Insider Sets Record Straight on Cardinals, Ty Simpson Draft Pairing

The Arizona Cardinals and Ty Simpson have been a frequent pairing through the 2026 offseason.

Simpson, considered to be the second best quarterback in the class, is a serious candidate to be a first-round pick when the draft rolls around. Whether he'll go from Alabama to Arizona remains to be seen with several boxes to check between now and the draft, though the consistent pairing has many in the desert wondering if he'll indeed land with the Cardinals.

Simpson has glowingly spoke about Arizona. The Cardinals returned some of the favor in front of microphones while trying to remain as neutral as possible.

What's a top NFL insider think of the duo?

Ian Rapoport Speaks to Cardinals, Ty Simpson Pairing

Arizona Cardinals QB Ty Simpso — Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (QB17) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

"The Cardinals at three, I would say, let's just see. Because we have seen far too often, we say well alright well this quarterback obviously is going to be taken later in [round] one or he's more of a mid-round guy and then a team falls in love with him, and then they say, 'I don't care, I'm going to take him.' Would it be a surprise if someone like Ty Simpson goes to three? It would be a surprise. I would be surprised by that, but I wouldn't be stunned, because we've seen it before," Rapoport said on NFL Network this weekend.

"We've seen guys like Mitchell Trubisky go two when a lot of us thought he was more of a late-round guy. Blake Bortles, same thing. Certainly could happen again. I would say more likely, though the Cardinals are probably saying, alright, we saw what the Giants did last year with Jaxson Dart. They were able to come back in the first round — did they give up resources? Yes. They were able to come back in the first round and get someone who they believe is a quarterback of the future. That's excellent value.

"Interesting thing for the Cardinals, though, you have several quarterback needy teams like, oh, I don't know, let's say the Pittsburgh Steelers who may need a quarterback of the future whether or not they get Aaron Rodgers. So would the Cardinals have to come all the way up over early 20's? We'll see. There's still a lot of intrigue with the quarterbacks, even though there's only one high-end guy."

Assembling Cardinals, Ty Simpson Value

Alabama Crimson Tide QB Ty Simpso — Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) passes against the Indiana Hoosiers in the first half of the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Cardinals under no circumstance should take Simpson at No. 3.

While Simpson has obvious upside, Arizona has far better prospects to take and positions to plug with the third overall selection. If we need to debate if Simpson is worth a late first-round pick, there shouldn't be debates on his status at No. 3.

The Cardinals can't draft out of desperation – that's what bad organizations do. And while the Cardinals certainly haven't proved to be the antithesis to that, taking Simpson at No. 3 isn't changing that trajectory.

Moving up into the late first would be understandable, especially if the price tag is somewhere around a third-round pick. If Arizona is convinced he's worth the swing, getting the fifth-year option on his deal is worth it.

Yet the Cardinals would be gambling massively towards the back end of the first round in teams eying his services.