Dan Orlovsky tells why gap between Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson is not big

Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News/USA Today images

Two quarterbacks are being discussed in a weak overall draft class as first-rounders.

It is a coin flip between Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson to see who will be selected first.

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Mendoza defeated Simpson in the College Football Playoff, has better statistics, and led his program (Indiana University) to a CFP National Championship, but some NFL Draft pundits prefer Simpson’s tape over Mendoza’s.

Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, continues being impressed with Simpson’s film from Alabama. The former five-star had one season as Alabama’s starting quarterback, posting 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns to five interceptions.

Injuries led to him not finishing 2025 the way he wanted to; however, Simpson has excelled in the draft process thus far.

Orlovsky does not see a huge gap between Mendoza and Simpson when it comes to the upcoming draft.

Wow: Dan Orlovsky believes that Ty Simpson is “just as impressive” as Fernando Mendoza.

“Mendoza is impressive, but I think Ty Simpson, tape-wise? Just as impressive.”

😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/VgJIGHsidH

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 17, 2026

He feels that Simpson’s film is ‘just as impressive’ as Mendoza’s.

“I fully believe that if Ty Simpson was 6’4” or if Simpson had 20-plus college starts, he would be in play at No. 2 to the New York Jets,” Orlvosky said on ESPN’s First Take. 

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“He is very much Brock Purdy for me. If you watch his tape and take everything else away, all you see are big time throws – which are NFL throws. The things that we watch and demand from NFL quarterbacks. … Pin-point ball placement in the redzone. He is surgical in rhythm and timing, and that is why I say Brock Purdy. Then, there is the sprinkle of playmaking that Brock Purdy has to make incredibly challenging and difficult throws.”

Orlvosky said he gets stuck on how in mid-November of 2025 draft analysts had Simpson as a top five to seven player for the draft, but knocked him out of being worthy of a first-round pick because he got beat up in the back end of the year.

“It does not make sense to me,” Orlvosky said. “Mendoza is impressive, but I think Ty Simpson tape-wise is just as impressive.”

We will find out soon enough where Simpson lands in the draft.

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Stephen M. Smith is a team writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine.  You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.