The Rams Have A Rising Star on the Offensive Line

The Los Angeles Rams' decision to draft Warren McClendon has paid off and then some

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Warren McClendon Jr. (71) reacts after quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) (obscured) is sacked by Chicago Bears defensive end Dominique Robinson (90) during the third quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams love Warren McClendon and two of the organizations top voices weren't shy in praising him.

Rise Of A Superstar

Over the past two seasons, McClendon has grown from being a project tackle towards being the franchise's future at right tackle. McClendon's health, consistency, and violent play has been a pillar for the offensive line, setting himself up for a massive 2026, a contract year for McClendon.

Sean McVay

On Monday, Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke on McClendon, stating he would be the Rams' starter next season as long as Rob Havenstein doesn't return.

“No question," stated McVay. "He has. He's done great. He played really well. You mentioned Alaric, I'm proud as hell of Warren McClendon. These guys deserve a ton of credit. They're the ones out there doing the work. There are a lot of people in the midst of that process that help whether that be their teammates, coaches, and then just continuing to mature and ascend. I was really happy and proud of the way that Warren played. He did an outstanding job for us this year.”

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts after a defensive stop against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Rams are giving Havenstein time to access his future but even if he returns, there's no guarentee McClendon won't be the starter regardless as McClendon has clearly played his way into the starting lineup.

Les Snead

Rams general manager Les Snead spoke about McClendon on Wednesday.

“Warren's a success story, both individually and for the team," stated Snead. "He came in and he played his role as a backup, sometimes active and sometimes not active. He worked on his trade, worked on his craft and got a more consistent opportunity this year when Rob was struggling with the injuries and made the most of it. Going back to the question earlier, that's always on the back of our mind in terms of when we do remodel, rebuild and add players through the draft is there will be times where…I forget where we took Warren."

Aug 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead watches during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Maybe it was in the fifth? You probably know better than I, but with some of those players that you take on day three, number one, you pick a player that cares like Warren. He's someone who probably started as a true freshman at Georgia at one of their tackle positions for a really good team. Then you put them in our ecosystem. They work with our coaching staff. They evolve and they develop. When the opportunity comes, they make the most of it. He's done that for sure.”

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