Ty Simpson to Rams, Fans React B/R's No. 2 QB Going 13th as Potential Matthew Stafford Replacement

The Los Angeles Rams are adding a potential future successor for Matthew Stafford with the second-ranked signal caller in the 2026 NFL draft.

Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson went to the Rams with the No. 13 pick on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

Simpson was ranked as the No. 28 overall prospect and the No. 2 quarterback behind Fernando Mendoza, who went to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1, on Bleacher Report's big board.

Fans expressed surprise about how high Simpson went in the draft as well as optimism as to how he can develop while working with head coach Sean McVay behind Stafford next season.

The Rams are getting a relatively unknown quantity in Simpson given that the 23-year-old made just 15 starts for Alabama before entering the draft.

In those 15 starts, however, Simpson completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,567 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Simpson capped off the season by helping Alabama reach the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, although he sat out half of his team's loss to Indiana after suffering a cracked rib.

His numbers looked very different over the front and back halves of the season. Through his first nine games, Simpson threw for 21 touchdowns with just one interception and two rushing touchdowns. Over the next six, he threw for seven touchdowns with four picks and no sores on the ground.

B/R NFL scout Damian Parson wrote that "Simpson's first eight or nine games were a great display of his positives as a prospect," but that "injuries, roster flaws, and defenses adjusting to his strengths highlighted his youth down the stretch."

By selecting him this early in the draft, the Rams are betting Simpson will be able to continue building on the passing accuracy and ball placement skills he displayed early in his lone starting season.

Simpson spent his first three seasons at Alabama backing up Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe before getting the chance to start in 2025.

The Rams could now hope giving Simpson time to adjust to the NFL behind Stafford will help him take the next step forward in his development.