Even with Matthew Stafford coming back for 2026, the Los Angeles Rams could still draft a rookie quarterback in the draft this year. They have two first-round picks and could use one to find a young player to sit behind Stafford until he eventually retires from the NFL.
While there isn't a huge list of quality 2026 prospects to choose from after Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is expected to go No. 1 overall, NFL insider Louis Riddick said on ESPN this week that the Rams really like Alabama's Ty Simpson.
"I know personally, I know they [the Rams] like Ty Simpson out of Alabama," Riddick said. "When you look at Ty's skillset, and you think about Ty's makeup, that's exactly what they're looking for."
Louis Riddick on yesterday's NFL Draft Daily "I know personally they (Rams) like Ty Simpson. His skillset and makeup is exactly what they're looking for" pic.twitter.com/cnKTWXVRg9
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) February 14, 2026
If the Rams are interested in Simpson, the next question will be where they'd want to draft him. He could easily go in the first round with either of the Rams' two first-round picks at Nos. 13 and 29, or perhaps L.A. believes Simpson could fall into the second round, where they could take him at No. 61 or move up to grab him.
The decision to draft a quarterback or not in 2026 will be one to follow all offseason, but Riddick's intuition with the Rams shouldn't be discounted. Riddick accurately predicted the Rams would want to draft Pittsburgh's Konata Mumpfield in 2025, which they did in the seventh round. Mumpfield ended up playing a decent amount of snaps as well.
Simpson would be a solid sit-and-develop type of quarterback for head coach Sean McVay, too. He's only a one-year starter, but finished the 2025 season with 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and just five interceptions for Alabama. Simpson is a good size for a pocket passer, too, at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds.
The only reason not to take Simpson with a first-round pick, though, is that he would be a long-term piece on a team that is primed for a short-term Super Bowl run. Stafford's return is huge, and the Rams may prefer to upgrade pieces of significant need right now rather than add a quarterback of the future.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL insider he says Rams like certain 2026 QB prospect