The Rams regularly see their own draft pick fall late in the first round, but armed with the Falcons’ selection (via a first-round trade last year), Los Angeles will use the mid-first-round real estate to make a long-term investment.
Rumored to be high on Ty Simpson — but seen as iffy to select him this high — the Rams are taking a Matthew Stafford heir apparent at No. 13. The Falcons traded up 20 spots to add James Pearce last year. The Rams will use that to bet on Simpson, a one-year Alabama starter.
Stafford has not yet signed an extension, but that is widely rumored to be in the offing. This will create an interesting dynamic, as the Rams have followed the 2020 Packers’ lead by taking a quarterback in the first round as a Super Bowl contender. Jordan Love turned out to be a smart move; will the Rams be thankful they took Simpson in a draft-and-develop scenario?
A recent Trade Rumors Front Office piece listed the Rams’ lack of prime draft real estate as a factor in the Simpson derby. While rumors circulated the team was preparing to add strength to this year’s roster — as rumblings Simpson could fall out of Round 1 altogether emerged — the team will take the chance on adding a passer who will not be expected (barring a Stafford injury) to contribute this season. It is quite possible Simpson will be sitting for at least two years, representing a rare (pretty much Green Bay-only) developmental route among modern QBs.
Such an approach may be the best case scenario for Simpson. The same developmental route benefited him in Tuscaloosa. Sitting as a true freshman behind future No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, then sitting two more years behind Jalen Milroe before finally being named the starter for the Crimson Tide. In his single season leading the first-team offense, Simpson was able to look past an initial faltering out the gate in a brutal loss to a below average Florida State team to become one of the hottest names in college football over the first half of the season.
In nine starts, Simpson looked like the early frontrunner for QB1 in this draft class, completing 66.9 percent of his passes for 21 touchdowns and only one interception while averaging 273.4 passing yards per game. Despite the disappearance the Tide’s WR1 from 2024 Ryan Williams and the surprising lack of a run game in Bryant-Denny Stadium, it looked like Simpson had put his squad back on track for an easy run to the College Football Playoff. Over the next six weeks, though, Simpson saw a stark decline in quality of play, completing only 60.5 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns and four interceptions while only averaging 184.3 passing yards per game.
Speculation over what caused this deterioration offered theories that a home loss to Oklahoma had revealed his kryptonite, that teams had finally gotten enough film to figure him out, or that his health had limited his performance. It was believed that a lower back injury and elbow bursitis began hurting him in October, while other reports cited gastritis that caused him to lose nearly 20 pounds. Adding injury to insult, his season ended when he suffered a fractured rib in a blowout loss to the eventual champion Hoosiers.
Sitting behind Stafford, Simpson should have plenty of time to get fully healthy, if he isn’t already. He’ll also have ample time to clean up the minor parts of his game that scouts nitpicked from his lone year as a starter. Evaluators wanted to see a greater variety of touch on his passes along with improved consistency on deep passes. Any lack of starting experience isn’t going to go anywhere as he sits for a a couple more years, but as a prospect praised for his mental acuity, getting to study film and NFL defenses while backing up an MVP for a year or two should do miracles for his NFL development.
If all goes as planned, it may be some time before we hear Simpson’s name again with any significance. If all goes as planned, Simpson should be taking over an a talented offense as a seasoned NFL player with a couple years of preparation under his belt. The Rams are hoping things will go according to plan.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUUUUUUUK
God this might be worse than the Falcons taking Penix Jr
Adam Schefter on ESPN said the Rams called Stafford today to let him know they would draft Simpson. Atlanta never called Kirk Cousins when they drafted Michael Penix.
Whether you inform them or not isn’t really the issue
It’s wasting the pick
Rams got lucky the falcons first was high as it was wasn’t even their own pick lmao
Instead of adding to the defense like Bain Jr in a division with Super Bowl champion Seahawks and the 49ers or adding to the offense with home grown talent in your back yard at USC Makai Lemon
They take a QB who’s gonna sit a while…..how does that help Stafford towards another ring?
There is such a thing as professional courtesy.
As for your bright idea that the Rams should draft someone just because he played at USC? Pro football teams did things that way in the dark ages. Not in today’s NFL.
And Lemon just got drafted by Philly who swapped positions with Dallas. Precursor to A.J. Brown getting traded?
“ As for your bright idea that the Rams should draft someone just because he played at USC?”
Oh you mean my bright idea to draft
A first round grade wr that’s been discussed all off season as an area the rams were focusing on
Who went few picks later to the eagles
Who many had mocked to the rams leading up to the draft?
This might not be your thing chucky.
As a Falcons fan thank you for this. Now we can hear everyone talk about this for 2 years now sheesh…Hopefully he’s good but Stafford is still a championship QB. Heck I’d take Stafford over Penix, Tua and Simpson right now
Whoa. Didn’t expect that.
Risky move for a win now team, but best possible outcome for Simpson. Sit behind Stafford and train with McVay.
Wow I was betting my house they’d take Makai Lemon. Just wow. I’m dumbfounded
But hopefully not homeless…
I lost the house
They spent their second 1st round pick on the KC CB (trade). One starter and one to learn. I get the strategy.
I agree 100%
This feels exactly like Jordan love back in 2020 when everyone including Aaron Rodgers was pissed at the packers
I’m one of the only people that actually think this is a good move since stafford/mcvay will be a great mentor and Simpson would have been an automatic bust if he started in his rookie season
I mean they could’ve taken a player in another position to better their chances on winning now with Stafford who might have 2/3 years left maybe or get a solid young guy to develop behind Stafford and learn from McVay and continue being successful for the next 10 years.
Not necessarily a bad move but not expected
The big difference of rams vs falcons is they have a MVP QB still playing for him to learn. They pass the torch when Stafford is done. They got puka in the 5th, they trust their scouts. Ppl forget WRs can be picked all over the draft and developed in a good system. I love their 1st pick