The first major domino has fallen into place for the 2026 NFL Draft at quarterback. Alabama’s Ty Simpson has informed Alabama that he intends to declare for the draft, per Pete Thamel on X.

Sources: Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is turning pro. He just informed the Alabama coaches of his decision.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 7, 2026

Whether or not Simpson is a first-round prospect will likely be the subject of much debate between now and late April when Pittsburgh hosts the event, but you can bet he will be linked to the Steelers heavily throughout the process.

Many thought Simpson would return to college after an up-and-down season, but I actually think his decision to declare is smart. His draft stock is high enough, and he avoids the major logjam of projected first-round talents in next year’s draft. Top ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller recently graded just 11 first-round talents in the upcoming class, which could push prospects like Simpson into the first round.

He finished the season on a sour note with a blowout loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the second round of the College Football Playoffs. He completed 12 of his 16 attempts for just 67 yards while rushing for 17 more. That is one of the biggest stains on his resume, but he had a handful of very impressive games as well in his first season as a full-time starter.

ESPN’s Miller had him as one of three first-round QB prospects earlier in the season before knocking him down a notch after a slow finish.

“A one-year starter, Simpson’s poise and processing ability stood out early this year but trailed off down the stretch. It’ll be interesting to see how NFL teams weigh his lack of experience against his play,” Miller wrote after the news broke today.

Simpson finished the season with 305 completions on 473 attempts for 3,567 yards, 28 TDs, and just 5 INTs. Listed at 6-2, 208 pounds, Simpson is more of a traditional pocket passer. He had just 223 yards and five TDs in 112 career rushing attempts at Alabama.

Ty Simpson’s pre-snap pressure recognition is far advanced for a 1st year starter. He excels at identifying pressures and making the checks to his protection up front.

Then, his accuracy and ball placement is NFL-caliber!
pic.twitter.com/VoX5POXxYq

— Damian Parson💰 (@DP_NFL) November 15, 2025

The top quarterbacks in the class are expected to be Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore. Both should be long gone by the time the Steelers are on the clock, even if they use some of their projected 12 draft picks to trade up. At best, the Steelers will hold the No. 21 pick and that will go even lower if they win on Monday against the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

If Moore returns to college, which is a possibility with NIL money involved, Simpson could become QB2 in the class.

Simpson is one of many quarterbacks the Steelers will do their due diligence on, including Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss if he doesn’t get his eligibility waiver from the NCAA. Other options include LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, Miami (FL)’s Carson Beck, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, and Penn State’s Drew Allar, but many of them underwhelmed relative to lofty expectations or dealt with injuries this season.

The P-G’s Gerry Dulac reported that the Steelers still plan on finding a QB in the draft despite the weaker-than-expected class. That puts Simpson firmly on their radar as one of the top options.