Let’s goooooooooo! Quarterback time is here, and it couldn’t come at a better time with Dan Orlovsky having whipped up some controversy with his recent comments on Ty Simpson being the class’ QB1. Now, him knocking Mendoza for not having played in any big games is kind of insane, but is Simpson really that legit? Time to break it down.
Ty Simpson - QB Alabama
Truth be told, at the time I’m writing this I haven’t watched really any Fernando Mendoza film, but the two might be a lot closer than I thought they were going to be. Simpson is really intriguing. Let’s just get into it:
The Great Stuff:
Absolute rocket of an arm that translates into both incredibly deep go-balls and hard driven tight window throws
Aggressive but not careless. Made some super impressive throws with very little window to hit.
Moves through progressions well with both his eyes and footwork
Good pocket composure. Very smart about when to bail.
Arm talent already at or above NFL average
The Good Stuff:
Scrambling and designed runs didn’t translate into crazy production but he does look athletic and capable
Very composed in pocket, almost to the point where you’d want his internal clock to speed up on some reps
Concerns:
Lack of experience
Occasional pocket miscues where he drifts too far back or doesn’t climb when he should
I am a bit surprised by how good this tape looked. I’ll get my criticisms out of the way first, but I think they’re all coachable and I wouldn’t even say they’re that consistent, just occasional issues I noticed. First, Simpson has a tendency to really muscle every throw. On occasion I would like to see a bit more touch on some balls, which he did demonstrate he can do, he just needs to employ it more. Secondly, though he undeniably has a cannon for an arm, it seemed like his deep ball accuracy wasn’t perfect. Again, he had some good reps too, but a few misses that will need some cleaning up. Outside of the occasional tendency to drift the wrong way in the pocket, I have no other notes. His release is incredibly quick, he’s super accurate, he sees and can consistently throw to all part of the field. I thought he had a great balance of aggression and restraint when it came to attacking tight window throws. I really like the guy. As far as comps go, he actually reminds me of another QB I like a lot in Cam Ward. Now we absolutely have not seen Cam Ward’s ceiling, but with both of these guys I think their arm talent, ability to make plays off schedule, and sounds pocket passing coupled with the ability to threaten on the ground makes them really, really intriguing.
Garrett Nussmeier - QB LSU
Nussmeier was a guy I thought would be on the rise as the draft neared, but as it turns out he’s just about stayed put as the consensus QB3 in this draft class. I thought his size, experience, and more traditional approach to the quarterback position would result in NFL teams looking to invest at QB feeling really comfortable adding him to their squads. Having poured through the tape, I can understand giving Simpson the nod ahead of him, but there’s certainly some stuff to like as well. Let’s break it down:
The Great Stuff:
Decent size lets him see the field, hang tough in the pocket, and strong enough to get out of sacks
Maneuvers pockets well and has good instincts for feeling pass rush
Great downfield accuracy complimented by a willingness and ability to use the whole field
High IQ when it comes to reading college defenses
Experience
The Good Stuff:
Has demonstrated the ability to progress through reads and looks off safeties but can also stare down receivers on occasion
Can move out of pockets early on occasion but shows an above average ability to reset his base and make accurate throws moving away from pressure
Largely got the ball out on time but could hold onto it a bit long here and there
NFL caliber arm strength
Smart scrambler
Concerns:
Lacking in the arm talent department. When he is forced to make throws on the run or change his arm angle he is often inaccurate.
Can be too aggressive testing tight windows or going for deep plays, resulting in turnovers
Lacking any real rushing upside
Nussmeier’s camp revealed to teams at the combine that he played through an oblique injury for the 2025 season before being shut down towards the end of the year. We have no way of knowing exactly how much it affected him, but I did think his tape in 2024 did look better. Whether the injury was the only reason for his regression or not, I thought he still put some decent stuff on tape. I was impressed by his composure in the pocket and his accuracy on routine throws. Adding in an NFL-caliber arm, good processing, and his confidence in throwing the ball deep and into tight windows, I think he could definitely start at the pro level. He needs to mature a bit when it comes to his tendencies to gamble on certain throws, staring down receivers, and getting the ball out on time, and I do think he’ll be susceptible to confusion versus elite defensive schemes, but I would certainly not rule out his ability to develop these things. His ballsiness testing defensive backs is something that can’t be coached, and I think coupled with development of some more fundamental traits, gives him upside versus more conservative passers. His comp for me is a slightly smaller Geno Smith, who we know required quite some time before consistent success came and is reliant on being a part of well run offenses with strong supporting casts. That said, if you get all these pieces around him and coach him well, he could be a consistent fantasy QB2.
Carson Beck - QB Miami
I did my very best as a Florida Gator alum to put aside my differences with Carson Beck for an honest film breakdown so as to not come across as a hater. He did me no favors in that department. Let’s get into it:
The Great Stuff:
Seems to have a strong arm and can use it, even on the run
Disciplined enough to take checkdowns the defense gives him
Can extend plays with his legs and keep eyes downfield
Elite size
Experience, has seen big games
Early breakout age
The Good Stuff:
Not super fast or elusive but an showed he can be an effective runner
Moves through his progressions frequently but seems to move off them too fast sometimes
Pretty decisive but held the ball too long at times
Flashes of arm talent
Concerns:
Touch on balls was flat out terrible sometimes, and ball placement on throws at all three levels was inconsistent
A bit too reliant on checkdowns and rarely attempts tight window throws
An obvious preference for short and over-the-middle throws
A bit nonchalant when it comes to mechanics
Some flat out bad reads and decisions
I suppose there’s potential, but I’d need to see a pretty good landing spot before I think about spending any kind of consequential draft capital on Beck. He comes with about as much big game experience and experience as a starter of anyone in the class, and his frame is certainly among the best. Neither seems to do him a whole lot of favors, though. His mechanics were flat out upsetting at times, something that without a doubt contributed to his ball placement and touch problems. He seemed to have the arm for deep balls and outside-the-number throws, but whether it was a confidence, processing, or arm issue he rarely used it. There were definitely flashes of some nice off-schedule extension of plays and throws on the run, enough to not completely rule him out. He has some capabilities as a runner too. All-in-all, I comp him to guys like Desmond Ridder. It’s not my favorite comp of all time in terms of playstyle, but the two are similar in terms of having a definite ceiling as a routine passer and a touch of mobility and arm talent. So yeah, sorry Carson.
Stay tuned for later this week when we kick off our running back report cards, and next week when we see how Fernando Mendoza and the rest of our quarterbacks stack up. Thanks for reading Detourists!
-- Dynasty Detour Ryan
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