Much of the NFL world thought the Los Angeles Rams were going to restock their potent offense by taking wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Right up until Sean McVay and company didn’t. Instead, the Seattle Seahawks' primary obstacle on their way to the Lombardi Trophy last year was choosing their quarterback of the future, Ty Simpson of Alabama.
This wasn’t a total surprise. Simpson had been flying up draft boards for the past several weeks. And in the last few days, it became clear that the Rams were interested. The major question was whether Les Snead would risk moving back in hopes that Simpson would still be on the board or simply lock up the man he wanted as soon as he could.
Not surprisingly, the Rams made the smart move. And it ensures that Seattle’s biggest rival isn’t going anywhere for quite some time.
Rams prepare for life after Matthew Stafford by taking Ty Simpson
There is debate about how good Simpson will be. But there is no debate that the Rams will need a quarterback sooner rather than later. Matthew Stafford has been rumored to be considering retirement for several years in a row now, and that day will come, perhaps as early as 2027.
And the Rams know that teams without a quarterback in waiting are always on the verge of teetering.
The Lemon buzz grew out of the fact that Los Angeles is very close to winning a championship. They addressed problems in the secondary earlier this offseason. Adding another dynamic playmaker to the offense could make them unstoppable.
Other mock drafts had LA taking offensive weapons like tight end Kenyon Saddiq or one of the top offensive tackles.
But Simpson is the smart long-term pick. And Los Angeles is a smart club.
By taking Simpson, the Rams could be setting up a battle several years down the road between Alabama’s quarterbacks of 2024 and 2025. But the Hawks’ Jalen Milroe doesn’t project to be the player that Simpson could be.
The Rams can afford to do this because the rest of their roster is so strong. They do not need to patch any holes. They could have made the short-term play. But getting Simpson makes all the sense in the world if you can afford to wait.
Simpson is going to an ideal situation. Playing for Sean McVay. Playing behind Matthew Stafford. What could be better?
For the Seahawks, perhaps the Rams will not be quite as dangerous as they might have been had they taken a player like Lemon. But there is never a guarantee that a receiver will have an immediate impact, regardless of his draft status.
Simpson does not have a huge track record, and in recent years, Alabama quarterbacks have not blown the league away. But analysts began pointing out about a month ago that Simpson was special. He is the son of a coach who does everything right.
Unlike previous Crimson Tide QBs, he has not played with the best of the best. If anything, Simpson was the one raising the profile of his teammates rather than the other way around this past season.
And now he is going to a franchise that knows how to develop talent.
The Seahawks have lost more than they have gained so far this offseason and the Rams could have used this pick to try and push their roster to the top of the NFC West. But they planned for the future because that is what smart teams do.
Seattle will still have tremendous battles with Los Angeles as they look to defend their title in 2026. Now, it appears, those battles will extend many, many more years.
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