The Los Angeles Rams shook up the top half of the 2026 NFL Draft by using the No. 13 overall pick on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, a move that looks a lot like planning for life after Matthew Stafford while the veteran is still under contract and fresh off an MVP season. The choice, a developmental swing on a one-year college starter, instantly lit up draft rooms and social media with arguments about timing, value, and risk.
Los Angeles made the call Thursday night with the first-round pick it acquired in last year’s trade with the Atlanta Falcons, as reported by NFL.com. The selection came in Pittsburgh and stood as the Rams’ only Day 1 pick, which the front office pitched as a two-track solution: patching a thin quarterback depth chart right now while putting a succession plan in place for the future.
Simpson started one season for Alabama and completed 305 of 473 passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He posted roughly a 64.5 percent completion rate and about 7.5 yards per attempt. The year began with Heisman Trophy chatter and closed with questions about week-to-week consistency. With 15 career starts, Simpson enters the league as a relatively raw but high-upside option, according to CBS Sports.
Scouting takeaways
Across scouting departments, Simpson drew praise for his NFL-style processing and command of the offense, with evaluators also circling his limited body of work and some durability questions. As Dane Brugler put it, “Simpson has the command and process of an NFL quarterback, but he needs valuable experience to be more efficient in his reads,” per The New York Times. Veteran draft grader Scott Dochterman slapped a C on the pick and argued that Simpson would be best served by an “NFL redshirt” year to acclimate to the pro game from the sidelines first.
Where he fits in L.A.
For now, Simpson is stepping into a clear depth role behind Stafford. With Stafford under contract for 2026, the rookie is expected to learn behind the reigning MVP while battling fourth-year quarterback Stetson Bennett for backup snaps. The organization, including head coach Sean McVay, has framed the selection as both insurance and investment, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. On a roster still trying to squeeze everything out of its current Super Bowl window, the pick tries to thread the needle between short-term stability and long-term planning.
Next up is the grind: rookie orientation, offseason workouts and a crash course in McVay’s playbook, with the coaching staff expecting Simpson to sharpen his reads and decision-making before he ever pushes for starting reps. Draft analysts remain split on whether a mid-first-round ticket was too steep for a one-year starter, but the Rams are clearly betting that pro coaching and Simpson’s demeanor can turn a short résumé into a long-term payoff, a view echoed on NFL.com. For the foreseeable future, Stafford keeps the job while Simpson gets the runway to grow behind him.
