6 reasons why drafting Ty Simpson may have been wise by the Rams

The knee-jerk reactions to the Los Angeles Rams drafting Ty Simpson were overwhelmingly negative. The takes have become more sensible in the last couple of days, with some analysts and fans coming around to the idea.

While it's still easy to criticize the Rams' decision and disagree with it, this regime has had too much success in the last nine years to warrant swift stock selling now.

Drafting Simpson makes sense. He may not be the perfect quarterback, and the Rams may have taken him earlier than expected, but the logic behind this pick is sound.

The Rams probably won’t be drafting this early again

This was a bonus pick for the Rams. Had they not traded down in 2025, their only first-round pick this year would've been 29th overall, which they traded for Trent McDuffie. But because they took advantage of a desperate Falcons team last year, they were gifted a top-15 pick.

Outside of the disastrous 2022 season, the Rams have never had worse than a 9-7 record under Sean McVay. If things go according to plan, they won't be picking this early for a very, very long time. It's what makes finding a new franchise quarterback so difficult for perennial defenders.

If we assume the Rams win at least 11 games this season and make a playoff run, they won't be picking any earlier than 25 in the 2027 draft. That wouldn't be in the range of the top quarterback prospects.

It's impossible to find a young, long-term quarterback in free agency, too, so the Rams saw this as their best opportunity to land Matthew Stafford's successor. And they took it.

No team gives him a better chance to succeed than the Rams

Not all landing spots are created equal, especially when it comes to the quarterback position. There's a reason the Jets and Browns have been unable to find an answer at quarterback for decades.

The Rams were the absolute perfect fit for Simpson. Not only is McVay's scheme quarterback-friendly with how frequently he schemes receivers open with brilliant concepts and route combinations, but the unpredictability of running it out of 11 personnel and throwing it out of 13 personnel keeps defenses on their toes.

Plus, the Rams will give Simpson something he was unlikely to get elsewhere: time. There isn't a team in the NFL that was in the mix for Simpson who would've allowed him to sit and learn for as long as the Rams will. The Jets would've benched Geno Smith for him by midseason. The Cardinals probably would've done the same with Jacoby Brissett, had they taken Simpson.

Simpson has the best chance to succeed in Los Angeles. He'll learn from Stafford for a year or two, take in valuable coaching from McVay, Kliff Kingsbury, Dave Ragone and Nate Scheelhaase, and feel no pressure to perform as a rookie.

It's the same approach taken with Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. Sometimes, it's best not to throw a rookie quarterback to the fire before he's ready.

There were no other pressing needs to fill

Chris Long said it best: That was some "rich-people (expletive)."

The Rams went into the draft with a loaded roster and essentially said, "We don't need anything right now." Could they have used wide receiver help? Sure. They may have been able to upgrade at right tackle, but there's no guarantee a rookie would outplay Warren McClendon Jr. Cornerback was solidified in free agency and via trade, and there were no linebackers worth taking at No. 13.

So the Rams turned their attention to 2027 and beyond by taking Simpson, knowing they already have a Super Bowl-caliber roster on their hands right now.

It's rare for a team picking in the top 15 to have no glaring needs, but that's where the Rams found themselves. They didn't need a wide receiver with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams atop the depth chart. Linebacker is in OK shape thanks to the emergence of Nate Landman. And the starting O-line is basically set.

So why not take the quarterback who has a chance to fill the biggest future need on the team?

He looked like a first-round talent early last season

So much of the attention has been put on Simpson's second half of the season, and for good reason. He had just eight touchdown passes and two interceptions in the final eight games after throwing 20 touchdown passes and one pick in the first seven.

In the first half of the season, he looked like a top talent. He was ripping darts to receivers over the middle, taking shots down the field and making hash-to-sideline throws like NFL quarterbacks do. Plus, he has decent mobility and ran for two touchdowns in the first four games, including one in a win over Georgia.

It's a tiny sample size, I know, but the Rams must have loved what they saw from Simpson early in the season.

Just look at some of the throws in this video. They were dimes against tight coverage, with one of them being an absolute bomb down the field against South Carolina.

Wrote an article comparing Ty Simpson to Fernando Mendoza

Came away more convinced Ty Simpson is going higher than people think pic.twitter.com/4fGmCrkk6j— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) April 1, 2026

Kurt Warner said himself that there were times when he was watching tape that Simpson's film was better than Fernando Mendoza. The bright spots are there, just as much as the concerns are.

It’s best to draft a QB before you need one

What would the Rams have done this offseason if Stafford retired? Jimmy Garoppolo is weighing retirement himself, there were no great options in free agency and they'd have no shot at drafting Mendoza.

They would've been in a terrible situation, scrambling to find someone to start in 2026. Thankfully, they're not in that situation because Stafford is still playing at an MVP level entering his age-38 season.

The best time to draft a quarterback is when you don't need one. By taking Simpson now, the Rams give him a chance to sit and learn before being thrust into a starting role. It's rare for a rookie quarterback to thrive right away, with C.J. Stroud being the exception in 2023.

The Chiefs did well by letting Mahomes sit behind Alex Smith. The Packers did it with Rodgers and Love, too. The best succession plan is usually one that starts early instead of waiting until it's too late.

They'll be contenders for the next decade-plus if he pans out

The upside of this pick is greater than any other pick the Rams could've made. Not to say Makai Lemon won't become a Pro Bowler or Rueben Bain Jr. won't end up as the best edge rusher in the class. But nothing is more valuable than having a franchise quarterback. And if Simpson turns into one, it will outweigh all other possible outcomes the Rams could've had at No. 13.

In an ideal world, Stafford will play at a high level for two more years before Simpson takes over in 2028, seamlessly taking the reins as the Rams' new quarterback. He'll have been groomed by McVay and Stafford, ready for his big opportunity.

From there – again, in a perfect world – he turns into an above-average starter and erases all questions and concerns about where he was drafted.

There's a real possibility the Rams enjoy a similar transition to what the Packers had from Brett Favre to Rodgers. Not saying Simpson will be Rodgers, but he could be a quality starter in his own right. The reward of finding a decade-long starter at quarterback far outweighs the risk of wasting a mid-first-rounder while already in a Super Bowl window.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams draft Ty Simpson: 6 reasons it may have been a wise move