NFL Draft: By drafting Ty Simpson at No. 13, did the Rams make a huge mistake … or did they just secure their future?
Are the Rams reaching, or are they checkmating the rest of the NFL and keeping their dynasty going before it even shows cracks?
There’s no small irony in the fact that the Los Angeles Rams used the pick they received from the Atlanta Falcons to choose an heir-apparent quarterback with a veteran QB already on the roster. Two years ago, the Falcons did the same thing, drafting Michael Penix Jr. shortly after signing Kirk Cousins.
But unlike the Falcons, the Rams made certain to give Matthew Stafford the heads-up that they would be drafting his possible replacement, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Stafford has also built up a bit of equity that Cousins hadn’t in Atlanta; winning both an MVP and a Super Bowl gives you a bit of leverage. In the first true shock of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Rams took Simpson at No.
13 , long before most big boards’ projections. So is Los Angeles reaching, overvaluing a marginal quarterback in a QB-shallow draft pool? Or are the Rams playing 3-D chess, checkmating the rest of the NFL and keeping their dynasty going before it even shows cracks?
Either way, the results won’t be in for several seasons … which is a bold angle to take with a high pick. Clearly, the Rams used that draft pick like a found $20 bill, spending it on a want rather than a need. Los Angeles was already one of the best teams in the NFL last season, and could afford to splurge on rich-get-richer luxury.