The Pittsburgh Steelers know they need to find a franchise quarterback, and Omar Khan is aware that this will likely need to come through the NFL Draft. However, Pittsburgh's brass hasn't expressed much interest in the top-projected option who could be available to them in Round 1: Alabama's Ty Simpson.
The Steelers skipped watching Simpson at Alabama's Pro Day, and aside from a reported Combine meeting, Simpson hasn't been brought in for a pre-draft visit. This might be due to a lack of size, traits, or talent to gamble on.
But one NFL Draft expert is begging teams to reconsider their stance on Simpson.
CBS Sports draft expert Mike Renner recently joined Check the Mic with Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson, where he explained that he's a believer in Simpson's tools and talent to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL. Renner even expressed that he believes Simpson will be a top-10 pick.
"I think [Ty Simpson] is going top-ten... Through the LSU game—that's eleven weeks through the college football season—there wasn't a difference in that tape versus Fernando Mendoza's tape. I think they were very similar players...
He has a lot of high-level throws on tape. He is very nimble, and I think what's being undersold is he's got a really good arm. I mean, he put one against South Carolina 70 yards, end point to end point. I've seen comps like Brock Purdy for him and Mac Jones for him. His arm strength, if I were ranking it among starters in the NFL, it's probably around 12th..."
It's not a popular take to suggest that Simpson will have a top-12 arm in the NFL among starting quarterbacks or even that the Alabama signal-caller will hear his name called in the top 10 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft.
But Renner is a firm believer in the talent, and his evaluation serves as a reminder for the Steelers to do their homework on Simpson before writing him off as an option in Round 1.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must do their homework on Alabama QB Ty Simpson ahead of the NFL Draft
Last year, most NFL Draft analysts would have agreed that it would have been a desperation move for the Steelers to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round. However, when healthy, Dart showed incredible promise as a rookie, and the future looks bright. In fact, it already looks like a mistake by the Steelers to pass on Dart. The same can be said for Tyler Shough, who landed with the Saints early in the second round.
The Steelers can't afford to pass on Simpson without doing their homework.
I'll admit that I don't see eye-to-eye with Renner on his evaluation of Simpson. Though Simpson possesses solid velocity on his ball, he has work to do as a passer, and his undersized frame (6' 1 1/8'' and 211 pounds at the NFL Combine) raises more questions.
Additionally, Simpson has a small body of work and can be considered a one-year wonder (which is always a gamble if we're talking about spending first-round draft capital on a player who only started one season in college).
But the Steelers at least need to dig for the answers they're looking for.
Because of the value of the quarterback position and the fact that this team has passed on potential franchise signal-callers in recent years, Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy must be sure Simpson isn't the player they are looking for before confidently passing on the Alabama prospect in the NFL Draft.
The best way to get an up-close-and-personal look at Simpson—after skipping out on his Pro Day workout—is to bring him into the facility for a 30 visit. This will give Pittsburgh's decision-makers a great sense of where he is mentally when it comes to processing.
There's hardly a guarantee that Ty Simpson becomes a franchise quarterback in the NFL, but the latest comments from Renner should at least serve as a reminder for the Steelers to do their homework on this potential first-round option.