Until Ty Simpson gets on the field and thrives, many fans will find it difficult to defend the Los Angeles Rams for choosing the future over the present in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. This franchise was potentially one red-zone completion away from competing for its second Super Bowl win in the 2020s, but general manager Les Snead opted to use the No. 13 overall pick on a player who is not expected to take starting snaps until at least 2027. And it appears that has long been the plan.
The successful executive had his eye on Simpson dating back to late 2025. Actually, he was one of the biggest reasons why the Second-Team All-SEC selection left Alabama and turned down Miami before declaring for the draft.
Simpson’s father, UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson, consulted with multiple people to determine if his son should jump to the NFL, and the Rams GM was on that list. Snead insisted that the 6-foot-1 QB was a first-round pick. His stance remained the same even after the Hurricanes made a strong push to poach him from Tuscaloosa.
When Simpson rejected a $5 million NIL contract to transfer to the eventual national champion runner-up, Miami responded with a monster offer.
“They come back and they offer him $6.5 million,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said on Friday. “That is more money than the top pick in the second round gets in a signing bonus.”
Snead did not relent. He met with Simpson’s parents at the Rams’ facility ahead of the Rose Bowl and made a bold declaration that could have clinched the 23-year-old signal-caller’s decision.
“And when they asked why should Ty come out in this draft, and the answer — and I’m paraphrasing because I wasn’t in the room — ‘is because I’m going to take him with the No. 13 pick.’ Now there’s nothing binding about a conversation or a text message or advice, but that’s how convicted Les Snead was about Ty Simpson being a franchise quarterback in the NFL.”
Inside the Rams’ selection of QB Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall — a pick months in the making. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/72L3edbtSj
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 24, 2026
This story places even more pressure on Snead. He is willing to gamble a valuable first-round selection based on his belief that the Tennessee native is a future star. He is not the only one to laud Simpson — ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky believes he is the top QB in the class — but Matthew Stafford just won MVP honors and led the squad to the NFC championship. An exec can only get away with such a move if the player becomes a genuine difference-maker.
Simpson aims to do just that on his new team. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns in his lone season as starter. With the right development, which head coach Sean McVay is known for implementing, this rookie could blossom into an impressive talent.
Who knows if Simpson would have spurned Alabama for Miami, but without Snead’s influence, there is a distinct possibility he would not be preparing for his first NFL campaign right now. Both individuals will eventually find themselves directly under the microscope. How they handle that pressure will be instrumental to the long-term health of this football team.
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