PITTSBURGH — Leave it to the Rams to send the NFL into a tizzy with the stunning decision to select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick overall Thursday night.
Especially, knowing full well that Simpson might not see the field until 2028 and does nothing for their relentless Super Bowl-or-bust mentality.
From their own fans to their most ardent haters, the Rams knew the selection of Simpson would be met with everything from angry screams to sarcastic belly laughs.
But that doesn’t change the fact that the Rams absolutely did the right thing Thursday night.
By thinking long-term rather than locking themselves into the right now, they gave themselves a legitimate chance to extend their window of success rather than limit it.
The great organizations are always thinking three days, three weeks, three months, and three years down the line. It’s how they create sustained success rather than fleeting.
If Simpson is who they think he is — and there isn’t a chance in hell they select him at No. 13 without being convinced he has a chance to be special — he will eventually take the reins from Stafford, and whatever fall off the Rams experience will be subtle rather than dramatic.
That isn’t a bad thing; it’s a great thing. It’s a testament to the team GM Les Snead and Sean McVay have built over the years.
Knowing that, it allowed them to be creative and proactive in addressing the most important position on the field, and potentially ensuring that when Stafford eventually calls it a career, the Rams won’t fall off the cliff.
A lot of variables will play into that, not the least of which is Simpson maximizing his talent and McVay and his staff getting him to his ceiling. But there was no guarantee ther Rams would be in position to select a quarterback with that time of potential any time soon, and with a roster as stacked as any in the NFL, now was the time to take advantage of that opportunity.
This would have been a different story had the Rams not shored up their only real weakness during the opening days of free agency. But by using the second of their two first-round picks to trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and then signing his Chiefs cornerback teammate, Jaylen Watson, the Rams pushed an already great roster to an elite one.
In doing so, they gave themselves tremendous flexibility to think long-term at No. 13.
As stacked as the Rams roster is, there was no guarantee whoever they selected at that point of the draft would have made a big impact in 2025. That prospect, no matter what the name or the position, would have had to fight and claw just to get on the field.
Make no mistake, LA did so with the complete understanding that their decision would be panned, criticized, and picked apart in every newsroom, on every social media platform, and in every barbershop from Pittsburgh to the Pacific Ocean.
From their own fans to their most ardent haters, the Rams knew the selection of Simpson would be met with everything from angry screams to sarcastic belly laughs.
When your Super Bowl window is as wide open as the Rams’ is right now, the goal should be to maximize it in every way imaginable.
Simpson does not do that. It isn’t even up for debate. At the earliest, he won’t make an impact until next season.
Of course, the emotional reaction would range from shock to outrage.
Bottom line, the Rams used the first round of the 2026 draft to turn their cornerback weakness into a strength, and lock in a quarterback they believe capable to helping them get to Super Bowls.
And by the way, they still have more picks to execute this weekend. And Snead and McVay have shown over and over and over that they can find high-end talent well beyond just the first round.