Rams projected to take Matt Stafford's replacement early in 2026 draft

The Los Angeles Rams have been playing great football this season, putting together a 9-2 record and winning their last six games, so there's a real chance that they make a deep playoff run in 2025.

Still, everyone's always concerned about the future, and with that, experts are already looking ahead to the 2026 NFL draft, including Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice and Charles McDonald.

In their recent mock draft, they have the Rams using their first first-round pick on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.

"Simpson is a first-year starter and he plays like he’s been a kinked up hose, firing the football all over the yard and constantly looking to attack defenses down the field," Tice wrote. "He can sometimes get himself in trouble with his aggressiveness, but getting to sit behind Matthew Stafford for at least a year could let Simpson, who hasn’t made a ton of starts, continue to refine his game behind one of the NFL’s foremost gunslingers."

Simpson, 22, was a five-star recruit out of Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee, before joining Alabama in 2022. This year, his first as the team's starter, he's completed 66.9% of his passes for 2,934 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions through 11 games.

Tice then had the Rams using their second first-round pick on Northwestern offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan.

"After getting their quarterback of the future with their other first-round pick, the Rams look to bridge their current offensive line with their line of the future. Tiernan is big with efficient footwork and is a smart pass protector with his plan and patience. He could replace Rob Havenstein at right tackle whenever Havenstein moves on in his career, with the ability to play on the left side as well. The Rams could also look at the back seven here, but they might just continue their trend of building it with Days 2 and 3 picks and former first-round retreads."

Tiernan, 22, was a four-star recruit out of Detroit Country Day in Beverly Hills, Michigan. He joined Northwestern in 2021, and after redshirting in his first season, he's started every game over the last three years.

While quarterback and offensive tackle are clearly two long-term needs for the Rams, with the way Stafford is playing, it's going to be a tough sell to fans and the quarterback himself that taking Simpson early is the best move for the team right now.

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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams projected to take Matt Stafford's replacement early in 2026 draft