It’s officially mock draft season. With the 2025 NFL season in the rearview, the offseason is underway — which means from now until kickoff in 2026, there will be no shortage of projections for every team, including the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In most mock drafts, the Steelers are going offense — either wide receiver or quarterback. The receivers vary from Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson to Washington’s Denzel Boston. But there’s really only one quarterback consistently projected to still be on the board when Pittsburgh selects at No. 21 overall: Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
That’s exactly where CBS Sports’ Mike Renner has Simpson landing in his latest mock draft.
“Simpson may have his warts, but he has an NFL-caliber arm and flashed special ability in his lone season as a starter. Mike McCarthy has a strong track record of quarterback development and would get a player with a lot of potential to mentor,” Renner wrote.
But those “warts” are what make this projection far from a slam dunk.
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Ty Simpson Labeled Boom-or-Bust Prospect
Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick recently listed Simpson as one of his top 10 “boom-or-bust” prospects entering the 2026 NFL Draft. He noted Simpson is clearly the second-best quarterback in the class behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza — but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee first-round security.
“In most years, the second-best quarterback in the draft would still be a top-five pick,” Chadwick wrote. “While Simpson seems to have a stranglehold on QB2 in this class, he still may fall out of the top 20. He did mostly impress in his lone season as Alabama’s starter, leading the FBS with 30 big-time throws.”
The talent is obvious. The concerns are, too.
“Simpson is very good when defenses leave him alone in the pocket, placing 11th nationally in both PFF passing grades when kept clean and when he’s not blitzed,” Chadwick continued. “He has far more issues when defenses try to speed him up, though. Simpson was 87th in passing grade when pressured and 53rd against the blitz. Whoever drafts him would be wise to let him sit for a year while he adjusts to the speed of the NFL.”
Simpson spent four seasons at Alabama but only became the full-time starter this past season. He threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. He was also sacked 28 times and dealt with injuries late in the year that impacted his production.
In other words: plenty to like — and plenty to clean up.
Aaron Rodgers Decision Could Shape Steelers’ Draft Strategy
Of course, this entire discussion hinges on one name: Aaron Rodgers.
If Rodgers decides to return for a 22nd NFL season, the Steelers wouldn’t necessarily need to force a quarterback at No. 21. They could either pivot to another position of need or draft Simpson with the luxury of letting him develop behind a veteran — exactly what Chadwick suggested.
Pittsburgh has made it clear they aren’t rushing Rodgers’ decision. But whether he returns will absolutely shape how the front office approaches April.
Behind Rodgers, the Steelers still have Mason Rudolph and second-year quarterback Will Howard. New head coach Mike McCarthy could opt to roll with one of them if things break a certain way.
But if Simpson is sitting there at No. 21, and the Steelers believe in the arm talent more than the red flags, that decision may not be so simple.
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