Rams' Sneaky Simpson Pick: Building Smart Around Stafford

0:00On April 24th, Rams shocked some folks by grabbing wide receiver Simpson at the 13th pick in the draft way earlier than experts predicted. Most thought he'd slide to the late first or early second round, but the Rams played it cool to keep the price down and avoid a bidding war. They kept things hush hush, not wanting head coach Sean McVey's obvious excitement to tip off other teams. McVey was all in on Simpson, and they even eyed McCoy Lemon as a backup plan before locking it in. McVey's show vibe at the press conference? That was all about keeping quarterback Matthew Stafford feeling good. Stafford's already solid with his receivers, and McVey didn't want to look like he was bearing any backup plans too soon. Behind the scenes, Jimmy Garoppolo's retirement shook things up, so the Rams chased Joe Flacco before pivoting. Simpson himself was sure he'd go in the first round and pick the Rams over Arizona if it came to that. They even feel the trade calls on that 13th spot. All this shows the Rams are building smart around Stafford, staying sneaky to snag talent without overpaying, and assess them up strong for the season ahead.