to come out, seemingly, every day. That happened on Monday when NFL insider Adam Schefter shared that he can confidently say that quarterback prospect Ty Simpson will be a first-round pick.

That's big news for teams like the New York Jets, who are one of the handful of teams that could actually make that happen. New York currently possesses picks No. 2 and No. 16 in the first round, and Simpson has long seemed like a possibility for the Jets. That’s especially the case after Schefter’s report.

However, even if New York opts not to take Simpson in the first round, any team taking the quarterback in the first 32 picks could affect what the Jets do at pick No. 33.

Will the Jets have the opportunity to select Ty Simpson?

As the draft nears, New York selecting Simpson in the first round seems less and less like the path the franchise will actually take. Instead, the Jets are expected to use all of their premium picks this season to build up the rest of the roster and target a first-round QB in what’s expected to be a loaded 2027 quarterback class.

However, the possibility of New York selecting Simpson at the top of the second round, with the 33rd-overall pick, does give the team some leverage. If the quarterback prospect makes it through day one of the draft, the Jets would be able to auction off No. 33 to teams that want to trade up and get the second-best — arguably best — quarterback in the class. This report from Schefter makes it seem like that might not be an option for New York.

That wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for the Jets, because they would just be able to stay put and select another quality player at No. 33. However, teams that are willing to be aggressive and come up for Simpson would also give the Jets more picks, as they hope to put together a talented young core.

What actually happens will unfold on draft night, but it doesn’t seem like Simpson will be making it to day two of the draft. Even if New York isn’t the team to select him, that possibility could still have implications for the Jets.