Coach McVay never met QB Simpson before Rams made him first-round pick
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay did not meet with quarterback Ty Simpson before landing him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI April 24 (UPI) -- Fresh off becoming the Los Angeles Rams' first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, quarterback Ty Simpson said he's never met new coach Sean McVay.
Simpson made the revelation Thursday on SiriusXM and confirmed lack of contact with the Rams during his first news conference with local reporters. He also said he hasn't met Rams general manager Les Snead, who worked with McVay to select him in Thursday's first round. "It was really brief, to be honest," Simpson said of his contact with the Rams.
"I met with some scouts at Alabama and that was really it. They talked to my agent, but that was really not much. " NFL franchise decision makers frequently attempt to cloak their interest in prospects so other teams don't take them before they have the opportunity.
But the news of not meeting with a potential franchise quarterback is somewhat unusual, as NFL teams also are notorious for conducting exhaustive research on prospects before committing to them with high-value picks. Simpson, who was projected as a late first-round or early second-round selection entering the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft, joined the Rams at No. 13 overall.
Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson holds his new symbolic jersey after the Los Angeles Rams picked him in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday in Pittsburgh. Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI The Athletic reported that McVay hasn't met with a prospect before drafting him since 2020. But the Rams also had just one first-round pick since 2016, when they selected quarterback Jared Goff at No.