NFL Confidential: Execs Make Sense of Rams' Simpson Pick, Draft's Top Steal, More

The 2026 NFL Draft might not have had the juice that some other recent draft classes have had, but there were still several enticing storylines that developed around the league over the three-day event this weekend. No storyline had people around the league buzzing more than what the Los Angeles Rams did with the 13th overall pick, though. After the Rams surprisingly took Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with their first-round pick, we asked several people around the NFL why the move could've made sense for Los Angeles. We also asked our sources across the league who they think won the draft, which pick was the biggest steal and what might come next this offseason. So, here's what we learned after speaking with executives, scouts and even a player. *** Why Ty Simpson pick makes sense for Rams Eric D. Williams: Sean McVay was not his usual chipper self when addressing reporters after the Los Angeles Rams selected the heir apparent to MVP Matthew Stafford with the surprise pick of the draft. In a much better mood on the second day of the draft, McVay acknowledged he was "grumpy." And for good reason, having to tell Stafford the Rams were taking a quarterback in the opening round instead of an impact player that could help the Rams in their quest to win another Super Bowl as the current betting favorite to win the big game. "Let’s make one thing clear, this is Matthew’s team," a stoic McVay said on Thursday night. While acknowledging that Stafford wasn’t necessarily thrilled by the selection, McVay said the No. 13 pick was essentially an extra pick achieved by trading down last year with the Atlanta Falcons so they could take edge rusher James Pearce Jr. in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Rams moved down to the second round and selected tight end Terrance Ferguson, who McVay said they would have taken in the first round had they stayed and picked. "To move back and to still get the guy that we wanted, and then to basically be able to get an extra pick," McVay said. "And then oh by the way, with your original one, go get a player like [cornerback] Trent McDuffie. … We’re always going to make decisions that we think are best for the short and the long term. We will be excited to be able to get to work with him. That’s where we're at." League sources I spoke with agreed that the move was prudent for the Rams, selecting a potential quarterback of the future in the first round when considering Stafford’s age and injury history. However, those sources also had concerns with how Stafford would react to the situation, similar to a prickly Aaron Rodgers dealing with the Green Bay Packers selecting Jordan Love in the first round, and the opportunity cost lost by not selecting an impact player who can help the Rams chase a Super Bowl now, like USC receiver Makai Lemon. "They gave him a heads up it could happen," an NFL personnel executive who has been in a similar situation told me. "It’s a good roster-building move when you have a 38-year-old quarterback with an unpredictable back." The personnel executive also pointed to the Rams using their original first-round selection, along with third, fifth and sixth-round picks, to secure Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie in a trade before the draft, an obvious need where the Rams struggled in the NFC Championship loss to the Seattle Seahawks. "They got McDuffie," the personnel executive said. "He will help much more right now than a rookie at any position." *** NFL player wonders what Rams' pick of Ty Simpson means for Sean McVay Williams: An NFL player I spoke with not only wondered about the impact the drafting of Simpson will have on Stafford, who still has one year left on his contract at $40 million this year and is currently in negotiations working on extending a new deal, but also for McVay. "The McVay angle is interesting, because if he is not planning on sticking around, this is essentially a pick for the next head coach," the player said. "But maybe this is a way to get him excited about staying and not riding off into the sunset with Matthew." McVay, 40, has publicly flirted with retirement in the past. There were multiple offseasons following the Rams' Super Bowl-winning 2021 season in which his future seemed to be uncertain, but he and general manager Les Snead signed extensions in February. As for the Rams' long-term plan at quarterback, McVay said the 38-year-old Stafford is his quarterback for as long as he wants to play. McVay wanted Jimmy Garoppolo to return as the team’s backup, but he’s mulling retirement. McVay said Simpson will compete with Stetson Bennett for the backup job. While the player I spoke with believes Simpson was a first-round pick, evaluations were mixed on whether he could be a viable, long-term starter in the NFL. The player I spoke with thought No. 13 was a bit rich for Simpson and wondered about the impact the selection would have on Stafford’s long-term relationship with McVay and the rest of the organization. "I’m not surprised he was a first-rounder, but I am surprised they took him at 13," the player said. "Could they have traded down and picked him later? The thing that is clear is this: It’s the best thing that could’ve ever happened to Ty Simpson. He gets to have at least one season with Matthew Stafford and be coached by Sean. "I have to believe Matthew Stafford isn’t that excited about it, though. Nothing against Ty, but it sure would be nice to get a first-rounder that can help you go win a Super Bowl. It reminds me a little bit of how Steve Young probably felt when the 49ers drafted Jim Druckenmiller." Added another league source: "I think he will be a good backup or low-end starter. A lot like Drew Lock or Jacoby Brissett." The Rams also benefit from Stafford’s willingness to take less money than he’s worth. Stafford’s $40 million annual salary is 14th among quarterbacks. Part of the reason Stafford takes less is to allow the Rams to add more talent in their Super Bowl window. But how does Stafford feel great about the franchise using his financial flexibility in adding a backup quarterback in the first round instead of a receiver that can help him move the football on game days, particularly as he negotiates a new deal? "Given his experience in this league, he knows how it works and I think that’s really cool," said Tony Pastoors, the Rams COO and chief contract negotiator, when I asked about the flexibility that Stafford’s contract provides at the annual NFL owners meetings last month. "It does allow us to do some things – add Trent McDuffie and some of those things – because Matthew understands the mechanisms. He’s willing to work with you to help create that flexibility because Matthew wants to win. His goal is no different than ours, and that’s to bring another Lombardi back to L.A." *** Same old Jets? Or can another ‘great’ draft finally lead to some wins? Ralph Vacchiano: The Jets had a strong draft that got good reviews, especially in the first round, where they likely landed three starters and likely impact players. Maybe that’s enough to finally jump-start their rebuilding project and make them competitive. Then again, haven’t we heard all this before? "The problem with the Jets is we say the same thing every few years," one rival NFL executive told me. "They have a transformative draft. They get some serious players. Then, a few years later, they blow it all up and start over again." Case in point: The 2022 Jets draft, which netted them cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson in Round 1 and running back Breece Hall in Round 2. That was supposed to be their core of the future. But they’ve gone 22-46 since then, and a new general manager and coach traded Gardner and Johnson away. Will it be any different with the Jets’ Class of 2026, which included three first-rounders — edge David Bailey (at No. 2), tight end Kenyon Sadiq (No. 16) and wide receiver Omar Cooper (No. 31), plus cornerback D’Angelo Ponds in the second round? "It’s hard not to do well when you have high picks, and when you trade away a lot of players for more picks," one scout told me. "But I do like that group. With those four and all the changes they made on defense in free agency, they have the pieces to be competitive. "But they also have the same problem they always have: No quarterback. Until they solve that position, they won’t get anywhere. *** How much did the Giants love Jeremiyah Love? Maybe enough to take him at 5 Vacchiano: The Giants were surprised that edge rusher Arvell Reese was available for them to take with the No. 5 pick in the draft. They expected him to go in the top four, in part because, as GM Joe Schoen revealed, he was the top-rated non-quarterback on their draft board. But not by much. Running back Jeremiyah Love, who was taken by the Cardinals at No. 3, had "basically the same grade" as Reese, a team source told me. So what would’ve happened if both Reese and Love had been available at 5? We may never know, but the internal debate in the run-up to the draft had been fascinating. Love obviously had some strong support in the Giants organization, and Harbaugh was believed to be one of his biggest boosters. The coach had a powerful rushing attack in Baltimore behind Derrick Henry, and he wants to rebuild that kind of offense in New York. But there are others in the organization who believe strongly in "positional value" — particularly Schoen, who was assumed by most to favor Reese. The fifth pick in the draft will get a contract worth a guaranteed $47.8 million. That’s $11.8 million more guaranteed than any running back has ever gotten before. "It’s a terrible use of assets," one general manager told me. "Obviously, you can find 1,000-yard rushers for much less. You have to really believe [Love] is a Hall of Fame talent and can transform your team immediately. Because financially, you’re saying he’s 33% better than [Saquon] Barkley. And he’s not." "I don’t know what the Giants would have done," a scout told me. "But sometimes you just have to take the talent and ignore the cost. He’s a special running back. Forget the finances. It’s about: What can he do for you?" That’s probably the debate the Giants were having for weeks. The Cardinals prevented the world from finding out how it would have turned out. *** Cowboys might have gotten the ‘steal’ of the draft Vacchiano: Jerry Jones called safety Caleb Downs a "prize" that they couldn’t pass up when they saw him falling in the first round. That’s why he traded two fifth-round picks to the Dolphins to move up from 12 to 11 to get him. That was a small price to pay for a player that multiple NFL sources told me was a "steal." "I know he was the top [non-quarterback] on a few boards around the league," one scout told me. "I get that nobody wants to draft a safety high, but this dude is more than a safety. He’s a weapon back there. He’s Kyle Hamilton (the Ravens’ three-time All-Pro), only maybe more explosive." "They got some serious value that far down," a general manager told me. "I know you had to take the edge rushers first, but he’s more of a difference maker than Sonny Styles (the linebacker that went to Washington at 7). He can cover, he can blitz, he can play the run. You can deploy him like a corner or a linebacker. He can do it all. "I’m sure the Commanders and Giants are happy with who they got," an NFL defensive coordinator told me. "But they are going to hate having to play against this guy twice a year." *** Bye-bye A.J. Brown: Eagles draft made it clear they’ll be trading their No. 1 receiver Vacchiano: The A.J. Brown trade to the New England Patriots has been rumored for months, even as the Philadelphia Eagles have tried to downplay the possibility. They were dismissive of it when they signed veteran wide receiver Hollywood Brown. And they brushed it off when they traded for wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks. But after they traded up in the first round to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers to USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, there’s almost no point in denying it now. "I guess the only question is what they’ll get," an NFL assistant general manager told me. "And maybe whether someone else, like the Rams, swoops in at the last minute and offers a better deal. "But I tell you what: It sure would be interesting if they don’t trade him. We know they can run. I’m sure the line will be better than last year. It’s the passing game that they haven’t really been able to work consistently the last few years. Some of that is because they’ve never had a reliable third receiver. It’s been all Brown and [DeVonta] Smith. "Well, now they’ve got Wicks, Lemon, maybe Hollywood to stretch the field. That’s more than enough without Brown. But they sure would be dangerous if they kept him." *** Garrett Nussmeier’s long wait might have a big payoff Vacchiano: Heading into the draft, it looked like LSU's Garrett Nussmeier would be the third or fourth quarterback taken. Some thought he had a chance to go as early as the third round. Instead, nine quarterbacks were taken before him, including Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. He wasn’t picked until the seventh round and with the 249th overall pick. But he may have landed in the perfect spot. He was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs, giving him a chance to learn from Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. "If he has any ability to play in this league, that’s the place for him," one scout told me. "Nobody’s better than [Reid.] That kid will sit for four years, but he’s going to learn a ton." Nussmeier dropped in the draft mostly because medical tests at the combine reportedly revealed a cyst on his spine, which caused the oblique pain he played through most of last season. He may need a medical procedure, which will keep him out two-to-three weeks, but he’s expected to be ready to go for the start of camp. "I think the medical thing just put it over the top for a lot of teams," one general manager told me. "He had some mechanical issues and I heard some of his interviews weren’t great. Put that with his play last season and then the [cyst] and it gave teams a reason to pass."