The Los Angeles Rams came close to getting to the Super Bowl this year, but they just did not have enough to get past the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. One of the main reasons we saw the Rams fall short was due to some below-average secondary play.
And General Manager Les Snead went out and fixed those needs, trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson, two former cornerbacks of the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, on paper, the Rams boast one of the best rosters in the NFL.
However, there is some harsh reality that the team will have to prepare for, as, despite winning the MVP in 2025, Matthew Stafford is a lot closer to 40 than 30 at this point, and he'll need to be replaced at some point. The Rams may have done just that by taking Ty Simpson at pick 13 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Los Angeles Rams begin planning for life after Matthew Stafford with major Ty Simpson pick
The Rams just seem to be one step ahead of everyone. Not only was their original first-round pick traded for an impacft player in McDuffie, but now the Rams plan for the future by taking Simpson. A former Alabama quarterback does a lot of the technical things well.
He can win from the pocket, has solid arm strength, is accurate, and does have starting quarterback upside. Sure, he was a fringe first-round prospect and is a bit undersized, but he's a good prospect, and the starting ceiing is there.
This is even more true now that he's on the Rams. Being able to sit behind Stafford for at least a year is going to do wonders for his development. Head coach Sean McVay is also one of the best in the game and may be a future Hall of Fame head coach.
This could not be more of an ideal situation for Simpson. And in today's NFL, the one way to sustain success for the long-term is to be solid at the most important position in all of sports. The Rams could have absolutely gone in a different direction here and tried to draft an immediate impact player, but that isn't always the right way to build an NFL roster.
Rams fans may have to be patient here, but this is a pick that could make the front office look like total geniuses in a few seasons.