Rams 2026 NFL Draft takeaways: Ty Simpson headlines a class of curveballs

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They decided to dip into some of the positional strengths of the draft to create depth and future starting options. And they took Ty Simpson, a draft-and-stash quarterback. Granted, they had already spent one first-round pick in as splashy a way as they could by trading the No. 29 selection to the Kansas City Chiefs in March for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. When you consider McDuffie as part of this draft class, it certainly has a different look to it in terms of impact and the addressing of needs. Here’s a look at how the draft class sizes up. Landing Alabama defensive tackle Tim Keenan III late in the seventh round ended up being a nice outcome for a player The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had a sixth- or seventh-round grade on. It isn’t flashy to take a run-focused nose tackle, but it’s a sneaky depth role on this team. The Rams remade their run defense last year with the addition of nose tackle Poona Ford, but it saw a noticeable drop-off whenever he had to leave the field. With Ford turning 31 this fall and weighing 314 pounds, it makes sense to rotate in a 23-year-old who measures 327 pounds to ensure the unit remains sound. After a draft of early reaches, this was a solid outcome after the team made just one pick in Rounds 4-6, primarily because the team landed a player who can crack the 53-man roster. It was hard to see the Rams taking a tight end in this draft who wasn’t Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq. They landed their alternative in the second round, drafting Ohio State’s Max Klare to join a room that already had Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen, who each scored at least three touchdowns last season. They made it two straight years with a “move” tight end in the second round, too. Given the volume of that room and the slow-developing nature of the tight end position out of college, it’s fair to expect a quieter rookie season from Klare. He will essentially back up Ferguson this season, though he could see some plays designed specifically for him, such as catch-and-run opportunities or run schemes that get him on the move. The pick is really about the strength of this year’s tight end crop in Year 2 of the Rams’ move to three-tight-end sets, which means they can never have too many options at the position. Parkinson and Allen are heading into the final year of their contracts, and Higbee is 33, so  Klare keeps the pipeline loaded up and the room affordable. It’s Simpson. Why did the Rams feel compelled to stash the Alabama quarterback this year, in this draft, with their only top-15 pick in a decade, rather than take an impact player? USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, Sadiq and Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. were options who could have created an immediate impact, with the Rams hoping to return to SoFi Stadium to hoist another Lombardi Trophy this season. The backup quarterback role is important, but they could have addressed it on Day 2 or by signing a veteran such as Tyrod Taylor. Granted, the Rams needed a backup to Matthew Stafford, who is 38 and managing a degenerative back issue. They wanted to get ahead of a retirement that could have them living in quarterback wilderness. But Stafford will decide how much longer he wants to play, and it could be for one more year, possibly three more years or even more, given that he just won the MVP. Simpson needs to sit and learn with only 15 college starts, but he’s already 24 years old, so he could be 26 or 27 by the time he starts his first game. More curious than the timing and approach is the skill set the Rams drafted. They love Simpson’s internal drive and ability to process on the field, but at 6-foot-1, 211 pounds without a big-time arm, he profiles closer to Jared Goff than to Stafford. And the Rams moved heaven and earth to move away from Goff and chase that higher ceiling in Stafford. Granted, they hope to get Simpson starting while on his rookie contract, which would present a different roster build than with Goff or Stafford and allow the team to retain more of its impending free agents that would otherwise be difficult under the salary cap. But Stafford will likely keep playing as long as he wants. The Rams entered the draft needing a third receiver behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and they waited until the sixth round to take one in Miami’s CJ Daniels. Granted, they have a strong track record with mid- and later-round receiver picks after Cooper Kupp and Nacua, and Daniels caught their eye as a big slot with toughness on contested catches. But it’s still a stretch to see a sixth-round rookie filling in for either Nacua or Adams after an injury in a receiver-focused offense in a year with Super Bowl aspirations. Los Angeles had other chances but opted against taking Lemon in the first round to land Simpson and then didn’t come away with one on Day 2, despite circling four different targets on the board, coach Sean McVay said. The Rams supplemented the group by adding Klare in the second round, as they plan to use him and Ferguson more as slot receivers as they continue to live in three-tight-end sets. But one of Daniels, Konata Mumpfield, Jordan Whittington or Xavier Smith is going to need to step up — and soon. The Rams made it clear through their approach that they already saw their roster as Super Bowl-ready entering the draft. That’s a reasonable assessment after they came up just a few yards short of the Super Bowl last season in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, and after addressing their top weakness in the secondary with McDuffie and Jaylen Watson at outside cornerback. But the approach also introduces some risk. The depth is stronger after this weekend at quarterback, tight end, offensive line, defensive line and wide receiver, though a couple of those spots ultimately downgraded by subbing a veteran out for a rookie. The draft class looks substantially better if you consider McDuffie as the 29th pick, which is what the Rams sent out to land him. In that sense, they knocked out the biggest need entering the offseason with a player better than anyone they could have taken out of college. But it’s worth having concerns about what happens if Adams or Nacua suffers an injury. Wide receiver is a position the Rams need to stay aggressive with, and a midseason trade could end up yielding the No. 3 option the team needs now that it is no longer protecting its 2027 draft picks, thanks to the Simpson selection. Top to bottom, this looks like a top-three roster in the league coming out of the draft. The Rams have sky-high aspirations this season, and though the draft class didn’t add to that ceiling, it did raise the floor a tad. And the moves for McDuffie and Watson should have them feeling like they’re firmly in the mix for the Super Bowl so long as they can find some answers on special teams. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms