PITTSBURGH — The whispers on the South Side are growing into a roar. CBS Sports draft analyst Mike Renner just dropped his 2026 NFL Mock Draft 7.0, and he sees the Pittsburgh Steelers making a massive franchise decision. At pick 21, Renner has Pittsburgh selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Forget safe, incremental fixes. The Steelers are preparing to hit the reset button at the most important position in sports.
The SEC Pressure Cooker Produces a First-Round Arm
Drafting a quarterback in the first round defines a front office. General managers lose their jobs over missing these evaluations. But Simpson brings a statistical profile that demands attention. He leaves Tuscaloosa as one of the most efficient passers in Alabama history.
In his 2025 campaign, Simpson completely commanded the offense. He started all 15 games and racked up 3,567 passing yards while throwing 28 touchdowns. He didn’t just manage the Crimson Tide; he drove them. Watching him operate from the pocket in the freezing rain late last November, you could see a kid who completely blocked out the stadium noise. He stood tall, processed the defense instantly, and fired strikes.
The numbers back up the eye test:
- 305 completions on 473 attempts: Top-three marks in Alabama single-season history.
- 0.956% Career Interception Rate: An Alabama record, tossing only five picks across 523 career attempts.
- SEC Recognition: Earned All-SEC Second Team honors and permanent team captain status.
Simpson also added 90 rushes for 93 yards and two scores, proving he can navigate a collapsing pocket when forced to improvise.
“Simpson may have his warts, but he has an NFL-caliber arm and flashed special ability in his lone season as a starter. Mike McCarthy has a strong track record of quarterback development and would get a player with a lot of potential to mentor.”
— Mike Renner, CBS Sports Lead Draft Analyst
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
If Pittsburgh turns this projection into reality in April, it signals a major philosophical shift. Head coach Mike McCarthy needs a premium pupil to fully install his passing concepts. The current quarterback room simply lacks the ceiling required to trade blows with the elite arms in the AFC North.
Simpson fits the modern developmental mold perfectly. He combines elite arm talent with an incredibly low turnover rate. McCarthy built his reputation on refining raw, high-ceiling passers. Handing him an SEC-battle-tested captain with a 63.86% career completion rate creates an ideal timeline for Pittsburgh. The Steelers can afford to coach out Simpson’s minor mechanical flaws during training camp while preparing him to take the reins permanently.
The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off next week in Indianapolis. Expect the Steelers’ brass to be front and center when Simpson steps up to the podium.
