{"id":594071,"date":"2026-04-08T19:59:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T19:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/594071\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T19:59:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T19:59:13","slug":"2026-nfl-draft-quarterbacks-stock-takes-big-hit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/594071\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NFL Draft quarterback\u2019s stock takes big hit"},"content":{"rendered":"

As NFL<\/a> teams begin voluntary workouts, they also turn their attention to preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft. Front offices are finalizing draft boards and scheduling Top-30 visits.<\/p>\n

Quarterback has emerged as the most polarizing position in this year\u2019s class. At one point, evaluators expected the 2026 group to be loaded with talent.<\/p>\n

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However, several young signal-callers chose to remain in school and capitalize on NIL opportunities, dramatically reshaping this year\u2019s class. As a result, the 2027 quarterback group may also fall short of earlier expectations.<\/p>\n

MORE: New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini speak out against hotel photos<\/a><\/p>\n

Outside of Fernando Mendoza, no quarterback currently projects as a surefire first-round pick. Alabama\u2019s Ty Simpson appears to be the closest.<\/p>\n

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However, reports<\/a> on Wednesday indicated that Simpson now projects more likely as an early Day 2 selection. Earlier in the process, some evaluators viewed him as a potential top-15 pick.<\/p>\n

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This shift marks a significant hit to Simpson\u2019s draft stock. While plenty of time remains for movement, his trajectory currently trends downward.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Drew Allar\u2019s stock is rising. He may not have entered first-round consideration, but he no longer projects as a late Day 3 option. This contrast creates an intriguing dynamic between the two quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

MORE: ESPN analyst issues warning on Lamar Jackson\u2019s Ravens future after 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The primary concern with Simpson centers on his lack of experience. He has only one full season as a starter at the collegiate level.<\/p>\n

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That said, he made the most of that opportunity. He demonstrated the tools and poise necessary to compete at the NFL level.<\/p>\n

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Simpson participated in both the NFL Combine and Alabama\u2019s Pro Day, where he generated continued interest from teams \u2014 though not necessarily at a first-round level.<\/p>\n

MORE: Celebrities who attended Seahawks QB Sam Darnold\u2019s lavish wedding<\/a><\/p>\n

A team could still trade back into the first round to select him, given the financial and contractual advantages tied to first-round picks.<\/p>\n

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Simpson will continue navigating the pre-draft process, with additional visits scheduled. If he lands with a team that has an established veteran nearing retirement, he could benefit from a developmental situation.<\/p>\n

He has frequently been linked to the Los Angeles Rams, where he could eventually become the successor to Matthew Stafford.<\/p>\n

For now, Simpson\u2019s stock remains one of the more compelling storylines to monitor. The question remains: could he ultimately slip out of the first round?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As NFL teams begin voluntary workouts, they also turn their attention to preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":594072,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[1214,64,63,3376,110480,103353,68477,934,628,1263,6588,1231,593,10028,61251,289948,5353,85,76895],"class_list":{"0":"post-594071","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-alabama-crimson-tide","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-college-football-playoff","12":"tag-drew","13":"tag-fernando-mendoza","14":"tag-indiana-hoosiers","15":"tag-indianapolis","16":"tag-lamar-jackson","17":"tag-los-angeles-rams","18":"tag-matthew-stafford","19":"tag-new-england-patriots","20":"tag-nfl","21":"tag-nfl-draft","22":"tag-quarterback","23":"tag-rose-bowl-stadium","24":"tag-seahawks","25":"tag-sports","26":"tag-ty-simpson"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594071"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594071\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/594072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}