Rams Select Quarterback Ty Simpson with 13th Pick in 2026 NFL Draft

The Los Angeles Rams selected quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night. Sean McVay addressed reporters during a press conference on Friday night during Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. McVay stated that he and general manager Les Snead ‘couldn’t be more in lockstep’ about their decisions.

‘Always want to be mindful of how things come off, things like that. Very excited about last night, very excited about (Friday) and couldn’t be more excited about us continuing to lead together, but every decision that we make is collective and collaborative,’ McVay said. McVay learned that his reaction went viral due to an influx of texts received after his press conference on Thursday.

McVay mentioned the Rams have Stetson Bennett and discussed the importance of Jimmy Garoppolo. ‘You get a chance to address the backup quarterback, we’ve got Stetson (Bennett), we’ve talked about the importance of Jimmy (Garoppolo), so to add somebody you can evaluate a body of work where he was asked to play the position, and a lot of things that do translate in terms of concepts, reading with his feet … We’ll be excited to get to work with him,’ McVay said.

McVay explained on Friday that his grumpy demeanor stemmed from outside factors.

‘The demeanor would have been stoic by nature because you are excited, but by no means — it is Matthew’s football team,’ he said. ‘Excited to be able to add Ty. ’ ‘But whenever that time comes for him to get an opportunity to be Matthew’s successor, will be on Matthew’s terms.

And I think that’s really what the important thing was. I didn’t want that to ever be misunderstood, while not minimizing the excitement for Ty, the buy-in,’ McVay stated. McVay told Stafford that the team planned to take Simpson at No.

13. ’ ‘He's a stud. I mean, he's always first class in every sense of the word,’ McVay said of Stafford. Stafford was named NFL MVP in 2025. Stafford is 38 years old and entering his 18th season. Stafford has contemplated retirement before, but he’s already committed to returning in 2026 after winning his MVP this past season.

Ty Simpson started 15 games at Alabama. Fernando Mendoza was selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Ty Simpson's predraft contact with the Rams was brief, consisting of a meeting with team scouts at Alabama. ’ ‘He's one of the greatest of all time, quarterback wise. And we watched his film all the time when I was at Bama.

So the fact that I get to be in a room and soak up all that knowledge is something that I couldn't ask for a better situation,’ Simpson said. The Rams had not drafted a quarterback in the first round since trading up to take Jared Goff in 2016. Simpson is the third quarterback taken by the Rams in the first round since 1967, joining Jared Goff and Sam Bradford.

Last season at Alabama, Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns. Simpson's 15 career college starts are the fourth fewest by a first-round quarterback over the past 25 years. The Rams have Stetson Bennett IV on their roster.

Stetson Bennett was a fourth-round pick in 2023 and served as Los Angeles' third-string quarterback the past two seasons. McVay said of Simpson backing up Stafford, 'We'll see.'

The Rams became the first team to have a quarterback win MVP then select a quarterback in the first round of the subsequent NFL draft since the Packers in 1967, when Bart Starr won MVP in 1966 and Green Bay drafted Don Horn 25th overall the following year.