We have reached that most fascinating time of the NFL Draft year.

The NFL Scouting Combine is behind us, private workouts and Top 30 visits are upon us, and teams are finalizing their boards ahead of the real thing next month. Which means it is time to push agendas, raise red flags, and shape narratives.

Meaning it is time to start taking every single story with a grain of salt.

The name that has dominated the NFL Draft landscape over the past week? That of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. While Fernando Mendoza is viewed as the consensus QB1, former NFL quarterback and respected ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has pushed back on that idea over the past few days, making a case in the media that it is in fact Simpson who should be viewed as the top QB on the board.

That argument has been met with significant pushback from across the media spectrum, led to some heated exchanges on The Pat McAfee Show, and even raised questions over a potential conflict of interest. The question of whether Simpson is QB1 — or in the discussion for QB1 — is one we will address at a later date. And this discussion is, in many ways, simply part of the overall NFL Draft cycle we see every year, particularly at the quarterback position. While the timeline may vary, the overall picture does not.

A quarterback is built up as QB1, whether over the summer or during the fall, and then torn down a bit as we look for an alternative option. In many ways, this plays out like the “horserace” aspect to Presidential campaigns here in the United States. A frontrunner emerges early in the cycle and the media, desperate for a hotly contested election, begins looking for an alternative.

But returning to Simpson, there are aspects to his evaluation that teams will like. Orlovsky noted in the past few days that after reaching out to teams, some reportedly agree with him that Simpson is QB1. We will see how the Las Vegas Raiders stand on that question in a few weeks, but our focus here today is on something else.

As this discussion was playing out, news came that the New York Jets, who hold the second-overall selection next month and need to find a quarterback of the future, are hosting Simpson for a private workout on Friday.

Given the tenor of the past few days, that sparked this idea: Are the Jets going to take Simpson at No. 2?

Let’s work through some scenarios, and check out our latest mock draft here.

The Jets could take Simpson at 2

This is where many minds went when the news of the private workout broke.

Could the Jets take Simpson at No. 2? That is potentially an option. Despite adding Geno Smith, New York does need to find a quarterback of the future, given where Smith is in his career. They could put Simpson through a workout and come away convinced, based on that performance and what he put on film at Alabama, that he is the answer to their quarterback prayers.

But they would need to be darn sure of that, given what they would be passing on at that spot.

Because beyond quarterback, the Jets have other pressing needs. This is a defense that, after all, failed to secure a single interception a season ago. A defense that has holes at all three levels, holes that players such as Rueben Bain Jr., David Bailey, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, or [INSERT TALENTED DEFENDER HERE] could address at that spot.

Yes, quarterback is the most important position on the field, but it is not the only position.

New York could come away convinced Simpson is the answer — in which case the private workout will have done some good — but they could also end up with the belief that a different player is the better value at No. 2.

Which would still not close the door on Simpson for them in the first round.

The Jets could take Simpson at 16

Let’s remember, the Jets have a pair of picks on opening night.

Thanks to the Sauce Gardner trade with the Indianapolis Colts, New York also holds a pick at No. 16.

Before diving into this idea, we can look at this image. A picture, after all, is worth a thousand words:

This is Simpson’s standing in mock drafts over the past few months, as compiled by NFL Mock Draft Database. As you can see, he was floating inside the top ten in December when he started to dip, a trend that accelerated at the end of January.

But prior to this most recent drop, Simpson was sitting around at pick No. 16, the Jets’ second pick in the first round.

In a world where the Jets pass on Simpson at No. 2, there is still a chance he is on the board at 16.

And the Jets need to know for certain if he is worth drafting at that spot.

Again, the Jets have needs beyond the quarterback position. Looking at the “Consensus Mock Draft” as put together by NFL Mock Draft Database, options for New York with that second pick include wide receivers (such as Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, and Omar Cooper Jr.) as well as cornerback.

New York could decide to improve the roster beyond the quarterback position, roll with Smith here in 2026, and revisit quarterback in 2027. After all, the Jets have three picks in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, their own, one from the Colts from the Gardner trade, and another from the Dallas Cowboys from the Quinnen Williams trade. With three first-round picks, the Jets are certainly in a position to get QB1 next year, regardless of how this season unfolds.

And as is often the case, next year’s quarterback class is expected to be better than this year’s. That grass always seems to be greener …

Given that landscape, the Jets need to be damn sure of any quarterback they draft this year, whether at No. 2 or at No. 16.

The Jets are evaluating trade terms

The Jets are not the only team that needs a quarterback right now. Right behind them at No. 3 sit the Arizona Cardinals, who need a path forward at QB after cutting ties with Kyler Murray. The Cleveland Browns at No. 6 can certainly roll with Shedeur Sanders this season, but could be looking at a QB at some point in the near future. Other teams to keep in mind include the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are still waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers but have been linked to Simpson in prior weeks.

Then there are the Los Angeles Rams, who have also met with Simpson already. While the Rams seem to be in “win it now” mode given the moves already made this offseason, finding a successor to Matthew Stafford is also on Les Snead’s to-do list.

And personally, I think Simpson landing with the Rams to learn from Stafford and Sean McVay is an ideal landing spot for him, but I digress.

But returning to the topic at hand, there are teams that could be looking to move around in the first round for a chance to draft Simpson. Whether that is up to No. 2, or to No. 16, remains to be seen. But if that situation does arise, New York needs to know exactly what to ask for in return.

Which means they need to know exactly what a team will be getting in Simpson.

The Jets are hoping to spark a trade

Here’s another thought.

Maybe the Jets are bluffing.

The NFL Draft is the league’s closest thing to poker. We won’t know what cards each team is holding until the real thing, but for now, teams are trying to play the game the best they can.

For the Jets, that might mean showing interest in Simpson, hoping that it spooks a QB-needy team into reaching out about a potential trade. Maybe a team wants to slide to 16 and take Simpson, like perhaps the Steelers. Or maybe they can spark a team to come all the way up to No. 2.

We see this often when it comes to trades for players, who are “unavailable” until suddenly, they are available. Most recently it was Maxx Crosby, who was an “elite” player the Raiders were not going to trade, until they did. And while that trade ultimately fell apart, that is how teams drive up asking prices.

So perhaps this is all a ruse, a bluff, to try and get a team to come up to draft Simpson themselves.

The Jets are doing their homework

We are approximately 1,500 words into this story — which could have been an e-mail I guess — and have arrived at perhaps the simplest answer.

The Jets are just doing their homework.

We still have weeks until the draft, and nobody knows what is going to happen. Even at No. 1, where we all assume it will be Mendoza off the board to the Raiders. But the NFL Draft has thrown us curveballs before, and there is every reason to believe that this draft will be no different.

But the Jets are in a very unique position, with needs all over the roster, a pair of first-round picks this year, and three more next year. They have a lot of work to do between now, next month, and next year.

Seeing whether Simpson is worth a pick this year (at No. 2, No. 16, or somewhere else) or where he would stack up against what we expect out of next year’s class is a good use of their time.