One of the most eyebrow-raising moves of the 2026 NFL Draft just occurred; the Los Angeles Rams drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick.
The move is shocking and quite baffling, with former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert questioning the rationale behind the move.
Rams’ Ty Simpson Pick Shocks Kurt Benkert
Last season, the Rams had the best offense in the NFL according to PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact Metric. With an impact score of 92.3 and a letter grade of A-, the next-closest team was 5.7 points behind (New England Patriots).
The facilitator of the offense, Matthew Stafford, was the driving force behind the success. In PFSN’s NFL Quarterback Impact Metric, he ranked as the sixth-best quarterback with an impact score of 84.4 and a letter grade of B. In 17 games, he completed 65.0% of passes for 4707 passing yards (led league), 46 touchdowns (led league), and eight interceptions. With all that in mind, Stafford was also named the Most Valuable Player in the league, clearly with good reason.
Despite Stafford being 38 and having injury concerns, he has confirmed that he plans to play longer. However, the Rams are wasting no time preparing for the post-Stafford era, drafting Simpson with the 13th pick. The move came out of left field and caused Benkert to question the motivations of the organization:
“What are the Rams DOING,” Benkert wrote.
What are the Rams DOING.
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) April 24, 2026
Simpson would be a fine pick, if they didn’t reach for him with the 13th pick. There were rumors of teams towards the end of the round being interested, so why couldn’t the Rams draft with 13 and trade for another late round pick? The whole situation is very Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers-Jordan Love esque, but to be fair, that’s worked out well for Green Bay.
Regardless, one of the concerns was the lack of tape, considering he only had one real season of being the starting QB under his belt. In that one season, he showed a lot of promise as well as production.
In his senior season, Simpson completed 64.5% of passes for 3567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He added another 93 rushing yards and two touchdowns as well. In PFSN’s College Football Quarterback Impact Metric, he ranked as the 25th-best quarterback with an impact score of 85.4 and a letter grade of B.
One NFL Personnel Director questioned his lack of experience and traits that he lacked as a starter, suggesting he should stay in college. However, Rams head coach Sean McVay clearly felt differently from that anonymous source.
As one of the best offensive coaches in the league, there’s something he clearly sees in Simpson. Since he won’t start off the bat, he’ll have plenty of time to develop behind one of the league’s most astute quarterbacks in Stafford.
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