Should the Dolphins Consider Ty Simpson in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Miami Dolphins need a new franchise quarterback, and with the team missing the playoffs for the second straight season, the time to find one is right now.

One of the best ways to find a franchise quarterback is in the NFL draft, but the Dolphins aren’t well positioned to select the top passers this offseason. Miami holds the 11th pick, and the class’ top QBs — Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore — are expected to go off the board first and second overall.

However, the 2026 QB class got a boost when Alabama’s Ty Simpson announced he was declaring for the draft Wednesday. Simpson was regarded as a first-rounder for the early parts of the season, but his play suffered down the stretch.

Of course, some fans will scoff at the idea of adding another Alabama quarterback, but helmet scouting in the year 2026 is not serious behavior, so we will dig deeper than that.

Is Simpson the answer to Miami’s QB dilemma?

Simpson Makes Some Sense for Miami … Just Not Early

While Simpson showed first-round caliber traits in the early parts of the season, he struggled mightily down the stretch.

In Alabama’s first nine games, Simpson completed 67% of his passes for 2,184 yards, while throwing 20 touchdowns and just one interception. In his final seven games, he completed just 60.4% of his passes for 1,383 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions.

The real concerning part is that Simpson’s two worst games in that stretch came in big moments. He was awful in the SEC Championship against Georgia and mustered just 67 passing yards on 12 completions against Indiana in the College Football Playoffs.

Simply put, Simpson doesn’t have the resume of a first-round quarterback. He shouldn’t be someone the Dolphins consider with the 11th overall pick, but if he slips on Day 2, Miami could entertain bringing him in.

The Dolphins have the 43rd pick in the second round and the 75th pick in the third round. At a certain point, Simpson becomes a worthwhile gamble because he showed some good stuff early in the season.

2025 was his first year as a starter, and he showed impressive command of the Crimson Tide offense before the snap. Simpson understands how to read defenses and get the offense into the right play — that’s pretty rare for any college QB, let alone a first-year starter.

He’s also shown a nice willingness to read and test the middle of the field. He can throw with anticipation and attack tight windows with accuracy and touch. When Simpson is comfortable, he’s also pretty accurate at all three levels.

His physical tools aren’t overwhelming, but he’s got enough arm strength and mobility to be a functional quarterback. He’s certainly got more juice than Tua Tagovailoa.

The issue with Simpson is that his post-snap processing doesn’t match his pre-snap prowess. When defenses started changing the picture on him, he struggled to adapt.

Additionally, he started taking some rough sacks late in the season. Simpson needs to have a better understanding of when to scramble and break structure and when to stick with the play-call.

Combine that with a drop-off in his accuracy, and you have some really rough tape to end the 2025 season.

Miami Has to Take Swings at QB in 2026

Simpson won’t be everyone’s preference, but there’s a high probability he’s the third-best QB in this class. The middle tier of the 2026 QB class has been gutted by NIL and the transfer portal, leaving few viable options past the top two.

Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss is gaining traction, but he’s fighting for a waiver from the NCAA to return to school for another season. All of this is probably one of the reasons Simpson declared in the first place.

What does this mean for Miami? The Dolphins will have limited options to upgrade QB this season, but they can’t just do nothing. Finding a franchise QB is incredibly difficult, and this franchise has long shied away from taking multiple swings.

We’ve covered a bevy of options, and even thrown out a favorite in Malik Willis. We’ve also said that Quinn Ewers should factor into the team’s QB battle next season. A QB room with a veteran, Ewers, and a draft pick would allow the Dolphins to survey several avenues for improvement at the game's most important position.

So, if the Dolphins believe they could get the best out of Simpson in their building, he’s absolutely worth a mid-round selection.

A mid-round pick at QB wouldn’t force the team to commit to Simpson, so if it doesn’t work out, they can turn around and draft, sign, or trade for a better option in 2027.

While we’d prefer the Dolphins to swing on a QB prospect with a little more upside, we’d settle for them swinging in the first place.

More Miami Dolphins Coverage