Ty Simpson has already shrunk the gap between himself and Fernando Mendoza

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the obvious No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Heisman winner, national champion, poster child of dedication and poise.

Ty Simpson, the Los Angeles Rams' pick at 13th overall, was an objective reach. A shocker. An enigma. Even a wasted pick. The guy had one year, one, of starting experience at Alabama.

Fast forward to the end of the preseason and the perceived gap between them has closed significantly. While Mendoza struggled, Simpson balled out. Mendoza looked like a rookie; Simpson was in command. Here's a side-by-side of their individual performances:

Look, no one's saying Simpson is the better prospect, or that their draft positions should have been reversed. All the same, there's plenty reason to believe that Simpson will keep shrinking the delta between himself and the consensus No. 1 pick.

Rams' Ty Simpson clearly outperformed Fernando Mendoza in preseason

Simpson's preseason was even more impressive because the Rams don't play starters or even many significant backups in exhibition games. Stetson Bennett started the first two games; the Rams played almost exclusively rookies, practice-squaders, and roster cuts in the finale.

Simpson hardly even got reps with second-stringers, let alone anyone who will feature in LA's Week 1 starting lineup. He relied on protection from a practice-squad offensive line.

Mendoza, on the other hand, saw reps with first-teamers. Of course, it's fair to point out that Raiders starters might not even be high-end backups on the Rams' stacked roster. These are two franchises in very different stages of development.

Simpson and Mendoza, on the other hand, are not so different; they're both rookie quarterbacks drafted in the first round. Simply put, Simpson outplayed Mendoza all throughout the preseason. 

The latter's numbers aren't weighed down by an awful start followed by an up-trending finish. He struggled to get going in the Raiders' finale against San Francisco; his first three drives totaled seven yards and included an interception. He finished the game seven-of-14 for 57 yards, taking two sacks for a combined 20-yard loss. He posted a 31.0 passer rating.

The last fans saw of Simpson: 18-of-23 for 119 yards and a touchdown, with a rating of 105.2. It wasn't even his best game.

In fact, Simpson played so well as to reignite the Rams' QB2 debate between himself and Bennett. Head coach Sean McVay has yet to name Matthew Stafford's backup.

Rams fans should expect Simpson's rapid growth to continue

The point here isn't to pile on last year's Heisman Trophy winner. Mendoza should have an excellent career as a starting NFL quarterback. The bar is nothing less for first overall draft picks.

The point is simply to say that there isn't nearly so much separating Mendoza from Simpson as the initial narrative suggested, pitting a unanimous No. 1 draft selection against a seemingly egregious reach by the Rams in taking Simpson at 13th. Many mock drafts had Simpson going late in the first round at the earliest.

Watching him in preseason Game 3 against the Chargers, Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts called Simpson the potential "steal of the century."

While that's definitely going overboard, there's nothing to suggest that Simpson won't continue his rapid development under the guidance of McVay and a Rams coaching staff well-known for cultivating quarterbacks. And every week, he'll watch and learn from one of the best in Stafford, the reigning MVP.

Nothing against the Raiders organization, but it's not quite the same for Mendoza looking up to Kirk Cousins and a first-year head coach, even one with a brilliant offensive mind like former Seahawks coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow