Rams Draft Alabama QB Ty Simpson With The 13th Overall Pick; Shocking The NFL World

The Los Angeles Rams stunned the entire league when commissioner Roger Goodell announced Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft.

Draft experts are calling this the biggest reach of the draft, and some expected the former Alabama quarterback to not hear his name until day two of the draft.

The draft pick seemed to even shock Rams head coach Sean McVay, as he did not seem too pleased with the pick in his post-draft interview.

The Rams currently have the reigning league MVP, Matthew Stafford, returning for at least another year, but this could indicate a shift in his timeline and future with the franchise.

McVay confirmed to reporters that he did speak with Stafford about the draft pick, but did not reveal exactly what he said: “I’ll keep that between us.” McVay also added that Simpson will be “going to compete with Stetson [Bennett]” as the team’s backup quarterback.

If any coach in the league can get the most out of Simpson and development, McVay is the guy for it, as he developed Jared Goff and got the absolute most out of Stafford.

The Rams’ situation is almost identical to what the Green Bay Packers did in the 2020 draft, when they selected Jordan Love in the first round and stunned the entire league and Aaron Rodgers himself. It turned out to be a fantastic pick for the Packers because not only did they find their franchise quarterback after Rodgers, but Rodgers went on to win back-to-back MVPs after they drafted his replacement.

Simpson, similarly to Love, is deemed a project and will almost certainly sit for a couple of seasons before seeing his opportunity on the field.