There’s a debate among fans and the media regarding the Los Angeles Rams’ decision to use their 13th overall pick to select a quarterback, while already having the NFL’s reigning MVP on their roster. Some view the move as a missed opportunity to add another offensive playmaker, as both Davante Adams and Tyler Higbee are getting older.
On Monday, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky made his point on why the Rams were smart to add Ty Simpson. Orlovsky looked at the average statistics of rookie wide receivers, arguing that such a player wouldn’t have put the Rams over the top.
“If you think the Rams are 52 catches and four touchdowns away from a wide receiver from going to the Super Bowl and winning it, you’re out of your mind,” stated Orlovsky.
Orlovsky believes the Rams already have a championship team, and Simpson helps them avoid a falloff once Stafford retires.
The opposing take
While Orlovsky argues that the Rams were wise to add Simpson, as they are unlikely to draft that high again in the near future, given the strength of their roster, he fails to recognize the other side of that argument. Quarterbacks are replaceable in the Sean McVay offense, but Matthew Stafford isn’t and the Rams might have deprived him of his difference maker.
It’s not the 52 catches Stafford needs; it’s the one. If Stafford had one more playmaker on the field, there’s a good chance the Rams are Super Bowl champions and not the Seattle Seahawks. Stafford’s mind and arm are good enough to make up for defensive deficiencies, and there aren’t many deficiencies on the 2026 roster.
A succession plan is worthless unless Stafford wins his second title. The Rams may have their passer of the future, but they also might have deprived Stafford of having the impact that a first-round wide receiver can make.
Every Super Bowl champion since the Rams last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy had their titles built on drafting two studs in the first round. Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis for the Chiefs’ last two rings, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith for the Eagles’ title, and Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the Seahawks. The Rams got their Witherspoon by adding McDuffie, but did they just miss out on adding their own Smith-Njigba?
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Dan Orlovsky backs Rams’ decision to draft Ty Simpson, but is he right?
Reporting by Brock Vierra, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
