NFL analyst makes bold statement about Ty Simpson vs. Fernando Mendoza
Could the Arizona Cardinals end up with the best quarterback in the draft?
Ever since the end of the last season, it has long been understood that Indiana 's Fernando Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to a national championship, was the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2026 draft. No one questioned it for months.
Now, a month before the draft, apparently analysts have gotten bored with that. One notable analyst, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky, had this to say on Get Up. āI think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this class.
ā ā @danorlovsky7 makes a strong claim ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft ā¬ļø pic. twitter. com/Kgj0Z9Rgtc ā Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 23, 2026 "I think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this draft," he said.
And Mike Tannenbaum added that some teams have the same opinion. The Arizona Cardinals are believed to like Simpson, who had 15 career starts for Alabama, all last season. He completed 64.