In the initial wave of 2026 NFL Draft fallout, Ty Simpson going to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 13 overall in the first round was met with mixed reviews. Some pundits felt it was a reach, while others saw him going to the perfect situation for him. Simpson will battle with Stetson Bennett IV for the right to be Matthew Stafford's backup. Give it a few years, and he may be their starting quarterback.
In the days after the NFL Draft, Bret Stuter of Ramblin Fan had glowing things to say about Simpson.
"ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick liked Ty Simpson to the LA Rams for good reason. NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky loved what he saw from Simpson. Even draft analyst Todd McShay thought he could fly off the board as high as sixth overall. Fans have every right to pop the champagne. LA just landed the second best quarterback in this draft. And they did it without packaging a king's ransom of picks to do so. Simpson will sit in 2026. But 2027 could be a different matter altogether."
Stuter assessed the situation at hand perfectly. There were some teams that were quite high on Simpson. Not to say him going No. 6 overall was really within the realm of possibility, but he was not making it into the second round. Teams like the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, or the Pittsburgh Steelers could have drafted him. Guys like ESPN's Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick loved the player!
It may be somewhat of a high risk/high reward selection, but Rams and Bama fans should celebrate.
LA Rams expert praises Ty Simpson pick to get Alabama fans off the hook
Everything in football is cyclical. Because the college game does not always do the best job of developing its players, more and more perceived blue-chippers are being slowly worked into their NFL team's rotations. They do this with every position, but it is more apparent at quarterback. This is because only one quarterback can ever be on the field at any given time. This should serve Simpson.
He gets to go to a team that is ready to compete for championships. Simpson will grow and learn behind Stafford in Sean McVay's system. Given the fact that Simpson's father is close with Rams general manager Les Snead, this just goes to show that Simpson already has friends in the building. This pick was all about 2027 and beyond, not just 2026. Simpson can help the Rams remain viable.
Prior to making this pick, the Rams felt like a team that would soon be circling the drain in the latter stages of their competitive life cycle. Stafford may have won NFL MVP last year, but he is no spring chicken. He is pushing 40 and may not be long for the NFL. Simpson may only have one year's worth of starts in the SEC, but he has the arm strength and precision passing to make it work on Sundays.
Furthermore, he gets to back up his NFL prototype in Stafford for the next few years in Los Angeles.
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