Sean McVay Reacts to Ty Simpson Pick in New Rams Video with GM Les Snead After NFL Draft

The Los Angeles Rams made a bold pick in the first round, taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson 13th overall.

The pick turned some heads, as Simpson was widely considered to be a fringe first-round pick. After the selection, some fans read into the way head coach Sean McVay reacted during a press conference.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department considered Simpson to be the No. 44 overall prospect and the No. 2 quarterback in this year's draft class. In the final mock draft from Bleacher Report, Simpson was projected to be drafted 34th overall by the Arizona Cardinals.

Simpson had a strong season at Alabama, throwing for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns, but the pick was still pretty surprising.

Coming into Thursday's draft, it seemed like a stretch for Simpson to be taken in the first round, let alone inside the top-15 by a team that already has its starting quarterback.

McVay told reporters that he informed Matthew Stafford of the team's decision to draft Simpson ahead of time, but said he wanted to keep the conversations between him and his quarterback.

"He's a stud," McVay said of Stafford's reaction to the news. "I mean, he's always first class in every sense of the word."

Stafford is 38 and likely nearing the end of his career, but he's coming off an outstanding season that saw him win MVP and lead the Rams to the NFC championship game.

Simpson obviously won't be taking Stafford's job, barring injury, but he might not even be Stafford's backup. McVay said that Simpson will compete with Stetson Bennett IV, a fourth-round pick in 2023, for the second-string position.