As Simpson visits Dolphins, here’s what to consider. And 2 other QBs brought in
If Dolphins general manager Jon–Eric Sullivan were put under a bright light in a dark room — I’m not quite sure why anyone would do this to him — and pressured to answer draft questions honestly, these would be high on my list:
Is this Ty Simpson draft visit simply due diligence or there is a serious interest in the Alabama quarterback if he slides? And is there a scenario where you would bypass far greater needs and take him if he slips to pick No. 30 or even later? The answers, of course, are as closely guarded as Colonel Sanders’ original fried chicken recipe.
NFL Network’s report that Simpson is visiting the Dolphins wasn’t shocking because Sullivan said Monday that the team signing Malik Willis to a three-year deal — with $45 million guaranteed — does not make it any less likely that he would draft a quarterback.
But it is notable because Sullivan also made clear that Willis is “our guy” and not a “Band-Aid,” and the Dolphins view him as a long-term solution at the position and someone they want to “build around.”
So why waste time with the player considered the draft’s second-best quarterback? Perhaps there’s an extent of subterfuge here, but these are serious people running the Dolphins and my sense is that they at least want to learn more about him in case he takes a big draft slide. I doubt they’re going to waste one of their maximum 30 predraft visits on a player they don’t like.
The notion of drafting Simpson with the 11th pick is unfathomable. But if he falls to late in the first round, the Dolphins are among the teams that could have interest at No. 30, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said recently. (No national reporter has more Dolphins sourcing than Schefter.)
While it seems somewhat unlikely that Simpson would fall to 30, nobody can rule it out because he’s a polarizing prospect. For two months, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has rated him 25th on his Big Board of prospects. ESPN’s Field Yates rates him 29th in his top 50. ESPN’s Matt Miller has the Jets picking him at 33 with the first pick of the second round.
Kiper says it’s conceivable he could fall to Round 2, though it would be a stretch to think he gets to Miami at 43.
Among the reasons drafting Simpson might cause Dolphins fans to riot:
1). They have already made a commitment to Willis and have a half dozen more pressing needs.
2). Simpson had two stinkers in key games, throwing for just 212 yards, one TD and one pick, on 19-for-39 accuracy, in a dismal 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship.
Then he threw for just 67 yards in the 38-3 playoff drubbing against Indiana, leaving the game with an injury early in the third quarter with his team down 24-0. He threw two interceptions (and no TDs) in a win against Eastern Illinois.
3). He lost six fumbles during a five-game stretch.
4). Kiper said Simpson “doesn’t have an elite trait. He doesn’t have [a huge arm], doesn’t have the elite size. Doesn’t have Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen running ability.”
But there are just as many reasons why he’s in the first-round discussion:
1). His overall production in his first year as a starter (27 TDs, five interceptions) was very good.
2). He played very well during regular season wins against Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee.
3). Kiper said “his arm strength is already good enough. He comes through in the clutch. He’s a tough, gritty competitor. He’s smart, he throws with anticipation, good processor, he can move, he can get you a first down on third down with his legs.”
4). Greg McElroy, ESPN’s No. 2 college football analyst, said Simpson is “the most NFL ready of all the prospects right now. Why? Because he understands matchups. He has great feel for protections and audibles. That’s what quarterbacks have to do.
“He’s playing NFL level offense already. Yes, he’s had to deal with a couple of ups and downs and the protection has always been a little bit dicey. But he’s going to make a clear and easy transition to the pros. He has that kind of upside.”
After projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and Simpson, Kiper’s next three QBs are Penn State’s Drew Allar, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and UM’s Carson Beck. All would be possibilities in Round 3 if the Dolphins decide to supplement a room with Willis and Quinn Ewers, whom Sullivan praised this week.
Beck will visit Dolphins headquarters and won’t count as a 30 visit because he went to school in South Florida.
Kiper’s 5-through-10 quarterbacks: North Dakota State’s Cole Payton, Clemson’s Cade Clubnik, Arkansas’ Taylen Green (a dual threat QB who played for new Dolphins QB coach Bush Hamdan), Illinois’ Luke Altmyer and Baylor’s Sawyer Robinson.
Green visiting
Green, a dynamic athlete whose visit to the Dolphins was reported by former scout Bo Marchionte, spent two years at Boise State and the past two at Arkansas.
He possesses enticing NFL attributes — size (6-6), a strong build at 227-pounds and speed (a 4.36 in the 40). He ran for 777 yards (on 5.6 per carry) and eight touchdowns in 2025 but must improve as a passer (19 TDs, 11 interceptions, 61 percent completion rate last season).
.”In-game consistency has been a sticking point,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said of Green. “He has a long, unorthodox delivery and tends to baby too many throws. He can generate enough velocity and distance to stress defenses over the second and third levels. Green puts the ball in harm’s way at an alarming rate, which will translate to greater trouble against more talented defenders and more complicated coverage reads.
“His ability to win with his legs on called runs or pocket breaks pushes his value beyond his passing profile. Green’s upside will be tantalizing, but his ceiling will only track with his growth as a passer.”
As for, Simpson there’s no unanimity about him. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky is alone on an island insisting he’s better than Mendoza — a view shared by nobody else publicly.
“He’s a tough evaluation,” Kiper said, calling him “a more athletic, faster version of Mac Jones.”
The Dolphins don’t need that, not with Willis already under contract, and not with the 2027 draft offering better options if Willis bombs. Even at pick No. 30, investing in Simpson would be dubious, in our view, because other positions must be addressed and Willis deserves an extended chance.
Let’s hope Sullivan is merely doing due diligence.
Here’s my Wednesday Dolphins 6-pack with Sullivan and Jeff Hafley discussing Malik Willis, the team’s long-term strategy and various other issues.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 2:33 PM.
