Should the Cleveland Browns Draft a 23-Year-Old Former Alabama Quarterback in 2026?
As is the case every year, once NFL Draft buzz picks up, the analysts and pundits across various sports networks are hitting the mat to defend who they think should be drafted in the first round. This week’s case study involved former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky and former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee, who are currently two of ESPN’s biggest football commentators. The two athletes, who turned television personalities, clashed on McAfee’s talk show over Orlovsky’s previous comments that former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson is the best quarterback available in the 2026 NFL Draft, even ahead of Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion Fernando Mendoza. While many football fans have accused Orlovsky of manufacturing this opinion out of thin air, whether it be that both he and Simpson are represented by the same talent agency, or another case of the talking heads saying whatever they can to generate attention and views, fans of teams in need of a quarterback are now preparing themselves for a world in which their favorite club selects Simpson on day one.
Just as it's been in years past, the Cleveland Browns are one of those teams in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. Rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel did not solidify their case to be the unquestioned starter heading into 2026, and veteran Deshaun Watson is coming off another year of his career wasted due to injury. This year’s available quarterbacks are not worthy of a first-round pick outside of Mendoza or Simpson, so it’s likely that general manager Andrew Berry will consider using one of his two first-round picks on Simpson should he fall to the sixth or 24th pick. That being said, here’s a deep dive into how the Tennessee native performed in college, and if it was good enough for the Browns to give him the keys to the franchise.
To start, it’s important to understand that although Simpson spent his entire four-year tenure with the Crimson Tide, he did not start a game in college until 2025. In his first start against the unranked Florida State Seminoles, Alabama was shockingly upset in a 31-17 loss despite a very solid performance from Simpson, in which he threw for 254 passing yards and two touchdowns. The senior quarterback then led the Crimson Tide to an eight-game winning streak, which saw the Tide take down a litany of strong Southeastern Conference foes. During that stretch, Simpson orchestrated Alabama’s offense beautifully, throwing 19 touchdowns to just one interception for 2,207 passing yards, and completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.
However, the Crimson Tide came crashing back to reality in what was the second loss to the Oklahoma Sooners for Alabama in two years. After a tune-up game against Eastern Illinois, Simpson had to lead his unit to a comeback victory against unranked rival Auburn before losing to Georgia by a final score of 28-7 in a disappointing SEC Championship Game the next week. In the first round of the College Football Playoff, Alabama got its revenge against the Sooners in Norman, defeating OU 34-24 behind another inspiring comeback performance from Simpson, who threw for 232 passing yards and two touchdowns. That set up a Rose Bowl matchup against Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers, and it was a day to forget for Simpson and the Crimson Tide. The eventual champion Hoosiers clobbered Alabama 38-3, and Simpson had to depart from the game in the second quarter after getting hit so hard that one of his ribs cracked. In his last game of collegiate football, the 23-year-old only threw for 67 yards.
After his combine performance, Simpson has generally been described as a prospect with strong pocket presence skills and footwork mechanics, and the standard throwing mechanics expected of his position. The downside for Simpson is his lack of starts, coupled with the fact that he is not a consummate athlete, nor does he have an all-world arm. Scouts also took note that he tends to hold on to the ball too often, which led to Simpson drawing unnecessary sacks. Overall, Simpson grades out as a very intriguing prospect that very well may end up as a solid starter in the NFL, but it’ll have to be with an organization that has an identifiable plan and a secure situation where he can develop.
As any fan of the Browns can admit, that situation is not the one currently present in Cleveland. Although Berry’s signings on the offensive line are very promising, players like Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins will only meet their potential if they can stay healthy. Should Cleveland’s offensive line continue to struggle in 2026, Simpson would have to quickly improve his habit of holding onto the football before he finds himself on the ground over and over again. Additionally, the Browns have to find someone for their eventual starting quarterback to throw to outside of Jerry Jeudy and Harold Fannin, as they currently have one of the weakest pass-catching units in the league. With bigger needs to address in the draft, and soul searching to be done with quarterbacks currently on the roster, the idea of Simpson in Cleveland just doesn’t make sense. The Alabama product may find himself as a good NFL starting quarterback in the future, but it’s hard to imagine that Simpson will be the guy to turn it all around for the Browns.
