2026 NFL Draft: Rams stun by selecting Alabama QB Ty Simpson at No. 13

GM Les Snead answered that on Thursday night, surprising many by taking Alabama's Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall.

Here's what the selection of Simpson means, what he brings to LA, and where he needs to improve.

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Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft was as dramatic as it gets, and Rounds 2 and 3 promise more of the same, live and free on DAZN (excluding Canada). 

Tune in on Friday, April 24, at midnight BST / 7pm ET / 4pm PT to watch the best remaining college prospects fulfil a lifelong dream of hearing their names called on draft night.

Streaming times for Days 2 and 3 are available here.

Why Simpson? Why now?

As Rich Eisen said on NFL Network, live on DAZN, "the last team to have a reigning MVP quarterback, to take a quarterback in the next draft, was the Packers in 1966".

There's method in what may seem like madness. Stafford turns 38 this season, and while he's still more than capable of carrying a team, no player defies Father Time for long.

Simpson is a polished pocket passer who's measured in his drops, accurate on quick and intermediate routes, and composed enough to work through a full progression without forcing anything.

He's not the flashiest name in this class, but Sean McVay doesn't need flash; he needs someone who won't unravel when the pocket gets tight, and Simpson has shown he can handle that.

What does Simpson need to work on?

The 23-year-old is not a finished product, but nobody in the Rams front office is pretending otherwise.

His anticipation on breaking routes needs sharpening; he waits for his receivers to complete their breaks rather than throwing into the window, and veteran corners will read those eyes all day long if he doesn't tighten it up.

What works in his favour is temperament. He spent years waiting for his turn at Alabama, stayed patient, kept his head down, and when the job was finally his, he played within himself consistently.

That's a coachable profile, and McVay tends to get the most out of those.

What happens next for the Rams?

For now, nothing. Stafford runs the show in 2026, and Simpson learns the offense from the sidelines, which is exactly how the Rams envisaged this arrangement.

Simpson's lack of experience would be a problem for a franchise needing to thrust him into a starting role early, but Los Angeles isn't that team.

For a franchise that spent the better part of a decade mortgaging picks to win immediately, quietly drafting a developmental quarterback at 13 feels almost uncharacteristically restrained.

Whether it works out, only time will tell. We may not know the answer until at least next year.