Why Steelers didn't draft Ty Simpson as potential Aaron Rodgers replacement

TL;DR

The Pittsburgh Steelers did not draft Alabama QB Ty Simpson, who was expected to be a potential replacement for Aaron Rodgers. Instead, Simpson was selected by the Los Angeles Rams to potentially succeed Matthew Stafford.

Key points

Steelers were considered a landing spot for Ty Simpson
Ty Simpson was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams
Simpson is seen as a potential heir to Matthew Stafford
Steelers did not draft a quarterback to replace Aaron Rodgers

Mentioned in this story

Aaron RodgersMatthew Stafford

Ty SimpsonPittsburgh SteelersLos Angeles Rams

Why Steelers didn't draft Ty Simpson as potential Aaron Rodgers replacement originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were viewed as one possible NFL Draft landing spot for Alabama QB Ty Simpson.

That's not where Simpson ended up, though. The Los Angeles Rams got him instead.

So instead of being a potential replacement for Aaron Rodgers, Simpson goes to be the potential heir to Matthew Stafford.

Not a bad gig for him either way.

For the Steelers, it's worse news. They could've used a potential quarterback of the future.

Why didn't the Steelers draft Ty Simpson?

The simple reason is that the Rams took Simpson earlier than everyone expected.

They used the No. 13 overall pick to grab Simpson. The Steelers weren't picking until No. 21.

If Simpson was expected to go that high, any interested team could've pursued a trade up to swoop in and get him. In this setup, it's unlikely a bunch of trade ups were chased after, because it didn't yet seem to be Simpson's range.

There's no way to know now whether the Steelers would've thought about Simpson at 21, but he didn't get there.

This certainly raises the likelihood of the Steelers drafting a first-round QB next year, a class that should include Arch Manning and Dante Moore, among others.

Q&A

Why didn't the Steelers draft Ty Simpson?

The Steelers opted not to draft Ty Simpson, who was seen as a potential replacement for Aaron Rodgers, allowing him to be picked by the Los Angeles Rams instead.

Who did Ty Simpson get drafted by?

Ty Simpson was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, where he is viewed as a potential heir to quarterback Matthew Stafford.

What does Ty Simpson's drafting mean for Aaron Rodgers?

Ty Simpson's selection by the Rams means the Steelers will need to look elsewhere for a potential replacement for Aaron Rodgers.