When the Los Angeles Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, many questioned the move.
The biggest concern was his lack of experience, with just 15 college starts to his name. Was he really ready to learn behind Matthew Stafford, one of the league’s top quarterbacks? Sean McVay, however, sees things differently.
Sean McVay Defends Ty Simpson Pick With Strong Argument
The Rams head coach appeared on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast and acknowledged Simpson’s limited game time. But, he just doesn’t think it’s the problem everyone’s making it out to be.
“Is it a short sample size? Yeah, it is,” McVay said. “But it’s easier to evaluate that short sample size because you are evaluating all parts. In the drop-back pass game, you are watching the three-step, the five-step, the seven-step, the way the field is distributed, and the types of coverage contours he’s seeing in the SEC are similar to what he would see.”
That’s actually a nuanced take. It’s not that Simpson’s limited experience doesn’t matter, but that the experience he does have came in a pro-style Alabama system against elite competition.
And Simpson delivered. In his one full season as a starter, he threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. According to PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 85.4, ranking 25th in the league.
Simpson led the Crimson Tide to an 11-4 record, a trip to the SEC title game, and a College Football Playoff appearance. Not bad for a guy people thought might slip to the second round.
McVay went beyond the numbers, though. He talked about character. What stood out to him on film wasn’t just the arm talent or the footwork. It was how Simpson handled adversity in the moment.
“I like the way that he responded when guys would drop balls, and he didn’t flinch,” McVay said. “Or when guys would give up an immediate free runner and didn’t say a word except, ‘Where can I be better?’ Those are the things that the tape communicated to me.”
That’s the kind of stuff you can’t coach. Composure under pressure, accountability without blame. For McVay, those qualities on tape told him everything he needed to know about the 23-year-old.
The bigger picture here is succession planning. Stafford, who, according to PFSN QB Impact Metric, posted an impact score of 84.2 last season, ranking sixth-best, is still the guy in Los Angeles. He’s the reigning MVP, and the Rams made that crystal clear on draft night. But Stafford isn’t getting younger, and the franchise needed a plan.
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McVay put it simply: “Based on the film and some of the vetting that Les [Snead] and his crew did, you project this guy to, whenever Matthew decides [to retire], potentially be a starting caliber quarterback.”
Simpson isn’t being thrown into the fire. He’ll sit, learn, and develop behind one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Ironically, he’s done this before. Simpson spent three years at Alabama watching Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe before finally getting his shot in 2025.
Simpson knows how to wait and how to prepare behind the scenes. The Rams believe that patience, combined with their coaching staff and system, is the perfect environment to develop a franchise quarterback. And based on how McVay talked about him, the head coach is genuinely bought in.
The sample size may be small, but apparently, it said plenty about the former Alabama star.
