INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Los Angeles appeared to choose 38-year-old Matthew Stafford's eventual successor in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall on Thursday. In his lone season as a collegiate starter, Simpson started all 15 games for the Crimson Tide and led them to the College Football Playoff.
Here are five interesting stats on Simpson, the newest Los Angeles Ram:
Simpson had a 121.4 passer rating on play-action passes last season, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF)
Simpson took the fifth-most play-action dropbacks in the FBS in 2025, and for good reason: He threw for 1,196 yards and 10 touchdowns against just one interception. The Rams deployed play-action at a league-high 36% rate, according to Next Gen Stats, so that skill set will certainly serve Simpson well in the Rams' system.
Simpson has the lowest interception percentage in Alabama history at 0.96%, according to his school bio
In 523 attempts, Simpson only threw five interceptions. He read defenses and delivered the ball accurately as well as any quarterback in college football, and did so in a pro-style system.
Simpson tied for the most "big time throws" in the FBS with 30, according to PFF
PFF defines a big time throw as "a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window." In short, they are the type of throws that quarterbacks have to make to be great, and Simpson did that on 6% of his pass attempts in 2025.
Take a look at photos of newly drafted Los Angeles Rams quarterback Ty Simpson from his time at Alabama.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) looks for a receiver during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Florida State, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) drops back to pass against Vanderbilt during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) warms up prior to an NCAA football game against Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws before an NCAA college football game against Florida State, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) runs the ball against Oklahoma during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson throws a pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) runs the ball for a touchdown against Western Kentucky during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) signals to his team during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) works in the pocket against Oklahoma during the first half in the first round of an NCAA College Football Playoff, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) looks for a receiver against Florida State during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) passes the ball during the first half of an NCAA football game against Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Simpson ranked top-10 in Crimson tide history in the following single-season stats in 2025: pass attempts, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns and completion percentage
Alabama has a long and proud history of elite quarterback play, and Simpson's 2025 season ranked near the top. His 473 pass was second in Crimson Tide history, his 305 completions ranked third, his 3,567 passing yards ranked fourth, he tied for seventh with 28 passing touchdowns and a 64.5% completion percentage was good for ninth.
Simpson threw for 1,095 intermediate yards (10-19 yards downfield), according to PFF
108 of Simpson's 473 attempts (22.8%) targeted receivers 10-19 yards downfield, which ranked 10th in the entire FBS. The Rams love to target that area. 11 of his big time throws came in that intermediate area of the field, ranking first in the FBS.
