If the New York Jets handle the 2026 NFL draft correctly, they’re going to put together quite a team. And then they may not miss Sauce Gardner so much. But here is the player the Jets should be tanking for after the blockbuster trade deadline moves.
The biggest part of this equation is “if.” Can the New York Jets really make the right decision? If the answer is Ty Simpson, then yes.
Simpson has burst into the NFL spotlight by putting together an impressive eight-game resume. He has completed 67.8% of his passes with 20 touchdown strikes and only one interception.
Jets should be all-in for Alabama’s Ty Simpson
He has the quarterback size at 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds. But more than that, he has the coach-on-the-field mentality. He makes good decisions and looks fluid in everything he does. This is the type of player who could change the fortunes of a downtrodden Jets organization.
Simpson could say with the Crimson Tide for the 2026 season, but if he’s going to be the No. 1 overall pick, it wouldn’t make much sense. And he’s the betting favorite at the moment, according to NBC Sports.
“At DraftKings.com, Simpson’s odds to go first overall are +220,” Michael David Smith wrote. “Next is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at +290, followed by South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers at +600, and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore at +750.”
In the NFL, it's all about mechanics, and Simpson fits the league’s profile very well, according to nfldraftbuzz.com.
“Simpson's release will translate beautifully to the NFL level, where pocket time shrinks and windows close faster than college,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “His 2025 performance — particularly the flawless touchdown-to-interception ratio through five games — demonstrates the kind of decision-making and ball security that keeps offensive coordinators sleeping soundly.
“The arm strength is there. And while deep ball placement still shows some variance, his intermediate accuracy has been money in the bank during his breakout campaign. That Georgia performance, dissecting zone coverage while maintaining composure in one of college football's toughest environments, was exactly the kind of tape NFL evaluators needed to see.”
This would be the type of quarterback the Jets have never had. Sadly, the organization still points to Joe Namath at the top of its quarterback list. Simpson could be the guy who changes that.
How do the Jets get to Ty Simpson?
Of course, they need to lose. That shouldn’t be a problem, considering they traded away their top two defensive players. They sent Sauce Gardner to the Colts and shipped Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys.
It will be a dogfight for the No. 1 pick with the Titans, Saints, and Jets in a heated competition to lose games. However, the Saints have a rookie head coach who probably doesn’t want a 2-15 mark on his resume. The Saints will probably get to four wins.
The Titans have an interim head coach in Mike McCoy, so no big pressure to thrive. However, the Titans are fine at No. 2 because they already have their franchise quarterback in Cam Ward. That is, unless he continues to struggle for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, the Jets traded away so much defensive firepower, first-year head coach Aaron Glenn should feel no pressure to win any more games. They will probably finish at 2-15 and glide into the No. 1 spot.
