Ty Simpson, Caleb Banks among 10 prospects who could shake things up

If NFL quarterback coaches wanted to show young passers video footage of flawless footwork and mechanics at the position, they’d circulate Simpson’s early-season work from last fall around the youth football world. The Alabama quarterback looked like a coach’s dream during this period, as a pinpoint, touch passer with outstanding instincts, awareness and diagnostic skills. Simpson made countless layered throws over second-level defenders, successfully attacking the sweet spots of coverage. While those flashes from his sole season as the Crimson Tide’s starter are compelling — as is the QB’s pedigree, being the son of a longtime college football head coach — Simpson’s lack of experience (15 total college starts) and late-season slump have spawned concern. Factor in the kind of substandard physical dimensions (6-foot-1 1/8, 211 pounds) that induce durability worries, and this is a draft profile that invites polarization. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza is essentially a lock to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. But Simpson, widely considered this draft’s QB2, has a broad draft range. He might be a first-round pick, though it wouldn’t be shocking to see him fall into the draft’s second day.