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No one in Pittsburgh is perhaps having a better time than ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky during the 2026 NFL draft.
On Thursday night, the draft got off to a predictable start with the Raiders selecting quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick—in spite of Orlovsky’s passionate argument weeks earlier that the real QB1 of this year’s draft class was Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
Orlovsky didn’t need to wait long to get some smug satisfaction, though, as Simpson ended up stunningly getting taken by the Rams with their No. 13 pick. The Rams had reportedly called Matthew Stafford earlier that day to inform the vet that they planned to draft Simpson, but coach Sean McVay made clear that Stafford’s starting job wasn’t in jeopardy, and that Simpson’s selection was a long-term play for after Stafford retires or moves on.
As plenty around the league scratched their heads at the Rams’ curious decision, Orlovsky didn’t hesitate rubbing his validating win in others’ faces. At Pat McAfee’s Draft Spectacular in Pittsburgh, after the Simpson pick was announced, Orlovsky was seen high-fiving McAfee with a beaming smile on his face.
He then went around the room and dapped up every single member on McAfee’s show. The crowd outside started chanting, “Dan O! Dan O!” which Orlovsky of course loved, shaking his fist in triumph at the world that fully, 100% doubted him.
Watch that cringeworthy moment below:
Back in March, Orlovsky’s hot take on Simpson was so eye-roll-inducing that heturned into a viral meme on social media. What did he say that was so inconceivable?
Here’s a snippet of his infamous Get Up segment below:
“I think Ty Simpson is QB1,” Orlovsky said. “I think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this class. I think when you look at the body of work and what was asked of these two quarterbacks, you have to start with the question, who needed to do more to carry their football team to play well? Ty Simpson, and it’s not close between those two quarterbacks. Who took more games over throughout the course of the season? Ty Simpson, it’s not even close.
“… What guy was asked to do more NFL throws? When I say NFL throws, I’m talking 15, 20, 25 yard in-routes, crossing routes, deep corner or sail routes. Ty Simpson, and it’s not even close in that regard. … RPO, get it out, that’s probably what Mendoza’s offense was. And then I think throwing on the move, they’re both relatively equal. So when it comes to moments of panic and big throws, real NFL throws, I think it’s clearly Ty Simpson.”
Based on how the first round of the 2026 draft played out, one could say Orlovsky deserves his victory lap, especially after being laughed at for his high evaluation of the Alabama product. But that doesn’t mean he’s not going to be insufferable. Get ready for a lot of smug Dan O. expressions on ESPN shows over the next few weeks.
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KRISTEN WONG
Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020 and has a bachelor’s in English and linguistics from Columbia University. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. She is a lifelong Liverpool fan who enjoys solving crossword puzzles and hanging out at her neighborhood dive bar in NYC.
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