Add The California Post on Google The Los Angeles Rams shocked the NFL world by drafting quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick in this year’s draft.
The Rams were projected to draft a wide receiver or offensive lineman to help out MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford with their first-round pick. Instead, the franchise went a completely different route and drafted a signal-caller.
The Rams drafted quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Archie Carpenter/UPI/Shutterstock The decision by general manager Les Snead was questionable given Stafford’s elite level of play at 38 years old and the Rams are expected to be all-in next season.
Since then, the Rams traded for Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett signaling the franchise’s desire to win a Super Bowl the upcoming campaign.
While that rings true, the criticism surrounding the Rams’ stunning decision to draft Simpson at No. 13 hasn’t subsided.
Former Washington general manager Scott McCloughan blasted Simpson, calling the Alabama product a career backup.
“I think the quarterback from Alabama is overdrafted,” McCloughan said in an appearance on The Team 980. “But it’s the position alone, you know. I think, not being a guru, but he’s like [Minnesota Vikings quarterback] JJ McCarthy. He’s like [former New England Patriots quarterback] Mac Jones. He’s a career backup.”“Ideally, he might start, but that’s because of where his pick was and they want to prove everybody right, you know, type of thing,” McCloughan added. “And that’s not the way you should build a roster. Not at all.”
Simpson has started in only 15 collegiate games after serving as a backup at Alabama for three seasons. Although he’s showed flashes of brilliances throughout the 2025 campaign, a back injury derailed his performance.
Regardless, Simpson led the Crimson Tide to the SEC Championship Game and another trip to the College Football Playoff before falling short to Indiana.
Snead evidently believes he’s worth a first-round pick, but many question whether Simpson can live up to such high expectations in the foreseeable future.
