Rams drafting Ty Simpson makes perfect sense after further review

The Rams completed a nearly perfect offseason by agreeing to terms with Matthew Stafford on a new contract extension.

By turning their cornerback weakness into a strength with the additions of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, and extending their relationship with Stafford, they not only enhanced their Super Bowl window but also ensured it will remain open through the 2027 season.

Keeping the 38-year-old reigning MVP in the fold ensures that. He is the key to everything.

But it also begs the question: If the plan was always to extend their relationship with Stafford, and it absolutely was, what the hell were they thinking drafting Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the NFL draft?

Additionally, what does it mean for Simpson, who will likely endure a prolonged two-year runway before he sees the field in any sort of meaningful way?

The explanation is far less complicated than you might think. Especially when viewing things through the same lens as Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay, who oversaw the club’s stealthy, thorough draft evaluation process of Simpson.

One that purposely consisted of just a tight-knit group of Rams talent evaluators, for fear of another team getting wind of their admiration for Simpson and beating them to the punch for him.

Their evaluation led them to a critical determination. In Simpson, they saw a quarterback they could win at this highest level with, and someone whose skill set fits perfectly in McVay’s offense.

The rarity of that conclusion might surprise people. But even more seldom is when you actually have access to a quarterback you are truly that convinced about.

But the most infrequent thing of all?

When you’ve built a roster that is so good and so deep that you can devote a premium pick to a high-level quarterback prospect while simultaneously having the luxury of pouring real development time into him.

Rather than rushing him onto the field out of pure need.

Thanks to some shrewd wheeling and dealing by Snead during the 2025 NFL Draft, let alone all the great drafts he and his group have put together over the years, that was the inside straight the Rams dealt for themselves.

And it left them with the tantalizing opportunity to draft a prospect they deemed a franchise-caliber quarterback. And in the process, potentially solve the single-biggest long-range question facing them: How to avoid falling off a cliff when Stafford retires?

Here is where looking at things through the lens of Snead, McVay and the Rams becomes so important. What others might have deemed as complications to a win-now team investing the 13th pick overall on a quarterback who might not play for another two years, they looked at as strengths.

And it left them operating from a position of strength rather than weakness.

By trading for McDuffie and signing Watson, they fortified their only real positional weakness and turned a Super Bowl-worthy roster into arguably the best and deepest in the league. So much so that no matter who they selected at No. 13 would have had a fight on their hands to get on the field this year.

With no immediate holes to fill, they could be creative with their first-round pick.

That is literally the position every team aspires to be in going into the draft.

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Rueben Bain is a great young prospect. But on a loaded Rams defensive line, he would have been a rotational pass rusher during his first couple of years in Los Angeles.

As talented as USC wide receiver Makai Lemon is, he would have had to get in where he could fit in on an offense that averaged the most points in the NFL in 2025.

Not to take anything away from either, but the immediate value they would have provided the Rams simply does not measure up to what a potential franchise-caliber quarterback could mean to them once Stafford decides to retire.

The Rams were in position to draft someone they believe can be a worthy successor to Stafford. There is no guarantee they will get that opportunity again anytime soon. With no pressing roster needs to address, not selecting Simpson would have been borderline irresponsible.

It’s fair to disagree with their assessment of him. But if you were faced with a similar situation, and came to the same conclusion they did about a young quarterback, you’d be committing a dereliction of duty if you didn’t draft the quarterback.

As for Simpson, nothing really changes. He was always facing a one- to two-year walk-up to getting on the field. It’s nothing he isn’t used to, either. Remember, he sat for multiple years at Alabama behind future NFL quarterbacks before getting his chance to start last season.

As the son of a Division I college football coach, he totally gets it.

And it’s not like that time will be wasted. With the Rams, he gets to learn and develop under McVay, one of the great offensive minds in the game. Just ask Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield what it means to be in the presence of great quarterback coaching, even behind the scenes.

They both hit career reset buttons while learning from McVay and the 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan, and were obviously better off for their experiences. Darnold barely played during his one season in San Francisco, but he became a completely changed quarterback, seizing his opportunities with the Vikings and Seahawks, after learning under Shanahan and his staff.

Simpson will get similar development in Los Angeles. And he’ll do so while observing and learning from Stafford every day. From the film room to the classroom to the practice field.

And with the Rams in constant management mode with Stafford, Simpson will get plenty of first-team reps in training camp and and regular-season practices.

As of now, he’s facing a two-year quarterback course. But who’s to say Stafford won’t walk off into the sunset if the Rams win the Super Bowl this season.

Whether it’s in 2027 or 2028, though, the Rams believe they have their succession plan in place for life after Stafford. It doesn’t guarantee everything will work out, but the peace of mind it creates makes it much easier to sleep for the foreseeable future. 

Not to mention, it allows the Rams to devote all other assets to continue to do something they do as well as any NFL team: build great rosters.