Dan Orlovsky victory dance over Ty Simpson selection annoys draft guru Mel Kiper

He helped to coach up Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff to read defenses for head coach Sean McVay. So it's fair to conclude that NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky has earned a reputation for reading films and knowing what McVay is looking for. So when he gave a ringing endorsement of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, many fans scoffed and refused to listen.

But McVay listened.

When LA made the selection of Simpson official at 13, Orlossaky jumped out of his seat, high-fiving everyone else in the ESPN broadcast booth as though he was present in the Rams draft room. His colleagues all good-naturedly joined in with the celebration, with the exception of NFL draft guru Mel Kiper.

In his most surly voice, Kiper commented: "That's a reach, but grats!" And so, the Rams' 13th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft became official.

In his celebration, Orlovsky legitimized his endorsement of the Alabama quarterback with an openly emotional celebration. That's all fans need to know that there was no misdirection in play. Orlovsky, just like other NFL analysts, clearly had a strong opinion about Simpson at 13.

Mel Kiper only supports prospects to teams he projects

While it's true that Mel Kiper changed the course of the NFL draft forever, his endorsement rings a bit hollow when put to the test. He mocks the NFL draft, then applauds those teams that follow his script. If any team dares to deviate, his criticism is swift and severe.

Early reactions from fans align with Kiper. Many fans hate the pick, do not respect Simpson, and hold both general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay in contempt. As one fan put it:

"You can take the pick out of Atlanta, but you can't take Atlanta out of the pick"

disgruntled Rams fan

Well, that may be so. But no fans offered a better solution for LA's quarterback conundrum. The room empties in 2027. Can Los Angeles hope that they will be able to draft a quarterback late in the next draft? Or is their plan to shop free agency in hopes of recycling a discarded quarterback?

It's impossible to know how Simpson will pan out. But the vitriol for his selection is no different than the rejections voiced by fans over the selection of Byron Young and Kovie Turner in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. They panned out okay.

Many fans are waiting for real evidence and not chiming in with emotional reactions that are pointless. They are not celebrating with Dan Orlovsky. They are not griping like Mal Kiper. Ultimately, the team addressed a huge need. Unfortunately, not many fans are rallying behind the team over it.

As always, thanks for reading.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow