Rams had surprising long-term plan to draft Ty Simpson

The Los Angeles Rams surprised many by drafting quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the NFL Draft. A new report suggests, however, the team had been planning something like this for over a year.

The Rams’ plans to draft a quarterback were months in the making, according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Part of the reason the Rams traded out of the first round in 2025 with the Atlanta Falcons was to get a future first-round pick that might land in the top 20, which they hoped to use on a quarterback.

GM Les Snead’s strategy was not affected by a weaker-than-expected quarterback class. The Rams expect to continue contending and picking low in the first round on an annual basis, and wanted to make sure they walked away with a long-term successor to Matthew Stafford when they were picking high enough to land a potential franchise quarterback.

The Rams were also concerned that they would lose out on Simpson if they let him fall toward the late first or early second round. The Arizona Cardinals, an NFC West rival, were known to have strong interest in Simpson and held the No. 34 overall pick.

The Rams certainly did well to keep that master plan under wraps, since it came as a surprise to everyone. It was so well executed that people thought coach Sean McVay hated the pick based on his press conference performance.

By the time he was drafted, even Simpson himself was in on the plan. It may or may not work, but if it doesn’t, it certainly will not be because the Rams did not think it through enough.