Ty Simpson is gaining traction as a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, joining a select group of Alabama quarterbacks. Historically, only four Alabama QBs have been drafted in the first round since the 1970 merger.
Key points
Ty Simpson is a former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback.
He is gaining traction as a first-round pick for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Only four Alabama QBs have been drafted in the first round since 1970.
Past first-round Alabama QBs include those drafted by the Dolphins, Patriots, and Panthers.
The performance of Alabama QBs in the NFL has been generally lackluster.
Ty SimpsonMiami DolphinsNew England PatriotsCarolina Panthers
Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson has gained some steam in being drafted in the first round.
While Alabama does have thorough past talents drafted in the first round, not many of those picks have been from the quarterback position. Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, only four QBs have been taken in the first round.
At the turn of the millennium, the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Carolina Panthers all took chances on former Crimson Tide members. While the results from those quarterbacks are quite lackluster compared to the rest of the league, all of those quarterbacks are still playing in the NFL.
With that said, here is a deep dive into Alabama's first-round QB talents in the NFL Draft and the group Simpson may join.
While having a highly-touted reputation of NFL prospects, the QB position is one of Alabama's least drafted in the first round. The team has seen numerous running backs, wide receivers, and defensive players taken within the first 32 picks, but since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, only four QBs have been taken in the first round.
Ahead of this year's draft, many sports personalities believe Simpson will become the latest. He would be the first Alabama QB taken in the first round since in 2023.
Q&A
How many Alabama quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round since 1970?
Only four Alabama quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
Which NFL teams have previously drafted Alabama quarterbacks in the first round?
The Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Carolina Panthers have all drafted Alabama quarterbacks in the first round.
What is Ty Simpson's current status ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft?
Ty Simpson is gaining momentum and is considered a potential first-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
What challenges do Alabama quarterbacks face in the NFL?
Historically, Alabama quarterbacks have had lackluster results in the NFL compared to their peers, despite all being active players.
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After the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, Richard Todd became the first Alabama quarterback taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. He was taken No. 6 overall by the New York Jets and began his career backing up Joe Namath, another Alabama alum. Namath was drafted five years prior to the merger.
In his career, Todd threw for 20,610 yards, 124 touchdowns, and 161 interceptions with the Jets and New Orleans Saints.
Alabama had to wait 44 years until one of its former quarterbacks was taken in the first round. Tua Tagovailoa ended the streak after he was taken No. 5 overall by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Hawaiian native began his career backing up Ryan Fitzpatrick, but became a starter ahead of Week 8. Ahead of the upcoming 2026 season, he departed from the Dolphins organization and signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. As it currently stands, Tagovailoa is the only Crimson Tide quarterback taken in the first round of the NFL to have a career winning record (44-32).
To date in his career, Tagovailoa has thrown for 18,166 yards, 120 touchdowns, and 59 interceptions with the Dolphins.
A year after Tagovailoa was drafted in the first round, Mac Jones followed suit after he was taken No. 15 overall by the Patriots. He became the first Patriot quarterback drafted in the first round since Drew Bledsoe in 1993. He instantly became a starter for the 2021 season. After three seasons as a starter, Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars and has had backup stints in Jacksonville and currently backs up Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers.
Following the 2025 season, Jones has thrown for 12,741 yards, 67 touchdowns, and 50 interceptions with the Patriots, Jaguars, and 49ers.
Bryce Young, 2023 No. 1, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young is currently Alabama's most recent quarterback taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. He was taken No. 1 overall by the Panthers and became the first Crimson Tide QB taken with the first pick after the AFL-NFL merger. Young led Carolina to its first playoff appearance since 2017, before narrowly falling to the Los Angeles Rams.
To date, Young has accumulated 8,291 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions through his three-year career.
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, there have been four former Crimson Tide quarterbacks drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Namath was also an Alabama QB drafted in the first round, taken at No. 12 in the 1965 NFL Draft, but he opted to sign with the Jets, who took him at No. 5 in the AFL Draft.
After the merger, Todd became the first Alabama QB drafted in the first round. Todd was drafted by the Jets with the sixth overall pick, and he backed up Namath during the tail end of his career. When Broadway Joe was released after the 1976 season, Todd finally inherited the starting job. His career got off to a tumultuous start, and he had more interceptions than touchdowns in his first five seasons. He also shoved a reporter into a locker after the reporter suggested backup Matt Robinson should start over him. Todd went on to set two records while playing: the most completions in a game (42) and the most interceptions in a season (15). He eventually led the Jets to an AFC Championship Game, where they lost in treacherous conditions to the Miami Dolphins, 14-0. After a two-year stint with the Saints beginning in 1984 and a return to New York for a game in 1986, he was released that October.
Following a 44-year drought, Tagovailoa became the first former Crimson Tide QB drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft since Todd. Tagovailoa was taken No. 5 by Miami in 2020. During his first season, he had to wait until Week 8 to become a full-fledged starter. Following a 3-3 start with Matt Fitzpatrick, Tagovailoa took over. He went 6-3 in the Dolphins’ remaining nine games and became the fifth rookie quarterback since the merger to win his first three starts. The Hawaii native’s best playoff finish came in the 2023-24 season, when he led Miami to the AFC Wild Card round. The Dolphins went on to lose 26-7 to the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod following that season. Since then, Tagovailoa has dealt with multiple concussions. For the 2026 season, he signed a one-year deal with the Falcons and will battle for the starting job with Michael Penix Jr.
One year after Tagovailoa, Jones was drafted No. 15 by the Patriots. He became the first QB taken in the first round by New England since Drew Bledsoe in 1993. He beat out Cam Newton to become the team’s starter for the 2021 season. In a Week 4 matchup against the Patriots’ all-time great Tom Brady, he became the first rookie to throw 19 straight completions since 1991, tying Brady’s 2015 mark; the Patriots lost 19-17. New England then went on a seven-game win streak, during which Jones became the first rookie QB in NFL history to post an 80% or higher completion rate in consecutive games. He earned a Pro Bowl appearance as an alternate that season and became the Patriots’ first rookie QB to start a playoff game in his Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, 47-17. After a 2024 trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he served in backup roles there and is currently San Francisco’s backup.
Young is Alabama’s most recent quarterback selected in the first round. He was drafted No. 1 overall by the Panthers in 2023 and was immediately viewed as a franchise cornerstone after Carolina traded up to land him. His career got off to a rocky start, as he led the team to a 2-14 record while posting a completion percentage under 60%. One of those wins came against C.J. Stroud, who was also in contention to be selected at No. 1. In Week 16, Young ended the season on a high note against the Green Bay Packers, throwing for 312 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-30 loss. In 2024, Young was benched after Week 2 during a stretch in which he threw three interceptions and no touchdowns, with the team losing by a combined 60 points. After Andy Dalton was injured before Week 8, Young returned to the starting lineup in a 28-14 loss, throwing for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Young’s first playoff appearance came in 2025, when he led Carolina to its first postseason berth since 2017. The Panthers narrowly lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 34-31; Young threw for 264 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, and added a rushing score.
Here’s the full list of Alabama quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1970:
