Rams choose QB Ty Simpson at No. 13, securing their successor for Matthew Stafford

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams chose Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the draft on Thursday night, making a bold move to secure their eventual successor to NFL MVP Matthew Stafford.

Rams general manager Les Snead made a first-round pick for only the second time in the past decade — and he turned in a shocker by taking Simpson, who wasn't considered a first-round talent on some draft boards.

“The fact that an organization like the Los Angeles Rams believed in me and took a chance on me is just something that I’m so grateful for,” Simpson said.

Simpson was a starter for only one season with the Crimson Tide, passing for 3,567 yards and leading them to the Rose Bowl after three seasons as a backup. Now he'll have to compete with Stetson Bennett to begin his NFL career as the backup to Stafford, according to Rams coach Sean McVay.

“Let’s make one thing clear: This is Matthew’s team,” McVay said.

This pick was a stunner on several fronts.

After winning his first MVP award, the 38-year-old Stafford has already announced he is returning to the Rams next season, and perhaps longer. Simpson also said he had almost no contact with the Rams prior to the draft, leaving him just as surprised as the Rams' fans.

When asked what he liked most about Simpson's game, Snead curiously cited “the perseverance that you have when you go through hard things," namely Simpson's three years as a backup to Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, followed by the Crimson Tide's progression from a season-opening loss to the College Football Playoff last season.

McVay was also measured in his praise of Simpson, only saying that Alabama's offense under offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has similarities to the Rams' schemes. The 6-foot-1 Simpson doesn’t have the arm strength or size of many top NFL quarterbacks, but the Rams will have a vacancy behind Stafford if Jimmy Garoppolo decides to retire.

“(We) get a chance to be able to address the backup quarterback,” McVay said. "But there was a lot of players that we liked, and there was a lot of thought that kind of went into it.”

Indeed, analysts and fans widely thought the Rams would add a No. 3 receiver — like Makai Lemon, the star Southern California wideout who was still on the board — or an offensive lineman, not a quarterback who won't play in 2026 if everything is going well.

The pick didn't seem like an intuitive move in the Rams' desire to maximize the rest of their time with Stafford, who hasn't committed beyond this season, his 17th.

Snead said it's not that simple.

“I hate sitting here and going, ‘You’re a player away in a draft from going to the Super Bowl,'" Snead said. “At the end of the day, what we want to accomplish in the draft and any acquisitions that we have is try to engineer as confident a team as possible, and then let’s go to work. … I don’t want to sit here and it’s April and say, ‘OK, we draft one player and let’s go to the Super Bowl.’ There is a lot of work to do between now and then.”

Although the Rams finished one game shy of the Super Bowl last year following their eighth winning season in nine years under McVay, they still had the 13th pick from Atlanta after a draft-day trade one year ago. McVay referred to the 13th selection as “basically ... an extra pick,” seemingly saying the Rams felt free to take a flyer on the second-best quarterback in the draft rather than taking a lesser risk.

Snead rarely picks in the first round, repeatedly moving his top selections for veteran talent or trading back. Los Angeles' only previous first-round pick since Jared Goff in 2016 was Jared Verse, the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year chosen 19th overall in 2024.

Snead repeated his belief that the Rams have no urgent roster needs after a 12-5 regular season and two playoff victories before a heartbreaking loss to Seattle in the NFC championship game — and he apparently used that strength to take a flyer on his possible quarterback of the future earlier than anybody expected.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson poses on the red carpet before the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson poses on the red carpet before the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson poses after being chosen by the Los Angeles Rams with the 13th overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen by the Los Angeles Rams with the 13th overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2026--

Omdia has significantly raised its semiconductor revenue forecast for 2026 to 62.7%, again reflecting unprecedented growth in DRAM and NAND driven by sustained demand and ongoing supply shortages expected to persist through the year. The DRAM market is forecast to nearly double in value, while the smaller NAND segment could quadruple compared to 2025.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260423414383/en/

Supply constraints in conventional memory IC supply are being exacerbated by the industry’s focus upon High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) production, which delivers lower volumes but commands significantly higher prices. Strong enterprise and data center demand will continue to shape the 2026 market outlook, with meaningful supply relief unlikely until well into 2027.

Enterprises are implementing a major server refresh cycle in 2026, coinciding with exceptional levels of hyperscaler capital expenditure. Organizations are accelerating the retirement of legacy hardware to support more demanding workloads, creating a significant market opportunity given the scale of installed systems. At the same time, there is a clear shift toward higher-value system designs built on next-generation silicon and advanced connectivity. This trend combined with the ongoing components shortage will push average selling prices upward.

Computing and data storage will lead all segments in semiconductor revenue growth, rising 90% year-on-year in 2026 to exceed $700bn. This is due to strong demand for data center servers and other memory–intensive applications, alongside elevated memory IC pricing.

As previously reported, consumer electronics and wireless applications also present a positive outlook for semiconductor revenue growth in 2026. While smartphone unit shipments are expected to remain relatively flat, semiconductor revenues will increase due to higher memory pricing, significantly raising overall bill of materials (BOM) costs. The market will see multiple flagship launches in addition to the usual model updates. This will include a range of a new wave of foldables, and feature-rich models incorporating AI-enabled capabilities such as advanced photography. Meanwhile, smart watches and fitness and wellness wearables are also projected to deliver meaningful revenue growth.

Looking Ahead

“Supporting the progression of AI beyond simple Q&A use cases has exponentially increased demand for memory and processing ICs, fueling semiconductor industry revenues overall,” said Myson Robles-Bruce, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia. ”However, questions remain around how quickly suppliers can scale capacity and output of supply, and longer term, which applications will generate sufficient return on investment to justify the current levels of capital expenditure in AI.”

Aside from the macroeconomic pressures, such as tariffs, energy costs, and geopolitical tensions, the industry also faces risks associated with the amount of capital being allocated to AI infrastructure. Current semiconductor revenue growth is being driven primarily by higher average selling prices rather than unit shipment volumes. While similar dynamics have been observed in past cycles such as crypto mining and previous memory super cycles, the scale and breadth across the industry are unprecedented.

Omdia will continue to monitor market developments over the coming quarters and refine its 2026 baseline forecast accordingly.

ABOUT OMDIA

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Greatest market contributors to semiconductor revenue growth in 2026