2026 NFL Draft: Ian Rapoport reveals why Los Angeles Rams selected Ty Simpson with No. 13 overall pick

Even a few days after the 2026 NFL Draft, questions about the Los Angeles Rams and Ty Simpson remain out there. Simpson was taken with the No. 13 overall pick, becoming the second quarterback off the board. Quite the draft capital to be spending on somebody who will enter the building as a backup. Still, the Rams feel as if Simpson is their future franchise guy.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport dove further into the reasoning why Los Angeles took Simpson. He says there might not be another opportunity for the Rams to be at pick No. 13. They only owned the pick due to a trade last year with the Atlanta Falcons. LA’s actual pick, due to their own results, was at No. 29 and later traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for Trent McDuffie.

“The Rams are so good, they are never going to have the opportunity to draft at 13 again,” Rapoport said. “You get somebody of this talent level, at this position, you have to take him.”

General manager Les Snead has put together one of the league’s top rosters. Head coach Sean McVay is among the best, as well. No matter who is at quarterback, the Rams expect to be contenders. Matthew Stafford being the guy proves as such considering he already has a Super Bowl ring and made the NFC Championship game last season.

The plan for Simpson appears to be one where the Rams slow-play his development. At some point, they believe Simpson will step into the starting role. Rapoport said once that happens, some validation will kick in.

“If you like him enough to believe he’s a future starting quarterback in the league, just take him wherever,” Rapoport said. “Because the reality is, if Ty Simpson ends up starting for the Los Angeles Rams, at some point — next year, two years, three years, who cares — he is going to be worth wherever you select him if he is a good quarterback. So, it doesn’t matter, just take him.”

Simpson only got one year of experience at Alabama, making only 15 starts despite spending four seasnos in Tuscaloosa. Some on-field success, personally and team-wise, came with Simpson at quarterback. But the back-end of the season did get a bit shaky for Simpson. Different issues popped up, including some injuries. Still, the Rams felt comfortable enough to take him with their lone first-round selection of the draft.

Rapoport may have cleared up some of the confusion around the pick. The process is just going to take more than an offseason’s worth of work.