The Los Angeles Rams made the biggest surprise of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick despite Matthew Stafford returning for his sixth season with the team.
Simpson will learn from one of the best offensive-minded coaches and sit behind the 2026 MVP-winning quarterback for next season (or longer), which can be crucial for his development whenever he gets his opportunity to be the signal caller.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg spoke with college coaches after the draft and gathered their thoughts on the Rams’ decision to draft a potential Stafford successor.
Anonymous College Coaches Shocked by Ty Simpson Selection
GettyTy Simpson played four seasons with the University of Alabama
Ty Simpson doesn’t have much starting experience, which played into his draft stock falling a bit. Starting every game in his final collegiate season, the quarterback played in 31 games through his four years in the NCAA.
In his final season with the Rolling Tide, Simpson recorded 3,567 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, rushing for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns in 15 games.
When speaking to Power 4 coaches across the league, one SEC defensive coordinator told Adam Rittenberg that he was surprised the Rams drafted Simpson.
Some coaches noted that Simpson is not ready for the NFL right now and has work to do, noting that the player has “some concerns.”
Another defensive coordinator said that previous ‘Bama quarterbacks Jalen Milroe and Bryce Young were harder to prepare and gameplan for compared to Simpson.
“For him to go that high, I was a little bit like, ‘Wow, OK,’” a different SEC defensive coordinator said. “Maybe he has those qualities that you can’t coach that some of these [NFL teams] fell in love with.”
The concerns for Simpson won’t be happening as much in the 2026 season, with Matthew Stafford set to be behind the center. This would give him some time to develop and let those concerns go away with practice and chemistry in head coach Sean McVay’s offense.
After getting drafted, Simpson said that he is ‘super pumped‘ to receive a chance from McVay, calling him a ‘quarterback genius.’
While these coaches were shocked about the Rams’ decision to draft Ty Simpson, one SEC coach understands the project the quarterback will be in the coming years.
Anonymous Coach Lauds Rams Decision to Take Simpson
GettyNew LA Rams quarterback Ty Simpson
It is well known that Ty Simpson won’t be starting this season (barring any injury to Matthew Stafford) and is viewed as a long-term project for the Los Angeles Rams.
One anonymous SEC coach views Simpson as a good pick for the future of the team and will benefit from his new team.
“It’s a great fit for him from a system standpoint, and who he’s going to be behind for a year,” an SEC coach said. “There’s a lot of similarities [with Stafford]. [The pick] was the biggest [surprise], a guy who didn’t have a ton of starts, but when he played, he played well. His long game is going to be really good.”
Sean McVay mentioned that drafting Ty Simpson and learning from Stafford will be a blessing for the quarterback.
“But whenever that time comes for him to get an opportunity to be Matthew’s successor will be on Matthew’s terms,” McVay said, via the NFL.
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