Why is Ty Simpson to the Rams not being talked about?

Over the past couple of seasons, the Los Angeles Rams have been linked to multiple quarterbacks right before the NFL Draft. The connections make sense as Matthew Stafford gets older and the Rams attempt to find his heir. However, the Rams haven’t made that move or seemingly shown interest.

Back in 2024, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was convinced that the Rams would trade up for Bo Nix. It wasn’t until later that it was reported the Rams were not considering a move up for Nix. Last year, some believed that the Rams liked Jaxson Dart and may try to take him at the end of the first round. The Rams had spent considerable time with Dart while other reports suggested that the Rams were never going to take Dart and didn’t love him as a prospect in the first round.

Taking a quarterback in the first round over the last two years wouldn’t have made sense. The Rams signed Jimmy Garoppolo before the draft in 2024 and agreed to a new contract last March that secured him for the season.

This year feels different. The Rams have yet to bring back Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett remains the only quarterback on the roster behind Stafford. It’s possible that the Rams were used as a smokescreen by other teams over the last two years. With the draft just a week away, there is much less buzz when it comes to the Rams taking a quarterback despite them not having a legitimate backup quarterback.

Part of that could be that the quarterback class is weaker. Outside of Fernando Mendoza, there are a lot of questions at the quarterback position. However, the same could be said last year outside of Cam Ward. Dart wasn’t a perfect prospect by any means.

The same can be said about Ty Simpson, however, he is much more of a fit in the Rams offense and scheme than Dart ever was. Still, nobody seems to be connecting Simpson to the Rams. While the 13th overall pick may be considered too high for Simpson, if the Rams have conviction on him, they should absolutely take him at that spot. Additionally, they could always look to trade down as well. This is the exact scenario former Rams quarterback Jim Everett discussed in a recent interview with Action Network.

“I think he can play. And I think he comes from a family with a mindset that Sean McVay loves. It’s been odd that there’s been zero talk about it," said Everett. Matthew Stafford's an enthusiast, and I think that gives you a little insight on the type of guy Sean McVay wants to be his quarterback…Honestly, I think it's a little bit like Ty Simpson as well, and if I had to go out on a limb, that would be a guy that probably would remind me of a Sean McVay-type guy. I'm not saying he's gonna be all that. I'm just saying I think he has a work ethic.”

There are obvious concerns when it comes to drafting Simpson in the first round. The history for inexperienced college quarterbacks isn’t good. Anthony Richardson, Mitchell Trubisky, and Dwayne Haskins are the only quarterbacks with 15 or fewer starts who went in the first round over the last decade. All three busted.

With that said, it’s hard to establish causation. Simpson shouldn’t be drafted by a team that would expect him to start right away. That wouldn't happen with the Rams who have the ecosystem for a quarterback to succeed. Simpson could get mental reps behind Matthew Stafford while learning the intricacies of the offense.

Former NFL general manager and draft analyst Mike Mayock noted the Rams as a team who could be looking for a quarterback. Said Mayock via Betway,

“I'm a big fan of the Los Angeles Rams and Les Snead, and Matthew Stafford is effectively on a year-to-year contract now. He had an amazing year last year, especially when you consider in August, he had some kind of back issue and wasn't even practicing," explained Mayock. "I think Les has to be thinking, what's the future at quarterback? You’ve got Stafford for one year, two years, three years max, but what's the future? So I think the Rams are certainly a team.”

The Rams tend to keep their draft plans close to the vest. With very few talking about them as a team that could draft a quarterback, it almost makes it more likely. It seemed pretty clear over the last two years that the Rams wouldn’t draft a quarterback with Garoppolo already secured. However, that isn’t the case this year. Unless the plan is for Stetson Bennett to be the backup, it seems more possible this year that the Rams could take a quarterback early than it has been in the last two drafts. And yet, nobody seems to be bringing them up as a Ty Simpson team.

As Everett mentioned, Simpson feels like a Sean McVay guy. Outside of the intangibles, from a traits and skill set standpoint, he’s reminiscent of a more mobile Kirk Cousins. Simpson’s ability to throw from the pocket with high-level anticipation is very Cousins while his athleticism and play-making ability out of structure is very Mayfield-esque. Those are two quarterbacks that McVay has had success with as an offensive coordinator in Washington and as the head coach for the Rams. Cousins is often seen as the perfect quarterback for the McVay and Shanahan offensive system.

The Rams may not end up drafting Simpson, but it’s odd that it’s not being discussed at all. Over the last two years, the Rams have been in the center of the quarterback conversation pre-draft and that hasn’t been the case this season. By trading for Trent McDuffie and using the 29th overall pick to address an immediate need, the Rams could see the 13th overall pick as more of a luxury. If they do, and they have conviction in Simpson, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them take the Alabama quarterback.

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