The Los Angeles Rams entered the offseason with two first-round draft picks, but now only hold the 13th overall selection after trading No. 29 as part of the deal to land All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.
That limits what the Rams could do on the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft, including potentially taking their quarterback of the future.
If the Rams held on to the No. 29 pick, they reportedly would have targeted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
League sources say the Rams had been eyeing him, but more so with the No. 29 pick than No. 13, which they still hold. Had the Rams not traded for McDuffie and held onto No. 29, sources say that Simpson would have been square in the conversation to land in Los Angeles behind Matthew Stafford .
As it is, the Rams still are scheduled to have seven picks, but after picking at No. 13, their next selection isn’t until the end of Round 2 (No. 61), and many say Simpson will be off the board by then.
It makes sense why the Rams would have been interested in taking Simpson at No. 29. They still don’t have a successor in place for Matthew Stafford, who is entering his age-38 season.
L.A. doesn’t even have a true backup quarterback on their roster at the moment, with Jimmy Garoppolo still a free agent and reported target Kirk Cousins recently signing with the Las Vegas Raiders.
After the 13th selection, the Rams won’t make another pick until No. 61 overall in the second round. Many believe that Simpson will be off the board by then, but there’s a slim possibility he could fall if other quarterback-needy teams pass on him.
Perhaps the Rams will look to trade up for Simpson if he is still available by the time they get close to picking in the second round.
Tavon Austin to announce Rams’ first-round pick in 2026 NFL Draft
An annual tradition for the NFL Draft is to see former franchise legends and members announce picks on behalf of their former teams. For the Rams, Tavon Austin will be at the podium representing them.
Austin will announce one of the team’s picks, which is only fitting as L.A. traded up to the eighth overall pick to take him in 2013.
In parts of five seasons with the Rams, Austin caught 194 passes for 1,689 yards and 12 touchdowns across 75 games (50 starts). He also rushed for 1,238 yards and added nine more touchdowns on the ground.