Once again, the Pittsburgh Steelers are picking 21st overall, without a clear-cut option at quarterback in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Steelers continue to find themselves with low picks in drafts that don’t have a ton of talent at quarterback. This year is no different, with Ty Simpson being mocked to the Steelers plenty despite having just 15 college starts to his name.
But to CBS Sports’ draft analyst Ryan Wilson, Simpson makes too much sense for the Steelers to pass up in the first round.
“Steelers fans get very angry when you give them a quarterback. Because Aaron Rodgers is apparently gonna play forever, they want to see what Will Howard can do. Will Howard was a sixth-round pick, so typically if your name isn’t Tom Brady, sixth-round picks don’t work out long-term,” Wilson said recently on CBS Sports HQ. “But I do know the Steelers like Ty Simpson. And the question becomes will they take him at 21? Because I don’t think he will be there when they get back on the clock in Round 2.”
Wilson is right that the Steelers need a long-term answer at quarterback. While it could be a good idea to draft Simpson and sit him behind Aaron Rodgers, if he returns for another season, the Steelers still want to give themselves the best shot to contend in 2026, too. There’s plenty of first-round talent at receiver, and the offensive line, two spots which can directly help Rodgers. Maybe Pittsburgh opts for one of those positions instead of taking a quarterback who likely wouldn’t see the field next year.
Having one young option in Will Howard makes that decision a little easier. And Wilson’s pessimism on Howard is fair, as most sixth-round picks don’t develop into franchise quarterbacks.
But there are some advantages Howard may have over Ty Simpson. Simpson had 15 career college starts, and Howard had 44. While he had much more of a chance to do so, Howard accomplished more over the course of his collegiate career, ending it by leading Ohio State to a national champonship. Howard (24) is also just a little over a year older than Simpson (23), so it’s not a drastic age difference.
The lack of experience is something that could give the Steelers pause about Simpson. But to Wilson, it’s not as much of a worry.
“When he is healthy, he can absolutely sling it,” Wilson said. “I think he’s a first-round talent; teams tend to agree with me. He is a seasoned football player for only having started 15 games.”
Simpson certainly was slinging the ball to start the 2025 season. He played very well in several big Alabama wins, and at a time looked more promising than Fernando Mendoza. Of course, his play did start to slide late in the year. But some of that can probably be chalked up to multiple injuries he played through.
The hype around Ty Simpson is understandable. When healthy, he certainly looked like one of the better quarterbacks in college football last season. However, him actually panning out in the NFL is more of a risk. To Wilson, it’s one worth taking at the 21st pick.