Dan Orlovsky just shared exciting facts that could play huge role in Rams draft

One of the biggest questions facing the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFL Draft is the concern of a true quarterback successor to veteran Matthew Stafford. And whenever that topic comes up, it's impossible to leave Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson's name out of the conversation. After all, ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick has publicly shared the Rams' interest in Simpson.

So any team that may wish to land Ty Simpson in the 2026 NFL Draft already knows that they should plan to select among the first 12 selections of the upcoming draft. And another ESPN NFL analyst, Dan Orlovsky, just gave teams reason to do so.

He asserts that Ty Simpson's tape was better than that of top quarterback prospect Fernando Mendoza through the first eight games of the 2025 college football season.

Whether you wholeheartedly agree or vehemently dispute that claim, one thing is obvious. Los Angeles may never have the opportunity to select Ty Simpson. After all, there are multiple quarterback-needy teams, and there are few solid options available in the 2026 NFL Draft.

There were many new NFL head coaches hired in 2026. They will all want 'their guy' under center. LA may seek a young quarterback, but need is not what is motivating its interest.

Ty Simpson's future NFL career may not begin in Los Angeles

While the LA Rams situation could be ideal for many rookie quarterback prospects, the needs of other NFL teams will come first. That is, the NFL draft offers opportunities for 12 other teams to select their best quarterback option before Los Angeles ever picks. And of the group of teams, as many as five could be shopping for a rookie quarterback.

Only one is a consensus Day 1 selection.

But have no fear. The NFL combine will work its magic. Teams that were on the fence over whether or not to invest in a quarterback often get swept up in the fervor. And even if they are not instantly enamored with a rookie, the threat of another team's interest usually is enough to force their hand.

Pre-combine draft boards had Ty Simpson hovering late in Round 1 or early in Round 2. But after the clamor from the combine sinks in, he could easily end up among the top 10 players selected. That's good news for the Horns.

For every player selected before general manager Les Snead makes his choice, another top prospect falls. That is, only 12 players will be selected before Snead gets to pick. If both Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson are off the board, perhaps one of the other top targets on LA's board falls to them.

In all honesty, that's almost a given.

Los Angeles is in a unique position of having the time to develop a quarterback, not plug and play a rookie. That fact allows the team to consider less-popular quarterback prospects like Miami quarterback Carson Beck or Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.

Simpson's rising stock is not fatal for LA's quarterback succession plan. It may actually be a key contributor to Los Angeles having an incredibly successful draft.

As always, thanks for reading.