Sean McVay's convincing performance throws fans off scent of rookie target

The Los Angeles Rams have MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford and backup quarterback Stetson Bennett under contract through 2026. In 2027, LA's quarterback room is bare. That's right, the same quarterback room that boasted Stafford, Bennett, and veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is emptied in just one year.

And that is a huge matter for the team to address this offseason.

But who may be targeted by Los Angeles in the draft? Will the team abandon past practice and draft a quarterback in 2026? While the team has been linked repeatedly to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, a recent interview by NFL celebrity Kay Adams with head coach Sean McVay seems to put a damper on those rumors.

Or do they?

At the 13th overall pick, 12 other NFL teams have a direct impact on who will be on the board. And even if a team is not interested in selecting a quarterback, another NFL team may be so eager as to trade up to select a quarterback.

If that happens, you can bet the target is Ty Simpson. That is not a scenario LA wants to happen.

LA Rams are wise to downplay interest in Ty Simpson

While mock drafts frequently showcase rookie quarterback Ty Simpson coming off the board earlier and earlier, it's still a shrewd strategy for the LA Rams to downplay any interest in selecting him, even if their hearts are sold on doing so. But even NFL draft experts struggle. Simpson is projected to come off the board as early as the top five selections in the draft, all the way to a late Day 1 selection.

But as soon as NFL teams believe they have LA's interest in Simpson accurately portrayed, they will know when they need to land in the selection order to ensure selecting him. And that is something Los Angeles may not wish to happen.

Like it or not, the Horns quarterback depth is dangerously thin right now. LA has two quarterbacks on the roster. One was unable to participate in training camp due to a back injury last season. The other has yet to take a single snap in a regular-season game.

Despite the lack of fervor over quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft, this team will never have a better vantage point to select the best rookie prospect. If that player is Ty Simpson, why wouldn't LA want to get him on the roster this year?

Head coach Sean McVay knows more about the top 200 rookie prospects in this draft than they know about themselves. Don't believe for a moment that he does not know everything about Ty Simpson. Need more proof? He immediately pivots to rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza as a fun watch as well.

Mendoza is the consensus projected top pick in this draft.

Sean McVay's convincing performance may have thrown fans off the scent of rookie quarterback Ty Simpson. But upon closer examination, it's a dramatic performance that simply wasn't convincing enough when held up to the light.

Ty Simpson may not be the team's selection at the 13th overall pick, but he is certainly on the radar. And as the offseason unfolds., selecting a quarterback in Round 1 makes more and more sense.

As always, thanks for reading.