SEC coach believes Rams' Ty Simpson was easier to plan for than Jalen Milroe and Bryce Young

The Los Angeles Rams made the most stunning pick of the 2026 NFL Draft when they took quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall.

The Alabama QB did have some first-round buzz, but it was mainly at the end of the round with a team looking to trade up, not in the first-half of the round. This was a stunning pick from the Rams, especially as a Super Bowl contender.

One SEC defensive coordinator, according to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, clearly doesn't view Simpson highly, as he revealed Bryce Young and even Jalen Milroe were tougher to gameplan for.

Rams' Ty Simpson was easier game plan for SEC coach than Jalen Milroe or Bryce Young

"Another SEC defensive coordinator said Alabama's previous two quarterbacks, Jalen Milroe and Bryce Young, were tougher to prepare for than Simpson," Rittenberg writes.

This is a brutal evaluation for the Rams and their new first-round pick. While the Rams made the Simpson pick as a developmental option, this analysis from a coordinator who prepared for Simpson is not a good look.

If Simpson was easier to prepare for than Young, who is playing fairly well for the Carolina Panthers right now, it wouldn't be ideal, but it wouldn't be too bad either.

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However, Simpson being an easier game plan than Milroe, a QB who is firmly the backup for the Seattle Seahawks, and was a third-round pick just one year ago, isn't a good look for the Rams new QB.

If the Rams took Simpson in Round 2, there would be a lot less scrutiny over this pick. But, taking someone who is viewed as lesser than Milroe, a third-rounder from the 2025 draft, is a tough evaluation.

The Rams are going to have to hope that Simpson develops in the NFL and winds up as better than Milroe, as otherwise they will have wasted a premium pick right in the middle of their chance to win a Super Bowl.

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