The Indiana Hoosiers’ Fernando Mendoza is being hyped as the projected number one quarterback pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky is not buying into the narrative at all. The 42-year-old recently claimed Alabama’s Ty Simpson is ahead of Mendoza, creating an immediate buzz. The unusual endorsement could be influenced by the common connection they share, which was recently discussed on the WEEI podcast.

“Dan Orlovsky is under the exact same agency as Ty Simpson,” said the podcast host.

After Dan’s initial claim of picking Simpson over Mendoza, the fans dug deep and uncovered the common ground between them. Both Dan and Simpson are currently represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which might be why the former Detroit Lions QB has such high praise for the Alabama star.

Meanwhile, Dan isn’t the only one sharing the bold opinion. The former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum agrees with Dan’s stance on this matter, picking Simpson over Mendoza as the QB1 and claiming a number of NFL franchises have a similar viewpoint. Unsurprisingly, he is also represented by CAA.

While Dan continues to be adamant about his choice, a statistical comparison between the two collegiate signal callers tells a different story. With Mendoza, who is managed by Excel Sports Management, at the helm, the Hoosiers became the CFP National Champions, and he won the Heisman Trophy for his consistency and excellence.

With Simpson in charge, Alabama didn’t win any honors in the 2025 campaign. While the team reached the playoffs, they had an embarrassing CFB Quarterfinal Round loss against Mendoza’s Indiana by a 38-3 margin.

Mendoza significantly outperformed Simpson in a head-to-head comparison, not just on the scoreboard. While the former completed 14 of his 16 passes with 192 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, his counterpart recorded 12 of his 16 passes with only 67 passing yards and no TD.

As Dan has been under scrutiny for favoring Simpson over Mendoza due to the connection of the same agency representation, he recently cleared the air.

Dan Orlovsky’s history of bold QB calls adds weight to latest claim

Dan Orlovsky made an appearance on the latest Pat McAfee Show, where he further explained his 2026 NFL Draft quarterback stance, claiming he didn’t have any hidden motive behind the viewpoint.

“There is no ulterior motive behind this,” said Dan. “I would go back to a couple of years ago, I was higher on Jayden Daniels than people were. I was higher on Jaxson Dart than people were. In my opinion, Ty Simpson’s tapes are more impressive.”

While the doubt lingers on his opinion, his past picks suggest he might not be completely wrong. For the 2024 draft, he picked Jayden Daniels over the number one pick Caleb Williams, and the Commanders QB enjoyed a superior rookie season, winning the Pro Bowl and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, whereas Williams didn’t win anything. Similarly, the Commanders fared better with a 12-5 regular season record compared to the Bears’ 5-12.

For now, the Las Vegas Raiders, who have the first pick, are anticipated to sign Mendoza, and there is still uncertainty over Ty Simpson’s status as a potential first-round pick. As time goes on, it will become clear whether the ESPN analyst’s prediction proves to be correct.