The Los Angeles Rams sent shockwaves through the entire NFL world when they used the 13th overall pick on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, and not just because they took Simpson about 20 picks ahead of his "consensus" big board ranking.
The Rams are, in many ways, repeating history and perhaps a massive mistake made by the Green Bay Packers back in the 2020 NFL Draft. Of course, with the way things turned out for Jordan Love, the Packers aren't regretting having a long-term franchise quarterback in place, but the decision to ignore the need for another weapon in the offense may have cost them a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl back then.
And it might cost the Rams in a similar way in 2026. The Rams have Matthew Stafford coming off of an MVP season, and they're knocking on the doorstep of another Super Bowl win. The one thing their offense could have used, especially given Davante Adams's age and Puka Nacua's contract situation, was one more weapon. They passed.
Los Angeles Rams' defense of Ty Simpson pick is (rightfully) falling on deaf ears
The Rams have said that they hope Matthew Stafford plays another 3-5 years for them, which would put Ty Simpson firmly on the "Jordan Love" path. But instead of learning from history, the Rams have doomed themselves to repeat it.
There is a line from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace that rings true in this situation. Obi-Wan Kenobi tells his master, Qui-Gon Jinn that Yoda told him to be "mindful of the future" to which Qui-Gon responds, "But not at the expense of the moment."
That bit of wisdom is very applicable here, because the Rams have, in a way, forsaken the moment on the altar of being mindful of the future. There is wisdom in planning, but the Rams might have been one difference-making weapon away from winning another Lombardi Trophy. We won't know until the season plays out, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
I think if you asked Mike Macdonald the one move the Rams could have made that would give him big problems defensively, it'd be adding a viable third pass catcher https://t.co/fiRLhjLa9E
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) April 27, 2026
The Rams are trying to walk back the scene after the Ty Simpson pick, where Sean McVay was visibly upset and shockingly short with the media. Instead of being full of excitement, you could tell that McVay needed to go walk it off, whether he was dealing with something not related to football or if he was truly fired up about passing on the likes of Kenyon Sadiq or Makai Lemon to make that selection.
And as much as the Rams try to walk it back, there's simply too much circumstantial evidence to absolve them of having a divided war room with the Simpson pick. Their very next selection was another shocker. They took Ohio State tight end Max Klare with a 2nd-round pick despite using a 2nd-round pick just last year on Terrance Ferguson, and already having Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson on the roster.
The surprise selection of Klare in the 2nd round may be a great indicator of what McVay wanted to do in the 1st round with Kenyon Sadiq still sitting on the board. Sadiq ended up going three picks later to the New York Jets.
You could feel the anger from McVay at the opportunity that had just been missed. For his draft call with Simpson, he tried his best to put on a face, and still couldn't mask his lack of excitement. For his press conference afterward, he was beyond mad.
Peter Schrager is trying to shoot down the idea that Rams GM Les Snead "went rogue", but that's really not the point here. It feels like, at a minimum, this was not a unified decision.
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