Ty Simpson slides on Draft Night 1, producing a Day‑one upset
- The Los Angeles Rams used the No. 13 pick on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson on Thursday night, ending the biggest first-round slide storyline by making him the second quarterback taken in Pittsburgh. - Simpson arrived after one season as Alabama’s starter, where he threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions before the Rams paired him with 38-year-old Matthew Stafford. - Most mock drafts projected Simpson later in Round 1 or outside it entirely, making the Rams’ move one of Night 1’s clearest surprises. (foxsports.com)
The Los Angeles Rams stopped Ty Simpson’s draft-night fall at No. 13, taking the Alabama quarterback in the first round Thursday in Pittsburgh. (nfl.com) Simpson was the second quarterback selected in the 2026 National Football League draft, and the pick gave Sean McVay a potential successor to Matthew Stafford. (nfl.com) (cbssports.com) The Rams’ own draft release said Simpson threw for 3,567 yards in 2025, finished with 28 touchdown passes, and became a finalist for the Manning Award after his lone season as Alabama’s starter. (therams.com) Fox Sports called the selection a stunner because many mock drafts had Simpson going near the end of the first round or missing Round 1 altogether. Rob Rang ranked him No. 33 overall, and Joel Klatt ranked him No. 32. (foxsports.com) That gap between projection and draft slot is what turned Simpson into Night 1’s upset. He was widely viewed as the No. 2 quarterback in the class, but not as a lock to go 13th overall. (foxsports.com) (usatoday.com) The pick also says something about the Rams’ timeline. Stafford is 38 and coming off a 2025 Most Valuable Player season, but CBS Sports reported he entered the draft in the final year of his contract. (cbssports.com) (foxsports.com) Simpson told NFL Network after the pick that he was looking forward to learning from McVay and Stafford. The Rams now have a quarterback with 15 college starts stepping into a room led by one of the league’s oldest starters. (therams.com) (foxsports.com) The Bills move on Friday was separate from that first-round surprise. Buffalo traded picks No. 66 and No. 182 to Denver for No. 62, then used the selection on Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun. (buffalobills.com) So the first two nights split into two different stories: a quarterback few expected at No. 13, and a contender in Buffalo using a trade-up to target cornerback help on Day 2. (nfl.com) (buffalobills.com)
