Monday Morning Rambling: Rams Enter Draft With Rare Flexibility

We have finally made it. It is officially draft week with the 2026 NFL Draft set to take place in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Throughout the Sean McVay and Les Snead era, first-round picks for the Los Angeles Rams have been few and far between. In 10 drafts together, they have held a first-round selection three times. However, they’ve only made a pick in the first round once. That was edge rusher Jared Verse in 2024.

On Thursday, the Rams are set to hold the 13th overall pick, which adds a certain level of excitement. In most years, the Rams would be picking late had they held a first-round pick. Following last year’s trade with the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams will now pick inside the top 15.

While holding a top-15 pick adds excitement for fans, this is my personal favorite time of year. The draft has always fascinated me since I started following it closely in 2006. That draft class featured my favorite player in college football at the time in Reggie Bush. Earlier that year, I stayed up late to watch USC and Texas play in the Rose Bowl, and I still remember Vince Young scoring the game-winning touchdown with :19 seconds left.

In 2010, I debated in online forums whether or not the Rams should draft Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen to be their franchise quarterback. That debate shifted to whether the Rams should replace Bradford with RGIII in 2012 before Snead pulled off one of the biggest draft trades of all-time.

As a freshman in college, instead of paying attention in English 101, I had Tavon Austin highlights on YouTube at the top of my search history. Aaron Donald may have been the first player I pounded the table for. My college capstone project focused on the NFL Draft and finding ‘diamond in the rough’ players in the later rounds. For that project, I was able to interview former Rams head coach Dick Vermeil, a former general manager, and former scouts.

When writing became more than a passion, I secured credentials for the NFL Combine and Senior Bowl. Following these players through the process of fulfilling their lifelong dreams, it makes it easy to root for their success.

The draft represents a defining moment. For teams, it represents hope, a new beginning, or a chance to close the gap. When it comes to the players getting drafted, it represents years of hard work and dedication finally paying off at the highest level.

Personally, I’ve been watching college tape since before the Rams season ended. They say, “The Draft starts in Mobile” with the Senior Bowl and that’s when I begin to familiarize myself with players. Over the years, I’ve shifted from a personal board to one aligned more closely with the Rams draft process and player fit. Every year, I do a shadow draft where I make a pick when the Rams are on the clock and compare my draft haul with the team’s.

The NFL Draft has undoubtedly grown over the past 20 years into a huge spectacle and it’s only going to get bigger. However, at its core, it still feels the same as it did when I first started following it and I still get that same excitement. It’s about the debates, late-night film sessions, endless mock draft simulations, and the belief that one pick can change everything.

That’s what makes this week special. For me, it’s a full circle moment. Draft week never loses its edge and if anything, it becomes more meaningful.

My (Maybe) Final Mock Draft With No Reasoning or Explanation

If I had to guess today, here’s where my board lands. I will release my final mock draft on Wednesday, but I expect it to look something like this. Several players featured here will be in that mock draft. However, I’m still debating a few options at 13 with Ioane, Boston, Sadiq, and Concepcion being at the forefront. I’m also undecided on including trades in my final version whether it’s moving up for Carnell Tate or moving back to close the gap between 93 and 207.

13. IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

61. QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

93. LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri

207. CB Jadon Canady, Oregon

232. OT Isaiah World, Oregon

251. WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech

252. TE Tanner Koziol, Houston

5 Things I Think Before the Draft

That leads me to things that I keep coming back to. It’s why coming up with a final mock draft is so difficult. As I put myself in the shoes of Les Snead, these are some Rams draft thoughts that I have heading into Thursday.

1. The Rams make a surprise pick in the first round

When it comes to the Rams and the draft, we’ve come to expect the unexpected. While wide receiver Makai Lemon has been a popular choice in mock drafts, that’s not a direction I see the Rams going. Lemon brings too much of the same skill set as Nacua. Adding him to the offense would only clog up space. A player like Olaivavega Ioane at guard or an unexpected wide receiver like Denzel Boston make a lot more sense.

2. Sean McVay is going to push hard to move up for Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson

The back-half of the top 10 is where the draft is going to get crazy. The Arizona Cardinals could trade back from three, but most teams already know who the top five players will be. There are two wide receivers in this class that would give the Rams exactly what they need. However, both could be selected in the top 10. After attempting to trade up for Tet McMillan last year, don’t be surprised if McVay tries to push for a trade for Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson. When it comes to Tate especially, he’s the perfect fit in the offense.

3. The Rams will take a quarterback on Day 2

Whether it’s Garrett Nussmeier or Drew Allar, I strongly believe the Rams will take a quarterback on Day 2 of the draft. They haven’t brought back Jimmy Garoppolo and it’s hard to think that they see Stetson Bennett as the backup. This wouldn’t prevent them from taking a quarterback next year, but they need a young quarterback with upside to learn behind Stafford.

4. A focus on special teams on Day 3

Following a season in which the Rams lost several games due to special teams gaffes, I expect them to emphasize that phase of the game later in the draft. Whether it’s someone who provides a boost in the return game or can be a core four special teams player, the Rams will add someone with special teams experience.

5. Rams don’t need immediate impact players

This comes down to how you define impact. In a ‘win now’ season, there is this narrative that the Rams have to draft an impact player at 13th overall. However, that may not happen and it’s a testament to how good this roster is. From 2018-2022, the Rams drafted with the year ahead in mind. Over the past two years, they focused on filling immediate needs, but the roster was also in a competitive retooling. With that said, the roster in its current state has no true immediate needs. I’d expect the Rams to draft similarly to how they did previously with the future in mind.

My ‘No Matter What’ Guys for the Rams in the 2026 NFL Draft

If you’ve seen the movie “Draft Day” at the end of the movie (spoiler alert), the main character Sonny Weaver takes an unpopular pick at number one overall instead of the undisputed top quarterback. The movie flashes back to a scene when Weaver writes on a sticky note “Vontae Mack No Matter What.” With that said, here are my “No Matter What” guys for the Rams.

1. LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas

Hill is exactly what the Rams need at linebacker and checks a lot of boxes for what they look for at the position. He’s rangy with long arms and a sure-tackler. While he still needs to improve in coverage, his speed allows him to carry tight ends up the seam. Hill would be an immediate starter over Omar Speights.

2. WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

If the Rams make one move that the Rams should make on Thursday, it is a trade up for wide receiver Carnell Tate. As a ‘movement Z’ receiver who can win deep, Tate is a perfect fit in the Rams offense. He’s a crafty route runner and competitive as a blocker in the run game. The Ohio State wide receiver could take the Rams offense to another level.

Final Thoughts

It’s been a long three months since the Rams played their final snap at Lumen Field in the NFC Championship game. While the Rams made some big moves in free agency and via trade, the draft brings a different level of excitement.

What makes this draft especially unique is that the Rams can truly take the best player available. They aren’t in a spot where they have to address a certain position. It’s a spot where every team strives to be. Not needing a specific position gives them flexibility in the draft where adaptability is key. The Rams are in a spot where they can trust their board and let the draft come to them.

That’s part of what makes Thursday night so intriguing. In a sense, the second quarter of the draft starts with the Rams as teams have no idea what they’re going to do. They can certainly sit at 13 and take a player that helps them long-term or be aggressive and go get someone that elevates the roster right now. Both options are on the table.

This weekend is about building a strong foundation for a roster with Super Bowl aspirations. One pick may not define the season, but it can shape the next chapter. And that’s why Thursday night still feels like the start of something.

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