And for most, it is. Sure, every draft has stunning moves and disappointments, but getting drafted to the NFL is an honor and reward for all the hard work. Especially when you hear your name early, indicating that the team that chose you truly believes in you. Then, there are exceptions. For one prospective quarterback, getting drafted in the first round turned bittersweet.
With the 13th overall pick, the Los Angeles Rams selected Ty Simpson from Alabama.
And while he burst with joy and excitement, his head coach looked disappointed. Frustrated. In disbelief, as if he was hoping to wake up from this nightmare quickly. But this was the reality – the Super Bowl-aspiring Rams just landed a new passer with their highest pick.
Stunning and bold
The move sent shockwaves through the football world. The Rams are built around one of the best quarterbacks in the game – Matthew Stafford, the Super Bowl champion and the league’s MVP. Fair to say, the franchise didn’t necessarily need a playmaker.
Why invest so heavily at quarterback when the position already seemed secure? But there was something about Simpson that the leadership couldn’t ignore. However, McVay wasn’t on the same page.
And he didn’t exactly quiet the noise.
“There were a lot of players that we liked, but when you do look at it, I think the thing you liked about the body of work is ... let's make one thing clear, this is Matthew's team,” McVay said. “You get a chance to be able to address the backup quarterback.” Not hesitating to express his stance on Simpson, McVay made the situation awfully clear.
At the press conference, he was grumpy. Sour. McVay wasn’t eager to talk. Some said he only did it to protect Stafford and show him respect. But not everybody believed this reasoning. Everybody saw the waves this pick made within the Rams.
Easily bigger than the ones in the nearby Malibu, the team will look to conquer them.
Smart future investment
So, why did the Rams draft Simpson? But beneath the surface, the pick wasn’t as illogical as it seemed. Stafford, still playing at a high level, is also nearing the twilight of his career.
Whether retirement is imminent or not, succession planning is unavoidable — especially for a team built to contend. And somebody will have to eventually take over Los Angeles.
“They are on the door of a championship,” an AFC scout of the Rams said. “I can't imagine they aren't going to help Stafford when he still has good years left.”
McVay has a reputation as a quarterback whisperer. Known as an offensive genius, he thrives at maximizing quarterbacks’ potential through detailed schemes. McVay is responsible for the transformation and growth of Jarred Goff, now the Lions’ franchise quarterback.
He elevated Stafford into an NFL champion and MVP. The Rams led the league in passing, total yards, and points per game. Offensively, nobody did better.
If there is a leader, coach, and mentor Simpson can grow under, it is McVay. And whether he was happy with the draft pick or not, he can now take on the challenge of developing another prospect and making him Stafford’s successor. Eventually, of course.
With Stafford playing like he’s in his prime, Simpson can learn from a likely future Hall of Famer.
The Rams’ selection wasn’t shocking just because of the position they chose. Also, it was about who they drafted. Simpson only started for one season at Alabama. According to scouts, he lacked experience.
He also dealt with injuries during the latter part of the season.
But many credited his perseverance and dedication to earn a starting role, as he backed up his teammates for three seasons before taking over. He led the Crimson Tide to the CFP and closed the year with 3,567 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, while rushing for two more.
Here comes the plot twist
Simpson is not a cemented superstar, at least not yet. And he surely will put McVay’s quarterback coaching skills to the test. Now, here comes the plot twist: McVay is looking forward to it. The Los Angeles front office didn’t blindside their own head coach. They didn’t draft Simpson out of nowhere.
Turns out, McVay’s discontent wasn’t so much a natural reaction as the result of a precisely trained act.
“We tried to keep this under wraps as long as we could,” said Simpson. “It was something to where I knew they were interested, but they wanted to make it private and didn't want people to know that they were interested. So, I had some secret meetings with coach McVay, and I was just trying to be on script and do what everybody told me and not to tell anybody.”
And after days of backlash for his reaction, the world found out it got played. Knowing what kind of offensive mastermind McVay possesses, combined with the undeniable reality of Stafford’s age, the Rams chose to select their next superstar.
They bet on Simpson.
And didn’t want anybody else to get him. In the NFL, information is currency, and the Rams were not willing to pay.
“You all know Sean. There's no way he would pick a QB without meeting him. Ty stayed on script. We were really trying to keep it from other teams,” said Rams’ GM Les Snead. Like many times before, Los Angeles outsmarted their competition to gain an advantage.
Time will tell if the strategy paid off, but the Rams executed the script flawlessly. With the genius move, ideally, they won’t have to fill the quarterback void for a long time.