2026 NFL Draft Futures: Team To Draft Ty Simpson Betting Odds & Best Bets

The 2026 NFL Draft is coming up in Pittsburgh from April 23 to April 25. The first round will take place on that first night on Thursday, and we all pretty much know how that one is going to start: Indiana Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion Fernando Mendoza is going No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders or whoever they might trade that pick to.

But what about the next-best QB on the board, Alabama’s Ty Simpson?

While Simpson is pretty much the consensus No. 2 QB prospect, it’s considered a weak class at the position, and that has a lot to do with Simpson. He’s not rated as a first-round talent after just one year as a starter in Tuscaloosa, but he is widely viewed to have the potential to be a starting QB.

That means a team trading back up into the late first-round to nab Simpson and secure that crucial fifth-year option is probably the most likely scenario. The only question is, which team is going to take a chance on Simpson, who had 30 total TDs, five picks, and an 11-4 record as a senior in 2025. Read on for the NFL betting odds and favorites on who will land Simpson as well as our analysis and best bets!

2026 NFL Draft Futures: Which Team Will Draft Ty Simpson? - NFL Betting Odds & Picks

All betting odds provided by Betway.

The Favorite: Arizona Cardinals (+130)

It seemed like the Cardinals were going to ride out a tanking season with Jacoby Brissett at the helm, but draft experts are falling increasingly in love with the idea that Arizona will trade back up into the late first-round and snag Ty Simpson somewhere in the 20-30 pick range. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and ESPN’s Ben Solak are both predicting exactly that to happen. However, we’re not so sure Arizona is going to waste draft capital to move up and take a guy that no one’s really excited about in the first round.

The Best of the Rest: New York Jets (+210)

Next on the odds table and the only other team with odds shorter than +600 are the New York Jets. This one is offering a little more value at +210 and feels a lot more likely. New York’s owner, Woody Johnson, loves a headline and has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to football. He should have stuck to being a heartless billionaire without the visibility of an NFL owner.

New York did bring Geno Smith back into the fold, and head coach Aaron Glenn has been gushing about the veteran ever since the signing. But the QB only inked a deal for $3.3 million, hardly starter money, and we don’t get the feeling Johnson was a fan of that move. Either way, Glenn really has no power as head coach, with Johnson a well-known and regular meddler. This is the best bet on the board.

Dark Horse Candidate: Los Angeles Rams (+600) & Pittsburgh Steelers (+900)

If it’s not one of those two trading up for Simpson, he could certainly fall into the later rounds, where his value skyrockets and anything can happen. However, the Rams and Steelers present the most likely options.

With Matthew Stafford having just turned 38 and his back issues well-documented, the Rams could take the shrewd path and draft his successor a little bit early. Just look how it worked out for the Packers. CBS’ Jordan Dajani mocked Simpson to the Rams at No. 31.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh might be the only team in the NFL without a clear option at QB1 right now. They have 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard, who new head coach Mike McCarthy has talked up a lot, but otherwise they’re still waiting on 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers. Even if the future HOFer does eventually sign on, McCarthy might decide to go a year early on drafting the Steel City’s next franchise QB. However, we would expect Pittsburgh to hold off and wait until 2027, which seems to be their plan.