The New York Jets certainly did what they had to do in the early stages of the offseason by bringing in Geno Smith, but that doesn’t mean New York doesn’t have to add to its quarterback room for the future.
In a post-early free agency mock draft from Daniel Flick, he had the Jets finding their long-term answer under center, selecting Ty Simpson out of Alabama football with the No. 16 pick.
“The Jets need a receiver, but after acquiring Geno Smith to start at quarterback this fall, they could use a long-term successor, too,” Flick wrote. “At midseason, Simpson looked like a potential top-five pick. After the Rose Bowl, he appeared to be a Day 2 prospect. After the combine, his stock has found a middle ground.”
The Jets taking Simpson at No. 16 would probably be the right move, even if there’s reason to believe that he needs work. Fernando Mendoza is clearly the best quarterback in this draft, according to most, but not everyone believes that.
Dan Orlovsky of ESPN thinks Simpson is. While his take was debatable, the Jets would be doing well taking him at 16, and that’s what matters here.
"I think when we look at the body of work and what was asked of these two quarterbacks, you have to start with the question, who needed to do more to carry their football team to play well? Ty Simpson and it's not close between those two quarterbacks," Orlovsky said. "Who took more games over throughout the course of the season? Ty Simpson and it's not even close."
If there’s one positive, it’s that Simpson isn’t being asked to come in and start. Instead, he’d land in a situation where he can develop and learn from a veteran who has already experienced the highs and lows of being a starting quarterback in New York.
Does that mean everything? Maybe not, but it’s probably better than throwing him in the fire and hoping for the best.
It remains uncertain what the Jets are going to do at No. 16, as there are many options to look at, but Simpson seems to be in consideration.