Jets’ Evaluation of Ty Simpson Is Significant to Chiefs

Brett Veach might not be done talking to New York Jets.

Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) runs 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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – If you thought the Chiefs had a valuable set of early draft picks, the Jets are sitting on a gold mine.

As of Tuesday, New York’s draft capital includes the second and 16th selections in the first round, and No. 33 and 44 in Round 2. Next year, the Jets have three first-rounders.

East Rutherford, NJ October 1, 2023 Travis Kelce of the Chiefs and Sauce Gardner of the Jets at the end of the game. The New York Jets host the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on October 1, 2023. | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Fifth-year option looms large between 29 and 33

And as both teams tweak their draft boards this month, quarterback is a priority – for the Chiefs. Not the Chiefs’ quarterback, but whether the Jets will draft Alabama’s Ty Simpson in that first round. Here’s why.

Kansas City owns a trade-worthy No. 29 selection at the end of the first round, only four picks ahead of the Jets at 33 (the top choice in Round 2). That threshold between the first and second rounds is especially important to New York because, if the Jets really like Simpson, they’re much better off taking him in Round 1 than Round 2.

March 25, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Quarterback Ty Simpson throws during Pro Day in the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility at the University of Alabama. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That’s because a Round 1 selection provides the Jets a fifth-year option. Waiting four picks after the Chiefs to take Simpson at the top of Round 2 doesn’t make sense for a player with high upside and limited college experience, such as Simpson. Former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck explained the situation on Monday.

“It does not make sense, if I was a general manager, to draft a quarterback early in second round,” Hasselbeck said on Monday’s episode of Get Up. “The value of the fifth-year option on a starting quarterback is, if you're right about Ty Simpson, and you take them at 33, you've really put yourself in a tough spot.

Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) and linebacker Nick Bolton (32) tackle Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) during the second quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

“Because you don't have as much time to evaluate him, and then you’ve got to pay him real quarterback money sooner than you would have to otherwise. So, I do think you have to get back into the first round if you're thinking of taking him in the top 40.”

In other words, the Justin Fields trade might not be the last consummated by Brett Veach and Jets general manager Darren Mougey. Fifth-year options are a bit confusing. Teams are required to declare whether they want players on their teams in those players’ fifth NFL seasons. However, they have to make that decision before the player enters Year 4.

Nov 13, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) looks to pass the ball against the New England Patriots in the third quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Only first-rounders get fifth-year options

And key to the Jets trading back into the first round for a quarterback like Simpson is the critical fact that fifth-year options are reserved for first-round picks.

Waiting, however, might not sit well with the Chiefs for similar reasons. They'd lose their own ability to use a fifth-year option on a player they'd like to develop. Everything depends on the player or small group of players they like at 29.

Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) forces a fumble from Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Veach could easily swap that No. 29 pick for the Jets’ No. 33, kick off Night 2 of the draft and still get a player with a first-round grade. He also could increase his options and entertain trade calls for that No. 33 all day on Friday, April 24.

Remember, Veach’s best draft to date, 2022, included 10 total selections. The Chiefs enter April with nine this year. Six of the Chiefs’ 10 selections that year wound up making significant contributions to the team. Four of them did not. More picks increase the odds of success.