The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a familiar spot-searching for the next quarterback to lead their franchise. It's been five years since Ben Roethlisberger's departure, and the team has yet to find a steady replacement. Enter Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN's draft guru, who believes Alabama's Ty Simpson could be the answer.
In Kiper's latest mock draft, he has the Steelers selecting Simpson with the 21st overall pick. It's a move that suggests Pittsburgh is thinking long-term at the quarterback position. While they could bring back a veteran like Aaron Rodgers to keep them competitive in the short term, securing their future under center is crucial.
Simpson, however, isn't without his question marks. The Alabama standout has only one full season as a starter under his belt, having taken over from Jalen Milroe.
In 2025, he completed 64.5% of his passes and accounted for 30 touchdowns across 15 games. Despite an uneven season, Simpson's potential is evident.
He threw 28 touchdown passes against just five interceptions, demonstrating his ability to navigate the pocket effectively.
One area of concern is his ball security; he threw five interceptions and lost six fumbles. Additionally, Alabama's postseason run was historic for the wrong reasons, as they became the first team in the College Football Playoff era to reach the postseason with three losses. Simpson's performance in the Rose Bowl against Indiana was cut short due to a fractured rib, limiting his impact to just 67 passing yards.
Yet, his talent shone through in a standout performance against Vanderbilt, where he threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, outdueling Heisman finalist Diego Pavia.
As the Steelers evaluate their quarterback options at the NFL Combine, Simpson remains an intriguing prospect. General Manager Omar Khan mentioned that decisions regarding Aaron Rodgers' future would be more expedient this year. Meanwhile, Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard are still on the roster as free agency looms.
With the 2026 NFL Draft set to take place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25, all eyes will be on how the Steelers choose to address their quarterback conundrum. Simpson ranks as Kiper's second-best quarterback prospect, trailing only Indiana's Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. Whether Simpson becomes the Steelers' next franchise quarterback remains to be seen, but the potential is certainly there.