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Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is arguably the most polarizing quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Is he a first-round pick? A second-round pick? The Crimson Tide quarterback – who passed for 3,567 yards, 28 TDs and five interceptions – is this year's most-talked-about quarterback. Where will all that conversation lead?
This happens almost every year. A quarterback is either hyped up or over-scrutinized — or both — through the NFL Scouting Combine. For what it's worth, Simpson had an impressive performance at this year's NFL Combine. Then, a team must make a choice in either the back half of the first round or the second round. Is this quarterback worth all that talk?
Tyler Shough was that quarterback in 2025, and there have been other examples in the last 10 drafts. The 2024 NFL Draft did not have one of these QBs. These are the players Simpson will be compared to in the next few seasons:
MORE 2026 NFL DRAFT:
- Complete 7-round mock draft
- Trade predictions for the first round
- Where will each quarterback go in 2026 draft?
2025: Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Pick: Second round (No. 40)
Draft-day buzz: Cam Ward (No. 1) and Jaxson Dart (No. 25) were the first-round picks, but Shough generated draft-day buzz with his 6-foot-5, 219-pound frame. Shough had a seven-year college career through stints at Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville – and struggled with injuries before passing for 3,195 yards, 23 TDs and six interceptions with Louisville in 2024. The Saints grabbed Shough in Round 2 – and the next quarterback was not selected until pick No. 92. Shedeur Sanders, of course, fell to the fifth round at No. 144.
Did it work? TBD. Early returns on Shough have been positive. He was 5-4 as a starter with 2,384 yards, 10 TDs and six interceptions with first-year coach Kellen Moore. Shough had a 91.3 passer rating but took 31 sacks. He enters 2026 as the projected starter and can prove the Saints right.
2023: Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Pick: Second round (No.33)
Draft-day buzz: Levis impressed with a strong-armed performance at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine – which followed a two-year stint at Kentucky where he finished with 43 TDs and 23 interceptions. He became an endearing prospect for quirky behavior – with legends of putting mayonnaise in coffee and eating banana peels. Bryce Young (No. 1), C.J. Stroud (No. 2) and Anthony Richardson (No. 4) – who also wowed at the NFL Combine – were first-round picks.
Did it work? No. Levis had a 5-16 record as a starter in his first two seasons with the Titans, and he struggled with turnovers. He had 16 interceptions and took 69 sacks in those two seasons – and Tennessee selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Levis has one year left on his rookie contract with the Titans.
2022: Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: First round (No. 20)
Draft-day buzz: The 2022 NFL Draft was thin on quarterbacks, and Pickett was the only quarterback selected in the first round. Pickett finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting with Pitt in 2021 after putting up 4,319 passing yards, 42 TDs and seven interceptions. Hand size became a popular topic with Pickett – whose hands were measured at 8 ½ inches at the NFL Combine. The Steelers, however, were looking for the right successor for Ben Roethlisberger. The next quarterback was not selected until the third round, when the Atlanta Falcons took Desmond Ridder (No. 74).
Did it work? No. Pickett lasted two seasons in Pittsburgh. He was 14-10 as a starter with 13 TDs and 13 interceptions in those two years. He was traded to Philadelphia in 2024 – where he won a Super Bowl ring as a backup quarterback. He's been traded to Cleveland and Las Vegas since, and he signed with the Carolina Panthers this offseason. That's five teams in five seasons.
NFL DRAFT RANKINGS 2026: QBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE | RBs
2021: Kyle Trask, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: Second round (No. 64)
Draft-day buzz: Five quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, a list that includes Trevor Lawrence (No. 1), Zach Wilson (No. 2), Trey Lance (No. 3), Justin Fields (No. 11) and Mac Jones (No. 15). All had varying degrees of college success, but Trask emerged as a second-round pick after passing for 4,283 yards, 43 TDs and eight interceptions with Florida in 2020.
Did it work? No. Jones was the successor to Tom Brady in New England, and Trask got lost in the shuffle when Brady signed with the Buccaneers. Trask played four seasons in Tampa Bay and played in seven games. He spent last season on Atlanta's practice squad. Jones will be in his second season with the 49ers as a backup this season.
2020: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Pick: First round (No. 26)
Draft-day buzz: Joe Burrow (No. 1), Tua Tagovailoa (No. 5) and Justin Herbert (No. 6) were early first-round picks, and Love – who had 52 TDs and 23 interceptions in two seasons as a starter at Utah State – slipped to the back half of the first round despite pushing into the conversation with his live arm at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Packers drafted Love at No. 26 as the successor to Aaron Rodgers.
Did it work? Yes. Love spent two seasons as a backup behind Rodgers and has emerged as a franchise quarterback with the Packers. He's 27-20-1 as a starter and has improved his passer rating with each season. Love has compiled 11,535 yards, 83 TDs and 31 interceptions.
2019: Drew Lock, Denver Broncos
Pick: Second round (No. 42)
Draft-day buzz: The 2019 NFL Draft is comparable to this year's draft. Kyler Murray (No. 1) was the no-doubt top pick, and Daniel Jones (No. 6) and Dwayne Haskins (No. 15) followed. Lock – a four-year starter at Missouri – emerged as a potential first-round pick after showcasing his arm talent at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Did it work? No. Lock was 8-13 as a starter in three seasons and led the NFL with 15 interceptions in 2020. Lock, however, has stuck as a backup quarterback through two stints with Seattle and one year with the Giants. He was the backup to Sam Darnold and won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks last season.
2018: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Pick: First round (No. 32)
Draft-day buzz: Jackson won the Heisman Trophy at Louisville in 2016 and finished third in 2017 with a dazzling play-making skillset. He passed for 9,043 yards, rushed for 4,132 yards and totaled 119 TDs. Yet there was pre-draft talk about whether he should switch to wide receiver. Baker Mayfield (No. 1), Sam Darnold (No. 3), Josh Allen (No. 7) and Josh Rosen (No. 10) were selected before the Ravens traded with Philadelphia to grab Jackson with the final pick in the first round.
Did it work? Yes. This should not have been a conversation at all. Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP and four-time Pro Bowl selection who enters his ninth season with the Ravens. He's passed for 30-plus TDs twice and rushed for 1,000-plus yards twice.
2017: DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns
Pick: Second round (No. 52)
Draft-day buzz: Mitchell Trubisky (No. 2), Patrick Mahomes (No. 10) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12) were selected in the first round, and the Browns used two first-round picks on Myles Garrett (No. 1) and Jabrill Peppers (No. 25). Kizer – who had 2,925 passing yards, 25 TDs and six interceptions – had a solid season at Notre Dame despite the team's 4-8 record. The Browns – still in the search for a franchise QB – took Kizer in the second round.
Did it work? No. Kizer finished 0-15 as a starter that season, and the Browns quickly pivoted to Mayfield with the No. 1 pick the following season. Watson is on the roster now. Kizer played one season in Green Bay in 2018.
2016: Paxton Lynch, Denver Broncos
Pick: First round (No. 26)
Draft-day buzz: Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season, and the Broncos needed a new franchise quarterback. Lynch impressed at Memphis as a junior with 3,776 passing yards, 28 TDs and four interceptions. He impressed at the NFL Scouting Combine, too, and that was enough for Broncos general manager John Elway to make the pick in the back half of the second round after Jared Goff (No. 1) and Carson Wentz (No. 2).
Did it work? No. Lynch never could take the starting job. He played mostly behind Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler in those two years. Lynch made four career starts and finished with 792 passing yards, four TDs and four interceptions. Lynch has played in the CFL, USFL and XFL since – and he suffered a torn ACL this season while playing with the Colorado Spartans in the National Arena League.
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