Cardinals Showing Strong Interest in NFL Draft QB

The Arizona Cardinals are hosting one of the top incoming quarterback prospects.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Cardinals are hosting Alabama Crimson Tide QB Ty Simpson on a Top 30 visit ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft alongside the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns:

#Bama QB Ty Simpson, one of the NFL Draft’s top players at his position, has scheduled Top 30 visits with the #AZCardinals, #Dolphins, and #Browns, per me and @MikeGarafolo.

In addition, Simpson had a private workout with the #Jets. pic.twitter.com/qGUzOefzEw
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 31, 2026

The Cardinals are in an obvious need of a quarterback after Kyler Murray departed this offseason, leaving a massive hole in their future plans at the position.

Simpson is expected to be the second quarterback taken off the board this draft cycle and could very well be a first-round pick when all is said and done.

"Good dude. You get 18 minutes [in the combine interview]. With a quarterback you need about 18 hours, like 18 days in a row," Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said of his meeting with Simpson.

"It was a good 18 minutes getting to know him. It was surface level. These guys aren't dummies, either. If you throw on five plays [during the meeting], they know the five plays. We don't give them the five plays and what they're going to be, but they're quarterbacks right? They're gonna know. But really impressed with him as a person. Good dude and we'll see where it goes."

What's a Top 30 Visit?

NFL teams are allowed to bring in 30 players in for private visits at their team facility before the draft in an attempt to get to know prospects better. While they're often referred to as "Top 30" these players aren't necessarily on a team's list of top 30 players for the draft.

Local players do not count towards this number, so players at schools such as Arizona State aren't allocated towards that figure for the Cardinals.

Players can tour the facility but are prohibited from working out. These are more so opportunities for organizations to get a better feel for out-of-town draft prospects on a personal level at a longer level than the short interviews had at the combine, pro day and all-star games.

Ty Simpson's Fit

Simpson is a mobile quarterback with footwork and processing as powers to his name, though there's concerns surrounding his size (6-1) and experience (15 games started) entering the NFL.

While it would give an immediate boost to a Cardinals quarterback room that only possesses Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, would that be a long-term success plan for football's most important position?

That's a debate LaFleur and the rest of the Cardinals are going to have to figure out.