Though quarterback is hardly a pressing need for the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, it’s certainly a position they could address – even with Matthew Stafford set to return in 2026. They don’t have a viable successor on the roster, and on top of that, Jimmy Garoppolo is a pending free agent. Stafford and Stetson Bennett are the only quarterbacks under contract as of now.
The draft is the best place to find a franchise quarterback and with two first-round picks, the Rams are in position to select a signal caller this year. Ty Simpson’s name has come up a few times when analysts discuss potential Rams targets, with ESPN’s Louis Riddick even saying he knows “personally they like Ty Simpson.”
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NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said on the “Rich Eisen Show” that he would be surprised if Simpson doesn’t go in the first round, and thinks he’ll even go in the first 16 picks.
“I would be surprised sitting here right now not only if Ty Simpson doesn’t go in the first round. I don’t think Ty Simpson gets out of the first half of Round 1,” Pelissero said.
When talking about which teams could take a chance on Simpson, Pelissero mentioned two: the Jets and the Rams. He wouldn’t rule out the Rams drafting Simpson with the 13th overall pick.
“How about the Rams? Even with Matthew Stafford coming back, they own the No. 13 pick. Stafford’s 37, 38 years old, at some point, you’re going to need that next guy. If you’ve got a guy you can develop for a year or two just like the Packers have done for years and had them ready to go, I wouldn’t rule out something like that, either.”
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Simpson will be a polarizing prospect leading up to the draft because he looked so good in the first half of the season, and then proceeded to struggle mightily in the second half. But if a team like the Rams can capture some of the talent he showed early on, he could be their successor to Stafford.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL draft: Tom Pelissero ‘wouldn’t rule out’ Rams taking Ty Simpson