Where Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson will be drafted has become one of the biggest questions leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft. The latest speculation is that he could end up selected by the Arizona Cardinals.
Given that this year’s class of quarterbacks isn’t exactly exciting scouts and NFL teams, Simpson’s projections have him hovering between the first and second round. However, the closer we get to the draft, Simpson continues to eke his way into the first round in mock drafts, landing with the Cardinals, usually via trade.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick believes that if Simpson were to land in Arizona, it might just be the best thing to happen for his career.
Ty Simpson Said To Be Ideal Fit For Cardinals, Rams
While appearing on Up And Adams with Kay Adams, Riddick said ultimately it starts with the New York Jets, who will have the No. 2 overall pick behind the Las Vegas Raiders. The other team he mentioned was the Los Angeles Rams at No. 13.
“I know people say the Rams aren’t going to take a quarterback high in the draft. They’re all in on Matthew Stafford,” Riddick said. “But look, this is the first team in my mind that jumps right out in front when I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Who’s the perfect fit for him?’
“When do you draft quarterbacks? You draft quarterbacks when you don’t need them.”
The Rams certainly do not have a quarterback problem yet, though Stafford, coming off an MVP campaign, turned 38 in February.
“The Jets, the Rams, the Cardinals… with the Rams and the Cardinals being the two teams that have the kind of systems in terms of offensive philosophy that he is tailor-made for,” Riddick continued.
“Mark my words — if he goes to one of those two teams, if he’s coached in that system, Ty Simpson will be a decades-long starter in the NFL.”
Of course, Riddick is heavily endorsing Rams head coach Sean McVay and new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur, who spent the last three years under McVay.
LaFleur is also the brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, another highly esteemed offensive coach.
Cardinals Continue To Be Linked To Ty Simpson
Simpson recently visited with the Cardinals on April 15. On an episode of ESPN’s NFL Live the next day, a panel of draft analysts was asked what this could mean for Arizona.
“It certainly feels like there’s a lot of smoke around the Arizona Cardinals,” Adam Schefter said about Simpson.
Schefter, though, said it might not be in the first round where they select Simpson. Instead, because of their No. 33 pick, which is the second pick in the second round, they might choose to wait and select him there. Or they could use the pick to move back into the first round.
“That is a valuable pick to bargain with,” Schefter said. “They could certainly decide to move up. They certainly could sit back and wait for Ty Simpson to try to come to them. It depends on how much they like him.
“But there is a feeling around the league that the Cardinals certainly have some level of interest in Ty Simpson.”
With Kyler Murray gone, the quarterback room is currently led by Jacoby Brissett and free-agent addition Gardner Minshew. While both have been serviceable veteran backups, the future of the Cardinals is obviously unclear right now, though Simpson could change that.
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