Dan Orlovsky: Los Angeles Rams drafting QB Ty Simpson was 'right decision'

Controversial or not, the Los Angeles Rams selecting Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick was the right decision, per ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky. His argument was the Rams invested in a guy they really like and they don’t want to fall behind at the most important position.

Head coach Sean McVay defended his viral reaction, which looked like he was less than enthused by drafting Simpson. He claimed it was out of respect for starting QB Matthew Stafford, 38, and had nothing to do with Simpson as a player or person.

Orlovsky noted some wanted the Rams to draft a wide receiver. That’s when he brought up some numbers to back his claim and support the pick of Simpson.

“I think this is the right decision for a well run organization,” Orlovsky said on Get Up. “Everyone who’s saying the Rams should have taken wide receiver, okay, the average rookie wide receiver right now, within last 10 years in the first round comes in, gives you 52 catches and four touchdowns. If you think the Rams are 52 catches and four touchdowns away from a wide receiver from going to the Super Bowl and winning it, you’re out of your mind. 

“To pass on a quarterback at that position that they really like in the future, to get 52 and four is not going to be the difference of making the Super Bowl.”

Simpson started just one season at Alabama, but made it count en route to the College Football Playoff. He threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 64.5% completion percentage. Stafford won a Super Bowl with the Rams five seasons ago and is teetering towards the end of his career, despite leading LA to the NFC Championship last year.

“You’re replacing the quarterback position for one of two reasons, performance or age, no matter what organization,” Orlovsky said. “The Rams are in a situation where the age is getting there, but the performance doesn’t match, and that’s why they’re trying to thread the needle. This is a threading of the needle. It’s a rare situation where you’re trying to do both timelines the right way, essentially at the same time, and you just got to trust an organization that, God bless, has done it right for like, eight years now at a pretty high level.”

Simpson played for Nick Saban prior to Kalen DeBoer. Being recruited by the GOAT certainly means something and Saban liked the landing spot for Simpson.

“This is a perfect situation for him to get into, though, where he doesn’t have to play, where he’s going to be able to take some time to develop,” Saban said. “I think it’s going to work out perfectly for him.”