If the Rams struggle with injuries to their top pass catchers, Puka Nacua or Davante Adams, the Ty Simpson pick could look a lot worse than it seems.
The Los Angeles Rams shocked the football world on Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick. It was a pick that confused a ton of people, and it didn’t help that head coach Sean McVay looked upset about the pick, either.
Days later, McVay and general manager Les Snead have done some damage control on the pick. Nonetheless, the confusion surrounding the pick is still valid. Why select a player who will not contribute in the 2026 season?
That’s the question many have asked, especially considering the lack of depth at the wide receiver position. As things stand, the Rams only have two reliable options at wide receiver: Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. While they were one of the top duos last season, they lacked the proper help on a week-to-week basis.
One could even go as far as to say that the Rams were a WR3 away from being the team to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. The consensus by many was that the Rams were selecting a wide receiver, like Makai Lemon, and because they didn’t do that, the Simpson selection is a move that could haunt the Rams this season.
The health of Matthew Stafford is the key for the Rams to make a deep playoff push, but so is the health of Nacua and Adams. Adams missed the final three games of the 2025 regular season, including the biggest game at the time, Week 16 against the Seattle Seahawks. That is the game that arguably cost them the No. 1 seed and home field throughout the playoffs.
On top of that, Adams is far from the version we saw at Green Bay. His overall and advanced stats are not in the same starotosphere as they were when he was a Packer. And more importantly, Adams will be 34 towards the end of the 2026 season.
As for Nacua, while he’s been stellar his entire career, especially in 2025, there is no ignoring his injury history. He has missed time in the league with knee, ankle, and foot injuries.
Nacua was healthy last season, but it will be far from a guarantee that that is the case this fall.
Snead has said that if the Rams are just one rookie away from a title, they likely aren’t that close to contending.
While that holds true, there’s still a strong case for adding a wide receiver—not just as a luxury, but as a necessity—given the depth concerns at the position that have lingered throughout the offseason.
The Rams' championship window is now, and while Simpson could be a great player in the near future, Los Angeles failed to select an immediate-impact player who could help them in 2026.