Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, many viewed the Los Angeles Rams as the biggest wild card for Thursday Night and that the draft would alter based on their selection. Well, the Rams certainly made a surprising pick by taking Ty Simpson (quarterback, Alabama) with the 13th overall selection – sending shockwaves through the media and NFL community.
About a month before the draft, there was some smoke about the Rams doing extensive homework on quarterbacks and that they had interest in Ty Simpson. But those rumors subsided quickly because many thought that was the Rams plan had they kept their original pick (pick 29) before they traded that selection to the Kansas City Chiefs for Trent McDuffie. Very few thought that the Rams would actually take Ty Simpson then with the 13th overall pick.
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Since Roger Goodell’s pick announcement, there have been varying feelings about the Rams draft. On one hand, Dan Orlovsky of ESPN and Chris Long of the Green Light podcast love the Rams selection. While others, like The Ringer, were less than favorable towards the pick:
In a vacuum, I really don’t get this pick. This feels like a massive reach for an undersized, lightly experienced quarterback who was injured (and played poorly) for half of his only season as a starter. And maybe more importantly, the Rams are in a position to compete for the Super Bowl right now, and this pick doesn’t give them a better chance to do that. But all that being said: Of all the potential landing spots for Simpson, this is, by light-years, the best he could’ve hoped for. He can sit behind Matthew Stafford for a year or two and learn from him and Sean McVay. I just think the Rams are paying way too much to find out what he can be down the line. – The Ringer
The Rams went on to make four more selections in the draft, including tight end Max Klare, offensive lineman Keagen Trost, wide receiver CJ Daniels, and defensive lineman Tim Keenan III. Many fans were hoping that the franchise would address the wide receiver position earlier than the sixth round, leading some to question what the Rams real motive for this draft. Fan feelings and results were mixed. How did the Rams fans grade this draft class?
The majority seem to feel negative about the Rams selections with 75% of voters giving the team either a C, D, or F grade. Only 5% of voters thought Les Snead and Sean McVay knocked the draft out of the park. The most common response was a “C” grade; suggesting that “time will tell” with these draft picks as the Rams seemed to be focusing more on 2027 and beyond rather than 2026.
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