Although the falls of Shedeur Sanders and Malik Willis defined days of past drafts this decade, earlier-than-expected quarterback picks (and rapid pre-draft rises) are a draft tradition. The Rams continued this with their Ty Simpson pick at No. 13, and considerable fallout emerged from the choice.
Simpson coming off the board before the first round’s midpoint surprised, and with the Rams choosing him, a few QB-needy teams that lacked Fernando Mendoza access are still without one as Day 2 nears. The destinations of Carson Beck, Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier may be known tonight.
The Cardinals are still a team to watch for on a quarterback. Several teams view Arizona as a potential fit for Beck, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz. Arizona holds the Nos. 34 and 65 picks tonight, but Schultz adds the team is looking to move down. A slide down from 34 could put the Cards in better range for Beck, even if the recent CFP title game starter may have completed a late rise during the pre-draft process.
No team was more closely connected to Simpson than the Cardinals, but it turned out a trade-up from No. 34 was not going to be enough to land him. Beck came up late as a possible second-round option, though SI.com’s Albert Breer cautions it is still possible none of this trio goes off the board tonight. Breer does place Beck atop the QB queue, listing Allar and then Nussmeier next. Most teams view the LSU product third among this group, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who cautions that is not a universal view.
The topic of this draft’s QB3 has come up frequently, and now that we have seen Mendoza and Simpson go off the board, it will be one of tonight’s centerpiece storylines. The Browns did a lot of QB work in this draft, Rapoport adds, though a Thursday report indicated Cleveland — after drafting Sanders and Dillon Gabriel last year — is not expected to select one.
The Rams and Jets worked out Nussmeier; the Colts did as well. Recent medical clearance on a spine injury also figures to matter significantly for the former first-round prospect. The Cardinals, Jets and Steelers used “30” visits on Allar. The Cardinals, Dolphins and Jets met with Beck.
The Dolphins, Jets and Steelers should be considered in the mix for these passers, though. And the Browns should not be ruled out just yet. That said, the prospect of a tantalizing 2027 QB crop could cause some of these teams to wait (this has come up as a Jets likely path). Then again, choosing a third-round passer this year would not exactly eliminate the prospect of a first-round choice next year.