Rams' 2026 NFL draft legacy will either be a shrewd QB move or Sean McVay's glum face

Rams general manager Les Snead, left, and coach Sean McVay speak to reporters after the team drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night. (Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times) If Ty Simpson develops into a top NFL quarterback who leads the Rams to a Super Bowl title, the club will look back at the 2026 draft as one of the best and shrewdest in its history. Until then, it will be remembered for a news conference.

Yeah, that one. The post-Day 1 session on Thursday night when coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead — the personable and ebullient duo that playfully channeled Top Gun’s “Maverick” and “Goose” in 2025 — appeared dour and subdued after selecting Simpson with the 13th overall pick. The choice brought a collective groan from much of the fan base.

And who could blame it? They were eager to see their favorite team add a final piece — hello, USC receiver Makai Lemon? — to a roster perhaps one playmaker away from making the Rams the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium next February.

Read more: Rams' Sean McVay and Les Snead have reason to smile after Day 2 of NFL draft That’s no knock on Simpson, a charming and mature Tennessee native who started 15 games for Alabama before the Rams made him the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford. The next day, Snead and McVay gave Simpson his flowers and repeated the same talking point: They are in “lockstep” as decision-makers. And McVay explained that his “grumpy” demeanor the night before was related to personal issues and his desire to delicately handle Stafford’s reaction to the pick.