There’s a balance between strengthening a Super Bowl-caliber roster and building toward the future. The Los Angeles Rams performed the tightrope walk between the two during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Rams delivered the first stunner of this year’s draft when they selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson No. 13 overall. They could’ve drafted a third wide receiver to work behind stars Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Wide receiver and local USC product Makai Lemon was available. Plus, athletic tight end Kenyon Sadiq was still on the board.
The Rams could’ve chosen to beef up their offensive line. Guard Olaivavega Ioane was selected one pick later by the Baltimore Ravens at No. 14. Tackle Blake Miller went 17th to the Detroit Lions.
Instead, the Rams chose to draft Matthew Stafford’s heir apparent in Simpson.
The Rams’ decision to draft Simpson rocked Round 1 of the draft like a 4.0 magnitude Southern California earthquake. Stafford is a Super Bowl champion, the reigning MVP and had the Rams a win away from Super Bowl 60.
But peel back the layers and one can decipher the why.
Stafford’s flirted with retirement as recently as this offseason, and the 38-year-old’s contract only runs through the 2026 season. The Rams and Stafford are negotiating an extension, but for now they are on a year-to-year basis.
“We've been like that,” Rams coach Sean McVay said to USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday when asked if Stafford is playing on year-to-year basis. “You'll probably see us put another year in there as kind of a placeholder, like we've done each of the last couple years. But he's earned the right to be able to be on a year-to-year basis, and that's something that we're comfortable with out of respect for him. And hopefully he continues to say, every year, ‘I'm ready to go again.’”
Stafford is “ready to go again” this year. Beyond 2026 is uncertain.
The Rams provided somewhat of a clue into their long-term quarterback plans during the 2025 draft when they traded their first-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2026 first rounder. Ironically, the Rams used the pick they acquired from Atlanta to draft Simpson on Thursday. In March, the Rams dealt their own pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in a blockbuster deal to get cornerback Trent McDuffie.
“I think you're always talking about those types of things,” McVay said when asked if the Rams have a succession plan at QB prior to the 2026 draft.
McVay and general manager Les Snead told reporters on Thursday that they had a conversation with Stafford about their decision to select Simpson.
1. Las Vegas Raiders – QB Fernando Mendoza, IndianaThe first round of the 2026 NFL Draft brings franchise‑defining moments as teams make their selections from the top of the board.See how picks 1 through 32 came off the clock as the next generation of NFL talent enters the league.
Kansas City Chiefs (from Browns) − CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
Washington Commanders − LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
New Orleans Saints − WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Cleveland Browns (from Chiefs) − OL Spencer Fano, Utah
Giants (from Cincinnati Bengals) − OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
Dallas Cowboys (from Dolphins) − S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Miami Dolphins (from Cowboys) − OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama