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2026 NFL Draft Recap: Why the Rams Just Made the Worst First-Round Pick in Ty Simpson

Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar24/04/2026 - 04:49 pm
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 23: Ty Simpson of Alabama poses for a photo after being selected 13th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

The 2026 NFL Draft started last night with the No. 1 pick everyone expected since January coming to fruition with the Las Vegas Raiders selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. But every other pick was a real crapshoot, and if you listened to the discourse about this draft class, some picks are real crap.

But after seeing the first round play out, comparing it to our mock draft this week, it doesn’t look that bad. In fact, the lack of blue-chip talent and proven prospects may have made teams draft for need instead of risking a best player available pick more than usual in the first round. A real “I’m leaving here with something” draft, to paraphrase Denzel.

While we only nailed the top two picks (Mendoza and David Bailey) and the Ravens using the No. 14 pick on guard Vega Ioane, our mock draft still nailed a lot of the positions the teams ended up drafting regardless if it was the same player or not:

  • No. 5: The Giants picked the other Ohio State linebacker (Arvell Reese) instead of Sonny Styles.
  • No. 6: The Chiefs did in fact go corner right away with Mansoor Delane, the top prospect, after a trade up.
  • No. 9: The Browns still got their offensive tackle (Spencer Fano) at No. 9 instead of No. 6 after the trade with the Chiefs.
  • No. 15: The Buccaneers took the other Miami edge rusher (Rueben Bain) instead of Akheem Mesidor since Bain was still available to the shock of many.
  • No. 17: The Lions took an offensive tackle (Blake Miller) since Kadyn Proctor was already gone at No. 12 to Miami.
  • No. 21: With Blake Miller off the board, the Steelers settled for Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor.
  • No. 22: Since Mesidor was still on the board, that’s who the Chargers got as the top edge rusher available instead of Keldric Faulk.
  • No. 24: The Browns got a different wide receiver (KC Concepcion) than the one we gave them (Omar Cooper Jr.).
  • No. 25: The Bears got a different safety (Dillon Thieneman) than the one we gave them (Emmanuel McNeil-Warren) since Thieneman was still on the board.
  • No. 30: We had the Jets taking WR Makai Lemon at No. 16, but instead they used that pick on a pass catcher (TE Kenyon Sadiq) and traded back up to No. 30 to take wideout Omar Cooper Jr.
  • No. 32: While we gave the Seahawks a corner, we did specifically mention they could take running back Jadarian Price, which they did to replace Kenneth Walker.

For a draft class that was supposed to be so unpredictable, it actually wasn’t that crazy of a night based on prospect rankings and team needs.

That’s why it was so stunning to see the Los Angeles Rams, the Super Bowl 61 favorites, make the worst pick of the night by using the No. 13 pick on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson when they have an MVP in Matthew Stafford in a shrinking Super Bowl window.

We’ll start with that pick and then run through the other key storylines from the first round of the 2026 draft.

I Liked the Rams Better As the “F Those Draft Picks” Team

Under GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay, the Rams have notoriously shipped draft picks for trades to get veteran players, including such a move this offseason when they sent the No. 29 pick to the Chiefs for proven corner Trent McDuffie.

But with the Rams holding the No. 13 pick thanks to last year’s trade with Atlanta, the Rams made the most shocking move of the night when they drafted quarterback Ty Simpson. He has already been designated as the future replacement for Matthew Stafford when he retires. Stafford is 38, but nothing like trying to push the reigning MVP off the plane faster than drafting his replacement.

Tell us how you really feel, Sean McVay.

In some ways, I hate this pick more than two years ago when Atlanta doubled its quarterback resources by paying for Kirk Cousins in free agency and using the No. 8 pick on Michael Penix Jr. At least they were giving themselves two shots at the position.

By drafting Simpson, the Rams willingly spent a pick that’s for the future in a year where they’re trying to unseat Seattle and win another Super Bowl with a 38-year-old quarterback who could still have 2-4 more seasons in him. You don’t know when the end is coming unless he’s hinted at it in private that 2026 could be the last ride.

Even then, why would you spend the pick on a second-round level prospect in Simpson? When we covered him last month, he comes off as someone with minimal experience (one season), who faded down the stretch, not a big runner like most prospects these days at quarterback, and he didn’t come close to putting up the numbers recent Alabama quarterbacks did before joining the NFL.

Sure, Simpson is getting drafted into a great situation where he can watch and learn for a few years, then presumably take over in a McVay offense with Puka Nacua as his main weapon (assuming his off-field life doesn’t implode). There’s no denying that it’s a great thing for Simpson, but it’s not good at all for the 2026 Rams.

Add Rueben Bain to the pass rush rotation as he could soon be your best edge along with Jared Verse. Draft another wideout like Makai Lemon. Hell, draft another Oregon tight end (Kenyon Sadiq) even though you still haven’t developed your 2025 Oregon tight end (Terrance Ferguson). Could have had a young offensive tackle too (multiple options).

That might end up being the saving grace for the Rams here. If you look at the players drafted in the middle of the round and in the early 20s, the next 10 picks after Simpson, they may not have missed too many difference makers for 2026.

But Simpson won’t make a difference in 2026 barring a Stafford injury. Beyond that, one of the best reasons to draft a quarterback in the first round is you can play him on a cheap rookie contract for three or four years before you have to give him a huge extension if he’s doing well. That helps you with building up the rest of the team by signing high-price free agents. The Rams will lose some of that value if Simpson is sitting for several years.

Teams still fool themselves into this fairytale that they can go from franchise quarterback to franchise quarterback when most teams wait decades to find one such guy (see Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns). Not everyone can parlay Joe Montana into Steve Young, or Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love.

The Broncos once drafted Tommy Maddox in the first round while John Elway was still in his early 30s. Tell me how that one ended up. You are more likely to see Ty Simpson compare to when the 2014 Patriots drafted Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round when Tom Brady was going into his age-37 season. Brady won the Super Bowl that season, didn’t leave until 2020, and Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers in 2017.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 23: Ty Simpson of Alabama poses for a photo after being selected 13th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

Succession was just a great HBO series. Succession plans in the NFL simply don’t work at quarterback most of the time, and they aren’t even worth wasting resources for. Ride that franchise quarterback until he’s completely empty. When he’s gone, you start the search over and it’s likely going to be difficult. Look at the Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger retired.

The Rams have long been the team that’s showed little interest in the future, but suddenly they cared enough to use the No. 13 pick in a season where they’re the Super Bowl favorite on a quarterback who might only be a second-round pick in a normal draft.

Terrible process. Poor value at No. 13. Easily the worst pick of the night. You let those teams like the Steelers and Jets, more famous exes for Aaron Rodgers, fight over Ty Simpson.

You still have the reigning MVP. Draft accordingly.

2026 NFL Draft: Teams with Multiple First-Round Picks

There were seven teams that used multiple first-round picks last night. Let’s rank from best to worst on the haul those teams made.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

  • No. 6 CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
  • No. 29 DT Peter Woods (Clemson)

With two picks in the first round, this 2026 draft should be a crucial one for the Chiefs as they navigate their first offseason after a losing season under Andy Reid. They can’t afford to botch these and I don’t think they did.

Was it a perfect night? No, you ideally never trade away that third-round pick to move up from No. 9 to No. 6. But as I said in the cornerback preview this week, the Saints very well could have drafted LSU’s Mansoor Delane at No. 8, so the Chiefs made sure they got the top-ranked corner as their Trent McDuffie replacement pick.

Then with the No. 29 pick, they could have doubled up at corner or tried a wideout, but they took arguably the best defensive tackle in Peter Woods from Clemson. He can learn and play next to Chris Jones, and possibly replace him one day as the leader up front.

Steve Spagnuolo needed pieces to work with on the defense to build them back up, and it looks like the Chiefs have come through for him with a high second-round pick (No. 40) to come next. Don’t be surprised if they go corner again.

2. Cleveland Browns

  • No. 9 OT Spencer Fano (Utah)
  • No. 24 WR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)

Feel like the Browns quietly had one of the best nights of any team. They picked up a third-round pick from the Chiefs to move down to No. 9 where they still got a top tackle prospect in Spencer Fano from Utah. Great pick.

Then they used the No. 24 pick on KC Concepcion at wide receiver. Look for him to play the Zay Flowers role in Todd Monken’s offense. Between Concepcion and tight end Harold Fannin, the Browns have some young pieces who can catch a bunch of balls quickly and help out whoever the quarterback is going to be in 2026.

3. Tennessee Titans

  • No. 4 WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
  • No. 31 EDGE Keldric Faulk (Auburn)

While many thought the Titans would draft running back Jeremiyah Love, the Cardinals removed that from the equation at No. 3. So, the Titans had +5000 odds at some sportsbooks to use the No. 4 pick on wide receiver Carnell Tate, yet that’s exactly what they did.

The odds shouldn’t have been that high. You’re talking about a team trying to make its second-year quarterback feel more comfortable and have better weapons. Why not give him the top-ranked receiver in this class when his No. 1 is still Calvin Ridley? Not a bad move at all even if I have some reservations about how ready Tate is to become a WR1 in the NFL when he never was in college on loaded teams. Even Marvin Harrison Jr. has struggled in Arizona to adjust so far.

But then the Titans came back up with a trade to get Keldric Faulk, who slid a little as Auburn’s edge rusher and one of the best on the board. They get the fifth-year option on him too by making him a first-round pick.

4. Dallas Cowboys

  • No. 11 S Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
  • No. 23 EDGE Malachi Lawrence (UCF)

The Cowboys actually held the No. 12 and No. 20 picks originally but made a couple of trades that seemed to have worked out for them.

I really like the pickup of Caleb Downs at safety to give them a playmaker in the secondary again after losing a lot there in recent years. Then they traded with the Eagles to move down and get an edge rusher in Malachi Lawrence. Unlikely he’ll ever reach Micah Parsons’ level, but it’s a step in the right direction for this Dallas defense.

5. New York Giants

  • No. 5 LB Arvell Reese (Ohio State)
  • No. 10 OT/G Francis Mauigoa (Miami)

The Giants essentially traded defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence for Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, a right tackle who is likely to start at guard in the NFL. Would you make that trade again if you knew that fact? I’m not sure you would if you’re the Giants.

But having two top 10 picks made the Giants one of the top two teams to watch Thursday night with John Harbaugh taking over as head coach. But I think GM Joe Schoen may have goofed in getting Arvell Reese and Mauigoa, especially a year after drafting Abdul Carter on the edge and saying you’re moving Mauigoa to guard.

My proposed picks for the Giants were to take two Ohio State defenders in Sonny Styles at No. 5 and safety Caleb Downs at No. 10, and both were right there waiting when the Giants went in other directions.

My thought process all along was to get Harbaugh his 2026 equivalent of Ray Lewis/Ed Reed and Roquan Smith/Kyle Hamilton. We’ll see who got it right in a few years, but the Giants letting Dallas get Downs makes this feel even more egregious. Reese just feels like someone with a huge bust risk too given his lack of production and any takeaways in college.

6. New York Jets

  • No. 2 DE David Bailey (Texas Tech)
  • No. 16 TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
  • No. 30 WR Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana)

It’s always easy to be skeptical of the Jets doing the right thing in the draft, but this one is tricky given their current team makeup.

On the one hand, I applaud them for following my lead and drafting David Bailey instead of Arvell Reese at No. 2. I think Bailey is the higher floor prospect and has potential to be a consistent pass rusher.

But the other two picks are difficult to judge when you know an old Geno Smith is coming back to quarterback the Jets. He really struggled with the Raiders, so how much can he really get out of a project tight end in Kenyon Sadiq, and then Omar Cooper Jr. is another player who saw Curt Cignetti’s system in Indiana prop him up.

On paper, Sadiq and Cooper can make for a good receiving trio with Garrett Wilson, but Smith gives you great pause.

7. Miami Dolphins

  • No. 12 OT Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
  • No. 27 CB Chris Johnson (San Diego State)

I can already tell I’m going to pick a very low win total for this Miami team under Jeff Hafley. But for a team that lost Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who is new quarterback Malik Willis going to throw to for any good plays? Hopefully the Dolphins go wide receiver on Friday night, but they passed on a chance to get Makai Lemon at No. 12 and then again to get Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 27.

Instead, they got a big tackle from Alabama in Kadyn Proctor, and corner Chris Johnson was more of a second-round prospect who might be fortunate to be a top four corner in this draft. Yet, the Dolphins made him CB2 on the night.

Beyond neglecting wide receiver, they neglected the pass rush after losing Bradley Chubb. They could have drafted Rueben Bain at No. 12 or Keldric Faulk at No. 27.

You tell me which pair you’d rather have?

  • Miami’s Haul (OT Kadyn Proctor and CB Chris Johnson)
  • Alternate No. 1 (WR Makai Lemon and OT Caleb Lomu)
  • Alternate No. 2 (EDGE Rueben Bain and WR Omar Cooper Jr.)
  • Alternate No. 3 (WR Makai Lemon and EDGE Keldric Faulk)

I don’t trust Miami to make the right moves, new regime or not.

Jeremiyah Love: The Most Expensive Rookie RB in NFL History

The Arizona Cardinals had the first surprise of the night when they used the No. 3 pick on running back Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) despite already having James Conner and Tyler Allgeier in the backfield.

Love is one of the best players in this draft, but as the highest drafted running back since Saquon Barkley, he’s going to earn roughly $53.9M in guaranteed salary as the No. 3 pick in 2026, a record for a running back by a wide margin.

This has led to fans calling him the most expensive rookie running back in NFL history, which seems to make up most of the criticism of the pick for Arizona.

Maybe in a normal year, this would be a valid point. But in the 2026 draft, the Cardinals had few other options with the No. 3 pick provided they couldn’t find a willing trade partner to take this burden away:

  • Do they really draft another Ohio State wide receiver (Carnell Tate) when they already have weapons and are struggling to make Marvin Harrison Jr. work from that school?
  • Should they have paid this much for an off-ball linebacker like Sonny Styles, or risked taking someone like Arvell Reese, who had no takeaways in college?
  • Was Mansoor Delane really worth the No. 3 pick this year, and can you trust him to hold up in that division against Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Mike Evans?

It wasn’t a good spot to be in, but I think the Cardinals did about the best they could. They know they’re not going to have a good team this year in such a tough division with a rookie coach (Mike LaFleur) and probably running it back with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback.

But Love is someone who can make great highlight-worthy plays. He’ll sell merch and put butts in seats, which matters to a business too, especially for a team that’s not seriously competing for the Super Bowl in February.

Some people are still leaning a bit too heavy in never investing any resources into running backs, but we’ll see if Love can live up to the hype.

But one problem here for Arizona is that he’ll forever be judged against his Notre Dame teammate Jadarian Price, who just happened to go No. 32 to close the first round to rival Seattle where he’ll replace Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. It’s the first time ever where the top two running backs in a draft went to the same school.

That means Love and Price will largely face the same schedule each year and be compared all the time. Price is entering a better situation with a better offensive line too, and that is a big reason why Love could struggle as the line isn’t up to par yet. See Ashton Jeanty in Las Vegas last year and how that can limit a talented back.

But we’ll see what Love can do. Yes, he’s the most expensive running back in some metrics in NFL history, but it’s not like you’re being asked to pay him. Sit back and enjoy when the Cardinals end up in a national game and you have to watch their offense operate.

Vikings Are Runner-Up for Worst Pick of the Night

Always a bridesmaid, the Minnesota Vikings will have to settle for second place when it comes to making the worst pick of the night after the Rams with Ty Simpson.

With the No. 18 pick, the Vikings drafted Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks, who had a dominant 2024 but was limited to three games due to injury in 2025. He reportedly had just an 18% chance to go in the first round anywhere, so this felt like a big reach by Minnesota.

You know from our safety preview that Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman was a favorite pick here to replace Harrison Smith as one of the best athletes in this class with the production to match at two different schools. Instead, they’ll have to hope Banks can look more like the player he was in 2024.

To make matters worse, Thieneman slipped to No. 25 where the Chicago Bears snatched him up, so they now have the versatile safety on their side in the NFC North.

Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia: Steelers Settle for Offensive Tackle (As Do Many)

Pittsburgh hosted the NFL draft and broke a record for the largest attendance (320,000). But it may not be a draft to remember for Steelers fans as far as the selections go. Things got off to a bumpy start on Thursday night when their quarterback plan was blown up when the Rams took Ty Simpson at No. 13, though I think that’ll work to their benefit in the long run that they didn’t have to make that Kenny Pickett-type of pick again.

But then it looked like the Steelers would land USC wideout Makai Lemon at No. 21 to serve as the slot receiver with D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. But while the Steelers were on the phone with Lemon, the Eagles traded up with the Cowboys in a rare NFC East trade to get the No. 20 pick.

The Eagles drafted Lemon, which likely signals the A.J. Brown trade is happening in June. That’s an interesting one as I’m not convinced DeVonta Smith and Lemon are a better duo than Smith and Brown, but obviously there’s been some rumblings and pouting with that relationship, so it probably is time for something new. Still, I’m surprised the Eagles weren’t another team to take an offensive tackle.

But while the Eagles did that, the Steelers seemingly caved and settled by drafting Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. He was ranked close to Blake Miller, the tackle I picked for the Steelers, who went No. 17 to Detroit.

It’s not that Iheanachor is a bad prospect, but it’s also quite clear the Steelers didn’t have their eyes on him as he wasn’t brought in for a pre-draft visit nor did top brass attend his pro day.

When we covered the offensive tackle prospects this year, the consensus was the class was deep, but there weren’t many high-end offensive tackles available. In the end, seven offensive tackles were drafted in the first round. We already covered several in Spencer Fano (Browns), Francis Mauigoa (Giants), and Kadyn Proctor (Dolphins).

  • The Lions used the No. 17 pick on Blake Miller (Clemson), who pays right tackle, which means Penei Sewell is likely going to make that switch to left tackle at an interesting point in his respected career.
  • The Panthers used the No. 19 pick on Monroe Freeling (Georgia), which is good value for a left tackle for a player with top 10 potential. The Panthers had some injuries on the line and he can step in right away there.
  • The Patriots drafted Will Campbell last year and used the No. 28 pick this year on Utah’s other good tackle in Caleb Lomu. 

Let’s just hope Lomu leaves the dance moves at home, or Drake Maye will take even more sacks this year.

The NFL needs some fresh blood at offensive tackle, but it’s been a tough position coming out of college where the RPOs are so often used and now you’re being asked to block superior athletes for longer.

With the way the NFL is, these seven tackles will likely result in three outright busts, an injury-prone player who never reaches his full potential, someone who makes one or two Pro Bowls, and maybe a stud or two.

We’ll see who got it right and who just turned the name in to beat the clock.

Two Hurricanes Go Later Than Expected

Do good things come to those who wait? A couple of edge rushers who helped the Miami Hurricanes to an appearance in the national championship game had an interesting first round after they went a little later than expected.

Rueben Bain Jr. could have easily been in the top 10 picks, but everyone from the Chiefs to the Commanders to the Cowboys and Ravens passed on him before the Buccaneers scooped him up at No. 15 to give Todd Bowles a new toy at edge rusher.

Akheem Mesidor actually had more sacks (12.5) than Bain did last year, and he was my pick for Tampa at No. 15 with the thought that Bain would already be gone. But with Bain going at No. 15, Mesidor fell to No. 22 in another spot that needed a pass rusher in the Chargers with an aging Khalil Mack there.

I like both of these moves, and one of the bigger storylines from this draft should be if these players should have gone sooner or not, especially in the case of Bain. Analysts are so concerned with his size, but you can insert the famous quote about how it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but whether he’s “got that dawg” in him.

Bain just might have it, and he could be what Shaq Barrett once was for Bowles in Tampa.

Final Thoughts

Having covered most of the picks to some degree, here are some final thoughts on the rest of the first-round selections:

  • LB Sonny Styles (Ohio State), No. 7, Washington: They were pretty cornered with this pick given the board, but if he can turn into the next Bobby Wagner for Dan Quinn, then it should be a good pick. Just not one likely to put the Commanders over the top.
  • WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State), No. 8, New Orleans: Tyler Shough should be happy as long as Tyson can stay healthy. He makes for a good WR2 option next to Chris Olave in Kellen Moore’s offense.
  • G Vega Ioane (Penn State), No. 14, Baltimore: Nailed this pick as the Ravens look to fix their interior with a huge lineman that should keep Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry happy.
  • G Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech), No. 26, Houston: Maybe a little reach here, but the Texans get a big and physical guard as they try to establish a better running game for C.J. Stroud with the addition of David Montgomery from Detroit.

As for Friday night, the top prospect to slip is Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy, which indicates teams are scared of the knee as he should have been a first-round pick otherwise. However, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Chiefs used that No. 40 pick on him, which would give them the top two corner prospects in this class, shades of what the Eagles did in 2024 with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

Finally, I think the Steelers are a favorite to take LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier on Friday night. He should be the next quarterback off the board.

We’ll be back on Monday with an overall recap of the 2026 draft.

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Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar24/04/2026 - 04:49 pm