Originally, in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams were slated to pick twice in the first round: the 13th and 29th overall. However, they traded the latter of the two picks to the Kansas City Chiefs as part of the package for cornerback Trent McDuffie.
There was speculation about who they’d pick with the later pick, and now Adam Schefter has revealed that the team was high on quarterback Ty Simpson.
Rams Had Serious Interest in Ty Simpson
One of the biggest needs that the Rams needed to address this offseason was their cornerback play, and they did so by trading for McDuffie, who ranked 56th in PFSN’s NFL Cornerback Impact Metric with an impact score of 75.3 and a letter grade of C. However, another position they need to address is the quarterback room, so the team can have an ample offense in the post-Stafford era.
The quarterback class this year isn’t strong, but one player they viewed as a potential option at 29 was Simpson. Here’s what Schefter had to say on the topic:
“League sources say the Rams had been eyeing him [Simpson, but more so with the No. 29 pick than No. 13, which they still hold,” Schefter wrote. “Had the Rams not traded for McDuffie and held onto No. 29, sources say that Simpson would have been square in the conversation to land in Los Angeles behind Matthew Stafford.”
As it is, the Rams still are scheduled to have seven picks, but after picking at No. 13, their next selection isn’t until the end of Round 2 (No. 61), and Simpson is expected to be off the board by then.”
Across his four years and 31 games of college football, Simpson has completed 63.9% of passes for 3,948 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Additionally, he’s rushed for 223 yards and 5 touchdowns in 112 attempts. According to PFSN’s CFB Quarterback Impact Metric, Simpson ranked as the 25th best quarterback last season with an impact score of 85.4 and a letter grade of B.
Simpson’s draft stock has fluctuated greatly over the past couple of weeks, and unless the team reaches for him with the 13th pick or makes a trade, they will not be able to acquire him.
It’s not the end of the world, though, because Stafford is coming off an MVP season where he completed 65.0% of passes for 4,707 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions.
According to PFSN’s NFL Quarterback Impact Metric, he ranked as the sixth-best quarterback last season with an impact score of 84.4 and a letter grade of B.
If the team decides not to take a quarterback in this draft who will sit behind Stafford before taking over for him once he retires, they can always trade for a quarterback who’d benefit from a new situation, like Anthony Richardson Sr. or Spencer Rattler.
