Mel Kiper Has SEC Quarterback Falling to Jets in First Round

With just three more games remaining in the NFL season the time has come to shift our focus to the draft which means Mel Kiper Jr. has returned to ESPN airwaves. Kiper appeared on Wednesday's edition of Get Up to talk about where the top quarterbacks might be headed. Unsurprisingly, he has Fernando Mendoza going No. 1, but with host Mike Greenberg at the desk, he had to make some time to predict who the Jets might take.

Kiper has Alabama's Ty Simpson going to New York with the No. 16 pick in the draft. The Jets also have the No. 2 pick in the draft, but they'll obviously be going for an impact position player if they're taking a QB later in the first round.

.@MelKiperESPN projects Ty Simpson to go to the Jets as the No. 16 pick in the NFL Draft ✍️ pic.twitter.com/spTVY19poF
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 21, 2026

"He's 23-years of age. His father's a coach. Nick Saban's there with him, advising him. He had heard first round," said Kiper. "You think about Ty Simpson, he could have been top five if he would have continued through. Offensive line let him down. Brian Williams didn't have the year he expected. He had no running game! Ty Simpson obviously goes to a team that can they screw it up, can they affect... hey, let him sit a little bit. He's only got 15 starts. But again, put a little weight on that frame. This kid's so competitive he won't let a play die. He fights to the bitter end a little too much. He'll figure that out. Ty Simpson, like I said at this point it's 16. We were talking top five back in October. I think it would make sense for the New York Jets or the Steelers, or the Rams, late first round."

Peter Schrager loved the idea saying that the Jets had so many picks if it didn't work out they could simply draft another quarterback next year. While this all made Kimberley Martin laugh very hard, well, it will probably make other people laugh very hard if the Jets draft a 23-year old quarterback who still needs to put some meat on his bones and it doesn't work out.

Simpson, 23, spent four years with the Crimson Tide, becoming the starter last fall. He threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 64% of his passes.

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