Overview
- Following Wednesday's Alabama pro day in Tuscaloosa, Simpson threw for more than 40 minutes and said he is "absolutely" a first-round pick, according to the Associated Press.
- The Jets scheduled a private workout for Friday and previously met with Simpson, who also held meetings with the Rams during this phase of the process.
- ESPN's Dan Orlovsky labeled Simpson the top quarterback in the class over Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, drew scrutiny over a shared CAA agency link, and publicly denied any ulterior motive.
- NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah placed Simpson in Round 2 based on only 15 college starts and some uneven late-season tape, highlighting the divide in evaluations.
- Most boards still project Mendoza to the Raiders at No. 1, while Simpson's 2025 line (64.5% completions, 3,567 yards, 28 TDs, 5 INTs) and injury context late in the year frame teams' risk-reward calculus ahead of the April 23–25 draft.