Ty Simpson eager to learn from Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay after Rams’ shocking draft selection

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) - Ty Simpson said he had never even met Sean McVay before the Los Angeles Rams shocked the NFL by drafting him with the 13th overall pick.

But after he landed on the West Coast and got his first face time with his new head coach, the quarterback couldn't contain his excitement about the future.

"He's got the juice," Simpson said of McVay at the Rams' temporary draft headquarters near SoFi Stadium. "That dude is a guy who's a fireball. He loves ball."

When he pulled on a Rams hat and spoke with reporters on Friday afternoon, Simpson still hadn't met Matthew Stafford, the Rams' starting quarterback for the upcoming season and quite possibly longer - although he got a warm welcoming message from Kelly Stafford, the MVP's wife.

Simpson had nothing but praise and admiration for the 38-year-old quarterback whose film he watched intently at Alabama, making it clear he's planning to learn - not to threaten Stafford's job.

McVay and the Rams clearly agree, with McVay pointedly declaring the Rams are "Matthew's team" right after picking Simpson.

"Matthew Stafford throws the ball with conviction and doesn't care what happens," Simpson said. "He might throw a pick the drive before, and he's coming back and throwing the same type of ball. That dude is an assassin. As a quarterback, that's the type of mentality you have to have. Being able to learn from him and learn how he's doing those things on a daily basis, I can't wait to soak it all up."

The Rams made the most stunning selection of the first round Thursday when they took the 23-year-old Crimson Tide product who started just 15 collegiate games - the fourth-fewest by a first-round pick in the past quarter-century. Los Angeles kept its avid interest in Simpson nearly silent before going against the widespread belief it would add a top receiver or an offensive tackle from its highest draft position in 10 years.

Instead, the Rams took a big bet on Simpson, the son of longtime UT Martin head coach Doug Simpson. He spent the past four years in Tuscaloosa before passing up some huge NIL offers to turn pro after just one season as a starter with the Tide.

That bet on himself definitely paid off for Simpson, who called it "a dream come true" to be "not only a first-round draft pick, but at a great organization like the Los Angeles Rams with the best head coach in the league, the best quarterback in the league and the best-run franchise in the league. It's a perfect situation."

It's too soon to know whether this huge risk will pay off for the Rams. While the pick was questionable for clear reasons with this team openly dedicated to maximizing its championship window while Stafford is playing, the Rams' interest in Simpson makes sense on some levels.

Simpson excelled in play-action at Alabama, and the Rams ran play-action at the highest rate in the NFL last season. He also threw only five interceptions in 523 pass attempts, the lowest rate in Crimson Tide history, while working through progressions and making decisions with an effectiveness that made him the consensus second-best quarterback in this draft.

After attending the draft in Pittsburgh despite not knowing whether he would be a first-round pick, Simpson flew out to Los Angeles with his parents and siblings. Simpson already played in the area last January when Alabama lost the Rose Bowl to eventual national champion Indiana, and the Tide did their pregame walkthrough at the roofed SoFi amid heavy New Year's Eve rains.

"Then, ironically enough, it's going to be my home stadium," Simpson said with a grin. "I guess (I'm) a redneck in Los Angeles, California, so we'll see how that goes. I'm super excited to be here. This is a great place with great people. I can't wait to get started."