New NFL Rumors Reveal Why Rams Picked Ty Simpson amid Cardinals Links in 2026 NFL Draft

During an appearance Friday on Get Up, ESPN's Peter Schrager explained the Los Angeles Rams' rationale behind using the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson on Thursday night.

Schrager noted that since the Rams don't expect themselves to be in position to select one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 draft as the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford, they jumped at the unique opportunity to land the second-best quarterback in the 2026 class.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero added Friday that Rams general manager Les Snead was one of the NFL evaluators who told Simpson's family he would be a first-round pick during the pre-draft process. Pelissero also said the Rams communicated to Simpson during a pre-draft discussion that they were interested in selecting him.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported this week that the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets were believed to be the two teams with the most interest in Simpson, and they had plenty of ammo to move around in the first round and potentially take him.

Per Schrager, the Rams were concerned about the Cards moving down from No. 3 and taking Simpson ahead of their pick at No. 13, but it turned out that Arizona was "all in" on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who it took third overall.

Rather than trading back from 13th and perhaps risking the Jets taking Simpson at No. 16 overall, L.A. stood pat and got its quarterback of the future.

While the selection of Simpson doesn't help the Rams win now, Schrager suggested that the organization viewed the pick as a lottery pick of sorts since it already used the No. 29 overall pick to acquire an established star in cornerback Trent McDuffie, who was acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Stafford is coming off a season in which he led the Rams to the NFC Championship Game and won his first NFL MVP Award, but at 38 years of age, it was time for the Rams to start thinking about a future beyond Stafford.

Given that the Rams still have a strong team around Stafford and used their other first-round pick to trade for a premier defensive back, it likely makes the decision to take Simpson more palatable from Stafford's perspective.