Drafting quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick elicited a relieved chuckle from the Los Angeles Rams' NFC West rivals. While the selection fit the organization's long-term vision, it was objectively a reach. Painful as it is to admit, it granted a favor to foes like the 49ers and Seahawks. They can rest assured that Simpson will spend his rookie year watching from the sidelines instead of making an impact on the field.
The Seahawks even leaked their own third-round grade on Simpson, a not-so-subtle dig at the Rams' hopeful franchise QB of the future. Really, though, Los Angeles shouldn't be too concerned.
Drafting Simpson to be Matthew Stafford's successor was all about the future. In LA, he is in better hands than he would be just about anywhere else.
McVay and his coaches have a way with quarterbacks unrivaled in the NFC. With a year or two as Stafford's apprentice, soaking up instructions from McVay and his crew, Simpson might just look like a no-brainer first-round selection when he eventually sets foot on the field as a starter.
Rams shouldn't fret over others' Ty Simpson assessments
Simpson, it's worth noting, only had a year of starting experience at Alabama. It was an impressive single season. Simpson led the SEC in completions and passing attempts en route to compiling 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and just five interceptions.
He did all that while battling a variety of ailments and injuries throughout the season. Early in the year, before the war of attrition took its toll, he looked noticeably more comfortable in his throws. That tape played a big part in the Rams' favorable opinion of Simpson as a prospect.
They saw enough to bring him in as Stafford's heir apparent. Originally the Falcons', that 13th overall pick is the highest the Horns have had since using the No. 1 selection on Jared Goff 10 years ago. They might not get a better chance to secure a franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Anyway, the Seahawks should know that draft grades don't always pan out immediately. Defensive tackle Byron Murphy disappointed as a rookie after Seattle took him No. 16 overall in 2024: 0.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in 14 games. All the horns and trumpets that accompanied the Texas product entering the draft fizzled out pretty quickly.
Flash forward to 2025, and Murphy looked a lot more like the prospect the Seahawks anticipated. That talk about wasting the 16th pick on a bust has died down, hasn't it?
Simpson is a different case, admittedly. Murphy was universally regarded as a first-round talent. Simpson was not. All the same, he should have every opportunity to grow, even without on-field reps, as he benefits from the tutelage of McVay, Stafford, and Co.
Sean McVay has a way with the quarterbacks
McVay deserves his reputation as something of a quarterback whisperer. As much as Rams fans soured on Goff, he did help the team get to a Super Bowl. Goff made two Pro Bowls and led the league in yards per completion, as well as adjusted net yards per attempt, in his second season.
For a testament to McVay's coaching success, look no further than Stafford's upward trajectory in Los Angeles, continuing at an exponential rate from his growth later in his Lions career.
Don't forget that Baker Mayfield credits the resurrection of his career to a brief stint with the Rams in 2022. And the team has pursued coaches with strong track records of developing promising rookie quarterbacks. And the team just added Kliff Kingsbury to the staff.
Unlike the Seahawks, who transitioned from Russell Wilson to Geno Smith, Los Angeles has no capable replacement on the roster for its established Super-Bowl-winning QB. Seattle was fortunate enough to have Sam Darnold available in free agency last season. Boy, did that gamble work out.
But keep in mind, Darnold was an established NFL veteran who discovered success playing for the Minnesota Vikings.
Rather than hoping for a similar scenario, the Rams played to their strengths by investing in internal development. For all the initial outcry, no one will be smirking at the Simpson pick if McVay molds him into his next Pro Bowler in the pocket.
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