Rams make NFL history with aggressive Ty Simpson draft pick
No team has ever used a 1st-round pick on a QB immediately following an MVP season—until the Rams.
The Los Angeles Rams ' bold move to draft Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson didn't just shock the NFL world, it was also a first in league history. L. A.
became the first team to draft a quarterback in the first round the year after their starter (Matthew Stafford) won MVP and returned to the team (h/t @elmambablanco on X). Before this, the highest a team had ever drafted a quarterback after an MVP campaign was in 2011, when the New England Patriots selected Ryan Mallett at No. 74 overall following Tom Brady’s 2010 MVP win.
The Patriots actually did it two years early, too, when they also selected Kevin O'Connell at No. 94 in 2008 after Brady’s first MVP season. While the Rams' drafting a quarterback wasn't entirely unexpected, given Stafford’s age and recurring retirement rumors, the price tag was.
Spending the No. 13 overall pick is a massive investment, especially considering Stafford has no immediate plans to step aside. The closest we came to this situation was in 2020, when the Green Bay Packers took Jordan Love with the No.