Opposing SEC coach 'honestly was surprised' by Los Angeles Rams' drafting of Ty Simpson

Nearly two weeks have passed since the NFL Draft and people are still buzzing with shock about the Los Angeles Rams making the decision to draft Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick. A stunning move, to say the least.

Despite having Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford still on the roster and aging, the Rams used their early pick to build for the future. It surprised not only fans watching on TV, but also opposing coaches who schemed up against Simpson in college and know his game well.

“I honestly was surprised,” an opposing SEC defensive coordinator said to ESPN. “I was surprised by the team, too.”

Simpson was long thought to be the second-best quarterback in the 2026 draft class and many campaigned for him to be picked in the first round, most frequently by the Arizona Cardinals. But hardly anyone saw a world where Simpson was a Top 15 pick to a team with an established quarterback already in place.

Simpson has the chance to surprise

Simpson has just one year of starting experience under his belt. He led the Crimson Tide in 2025, throwing for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and just five interceptions. On paper, numbers like that would have a quarterback high on mocks. But Simpson’s stock never seemed to be all that high.

While not everyone saw this coming for Simpson, it certainly does not mean he cannot become a great NFL quarterback one day. A second SEC coach who schemed against Simpson is leaving the door open for greatness.

“For him to go that high, I was a little bit like, ‘Wow, OK,'” the second SEC defensive coordinator said to ESPN. “I don’t know how he practices, I don’t know his mind. They were saying he was banged up in the back stretch, but he was just OK. Maybe he has those qualities that you can’t coach that some of these [NFL teams] fell in love with.”