The Los Angeles Rams made five selections during the 2026 NFL Draft, including two players from the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The team started things off by taking quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the first round, which drew mixed reactions from fans and draft experts due to the fact that he isn’t likely to contribute this year with Matthew Stafford still playing at a high level.
L.A. later added defensive tackle Tim Keenan III with the No. 232 pick in the seventh round, who was one of four team captains for Alabama last season alongside Simpson.
Keenan is excited to reunite with Simpson on the Rams and called it a dream come true, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“Ty, that’s my dog, so for us to be reunited in LA, it’s a fairy tale come true,” Keenan said. “Tell my boy I love him and I can’t wait to see him. I’m coming to his house too, because he a quarterback and everything, so I know he got some good stuff.”
It’s always a cool story when college teammates get to continue their careers together in the NFL, and the Rams are hoping both Simpson and Keenan become major factors for them at some point.
While Simpson will essentially have a redshirt season in 2026, Keenan should serve as quality depth behind starting nose tackle Poona Ford and give the team another big body in the middle of their defensive line.
Ty Simpson had ‘no clue’ Rams would draft him
The Rams taking Simpson with the 13th overall pick not only sent shockwaves through the NFL, but the player himself was also surprised.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson had “no clue” the Rams were going to select him in this year’s draft, let alone at pick No. 13 overall. But when the Los Angeles area code popped up on his phone, he “broke down.”
Simpson knew that the Rams liked him through his limited conversations with scouts and rumors he heard during the pre-draft process, but he didn’t speak to Rams general manager Les Snead until he called on Thursday. He then passed the phone to head coach Sean McVay, and hearing from a quarterback whisperer like that was surreal for Rams’ first-round pick.
While the pick will be discussed for years to come, Rams head coach Sean McVay did inform Stafford beforehand, which should take away any potential tension when training camp begins.