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The Rams considered drafting Makai Lemon instead of Ty Simpson with their first-round pick

The Los Angeles Rams only made five picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the first one they made, which saw Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson come off the board at the No. 13 overall pick, was easily the most surprising of entire draft. Not only do the Rams currently have Matthew Stafford at their disposal, but Simpson also wasn’t expected to come off the board until much later in the draft.

Los Angeles is attempting to draft and develop Stafford’s eventual successor, which led to its shocking decision to bring Simpson to town. While the move has been quite polarizing, it actually turns out that the Rams were considering drafting star USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon with the No. 13 selection.

Rams Nearly Drafted Makai Lemon Instead of Ty Simpson

While the 2026 draft class wasn’t exactly believed to feature many great quarterbacks, Simpson was viewed as the clear-cut No. 2 option behind Fernando Mendoza, who was selected with the first overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. Nobody really knew where Simpson would land, but the expectation was that he would be the next passer off the board behind Mendoza.

Sure enough, that’s what ended up happening. The thing is, nobody really expected the Rams to select him. Simpson was solid in 2025 with Alabama (305/473, 3,567 YDS, 28 TD, 5 INT), but considering how the Rams came up just short of finding their way to the Super Bowl last year, it seemed like they would try to solidify their roster by adding an immediate contributor to their team.

Simpson obviously ended up being the pick, but there was a time when Los Angeles’ front office was considering alternative moves. And according to some recent rumors, it sounds like the team considered selecting Lemon, who was there for the taking at the No. 13 pick. Ultimately, though, the Rams decided to select Simpson to come in and be Stafford’s eventual successor.

“While multiple sources confirm USC receiver Makai Lemon was ‘definitely’ in the mix for the Rams at 13, not much drama followed the decision,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported. “‘There wasn’t much debate — if Simpson was there, they were taking him,’ said a personnel source.”

Should the Rams Have Drafted Makai Lemon Over Ty Simpson?

GettyThe Los Angeles Rams made Ty Simpson was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft

Simpson could very well become the Rams’ next quarterback of the future, but the timing of this selection feels off. Stafford is fresh off an MVP campaign in 2025, and making this move is obviously going to catch his attention. Beyond that, it’s not as if Los Angeles’ roster is in perfect shape as is. More help could have been added at several spots, as Lemon would have been a great No. 3 target to work alongside Puka Nacua and Davante Adams in the passing game.

L.A. has taken a big risk on Simpson, especially since it drafted him far earlier than it realistically needed to. Beyond that, this is a risk the team didn’t really need to take. Sure, Stafford is approaching the backend of his career, but was it really worth it to reach on Simpson at this stage of the game? Time will tell, but as of right now, Simpson’s selection has left a lot of fans scratching their heads.