Dan Orlovsky Takes Firm Stand After Rams Draft Ty Simpson

The ESPN analyst called Ty Simpson a top-20 pick for months. The Rams just proved him right at No. 13.

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson is selected by the Los Angeles Rams as the No. 13 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dan Orlovsky showed up to ESPN's Get Up wearing a tie on Friday morning, and nobody was surprised why.

The ESPN analyst had been one of the loudest voices in football media backing Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson as a first-round talent. On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Rams made him look very good, selecting Simpson 13th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Host Kevin Negandhi gave Orlovsky his flowers on air. Orlovsky, never one to shy away from taking his due credit, owned the moment. "I trust the process, you trust your eyes," he said. "I've always said that. Trust your eyes. I've been wrong before, but I was right on this one."

Why Orlovsky stood firm on Simpson

Orlovsky's prediction that Simpson would go in the first round was largely against the grain heading into draft night. Most analysts had Simpson sliding to the late first round at the earliest.

Orlovsky didn't waver. "If he's not a first-round pick tonight, then we are evaluating, in the NFL, the quarterback position wrong," he said ahead of the draft. "All I know is the tape says he's no question at worst around a middle-of-the-first-round draft pick."

"This is the way that high-end organizations operate. ... I think he's gonna be a very good player for 10+ years under Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams."@danorlovsky7 reacts to the Rams drafting Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick 🏈 pic.twitter.com/SIKYyGtEGs

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 24, 2026

The numbers backed him up. Simpson ranked first in the FBS with 11 big-time throws targeting the intermediate area of the field, 10-19 yards downfield, a zone the Rams specifically love to attack.

He also took the fifth-most play-action dropbacks in the FBS, throwing for 1,196 yards and 10 touchdowns against just one interception in those situations.

Simpson's fit with McVay and what comes next

Orlovsky made a pointed case on Get Up that this is less about Simpson starting right away and more about the Rams doing what sharp organizations do. "This is the way that high-end organizations operate," he said. "You get your quarterback when you don't need one."

Scouting reports noted Simpson is best suited for a West Coast system, specifically naming Sean McVay as an ideal coaching fit. Orlovsky echoed that directly: "The Sean McVay offense is about being under center, using shifts and motions, and being in the play-action game. It's everything he did at Alabama this past year."

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay talks with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Simpson is expected to sit behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford for at least a year, possibly two. That runway is the whole point.

"I think he's gonna be a very good player for 10-plus years under Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams," Orlovsky said. "They've got a very bright future, both as an organization and as a player."