The Los Angeles Rams surprised everyone when they took Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. The moment was apparently just as surprising to Simpson and head coach Sean McVay as it was to everyone else.
Simpson knew he could be a first-rounder, but he admitted that he “had no clue” that the Rams were considering taking him at No. 13, Adam Grosbard of Los Angeles Daily News reported. Simpson dropped an even bigger bombshell by revealing that he had not even met McVay until after they drafted him, per NFL reporter Ross Tucker.
The Alabama alum was the consensus No. 2 quarterback in the draft, but nobody expected him to become a top-15 pick. Some analysts and reporters expected him to sneak into the back-end of the first round, but the Rams were not on most people’s radars when it came to Simpson in the 2026 NFL Draft.
After starting just 15 games in college, Simpson is now positioned to sit behind Matthew Stafford for at least one season in the NFL. He said he is “looking forward” to the opportunity to learn behind the 2025 NFL MVP, whom he deemed “obviously one of the greatest of all time.”
While some fans did not like the decision to select a player who will not be ready to contribute immediately, Rams general manager Les Snead said he made the decision with the Super Bowl in mind. Snead believes investing in Simpson not only solves Los Angeles’ backup quarterback problem, but also sets the team up to continue its dynasty once the 38-year-old Stafford decides to hang it up.
The post Did Ty Simpson have any clue Rams would draft him No. 13? Sean McVay bombshell says it all appeared first on ClutchPoints.
