The Anatomy of How the Rams Built Their 2026 Roster

The Los Angeles Rams officially got their roster down to 53 players following the preseason. With the Rams finalizing their initial roster, it seemed like a good time to look at how they got here. Throughout the Les Snead and Sean McVay era, the Rams have built an ‘F Them Picks’ reputation, but the roster construction tells a much different story. The Rams have built cohesiveness with their core group of players and added stars around that. Let’s take a look at the anatomy of the Rams’ 2026 roster.

The Anatomy of the #Rams 2026 roster:

QB Matthew Stafford - TRADE
QB Stetson Bennett - DRAFT
QB Ty Simpson - DRAFT
RB Kyren Williams - DRAFT
RB Blake Corum - DRAFT
RB Ronnie Rivers - FA
WR Puka Nacua - DRAFT
WR Davante Adams - FA
WR Konata Mumpfield - DRAFT
WR Jordan Whittington…
— JAKE OLIVER ELLENBOGEN (@JKBOGEN) August 31, 2026

Draftees (26) - The Draft Remains the Foundation of the Rams’ Roster

DT Aaron Donald (1st Round, 2014)
TE Tyler Higbee (4th Round, 2016)
WR Tutu Atwell (2nd Round, 2021)
RB Kyren Williams (5th Round, 2022)
S Quentin lake (6th Round, 2022)
LG Steve Avila (2nd Round, 2023)
EDGE Byron Young (3rd Round, 2023)
DT Kobie Turner (3rd Round, 2023)
QB Stetson Bennett (4th Round, 2023)
RT Warren McClendon (5th Round, 2023)
TE Davis Allen (5th Round, 2023)
WR Puka Nacua (5th Round, 2023)
P Ethan Evans (7th Round, 2023)
EDGE Desjuan Johnson (7th Round, 2023)
DT Braden Fiske (2nd Round, 2024)
RB Blake Corum (3rd Round, 2024)
S Kam Kinchens (3rd Round, 2024)
DT Tyler Davis (6th Round, 2024)
WR Jordan Whittington (6th Round, 2024)
iOL Beaux Limmer (6th Round, 2024)
TE Terrance Ferguson (2nd Round, 2025)
EDGE Josaiah Stewart (3rd Round, 2025)
DT Ty Hamilton (4th Round, 2025)
WR Konata Mumpfield (7th Round, 2025)
QB Ty Simpson (1st Round, 2026)
TE Max Klare (2nd Round, 2026)
WR CJ Daniels (6th Round, 2026)

While the Rams have a reputation for buying and trading for a lot of their players, not enough gets said about how well they develop talent. Despite trading away draft picks, over half of their roster is made up of players they’ve drafted. Out of those 26 players, 13 are starters or key role players.

Looking at this list, it’s also easy to see why the 2023 draft class is an all-timer. There is a serious argument to be made that it is the best draft class in franchise history. When the Rams collapsed due to injury in 2022, the 2023 draft class helped their immediate turnaround. Several of these players will hit free agency this summer and the Rams will have some difficult decisions to make.

Free Agents (11) - Free Agency Has Supplemented the Rams’ Core

S Kam Curl (2024)
TE Colby Parkinson (2024)
WR Davante Adams (2025)
NT Poona Ford (2025)
LB Nate Landman (2025)
OT David Quessenberry (2025)
iOL Coleman Shelton (2025)
LS Joe Cardona (2026)
OL Bill Murray (2026)
LB Grant Stuard (2026)
CB Jaylen Watson (2026)

The Rams have done well with their free agent spending over the last few years. Kam Curl and Nate Landman were both low-value free agents who the Rams ended up signing to large extensions once their initial deals expired. Poona Ford and Colby Parkinson have also become key contributors on their respective sides of the ball. Coleman Shelton was a player the Rams brought back to add some stability to the center position.

One thing that is worth noting with the Rams’ free agents is that none of them are necessarily a “core” building block. The Rams aren’t building through free agency. Yes, Adams is an important piece of the offense, but the best player at that position group is someone the Rams drafted in Puka Nacua. Watson will be an important piece of the secondary, but the Rams are relying on Trent McDuffie and Quentin Lake, two players the Rams invested draft capital in.

College Free Agents (7) - The Rams Continue to Find Talent After the Draft

OT Alaric Jackson (2021)
WR Xavier Smith (2023)
S Jaylen McCollough (2024)
LB Omar Speights (2024)
CB Josh Wallace (2024)
LB Shaun Dolac (2025)
EDGE Wesley Bailey (2026)

This goes back to the Rams’ ability to develop players. The fact that they were able to find their starting left tackle as an undrafted free agent is pretty remarkable. He may not be a top-tier left tackle, but he is more than serviceable. The Rams were able to move on from Ernest Jones because of their confidence in Omar Speights.

The Rams have at least one undrafted free agent on the roster from five of the past six seasons. Jaylen McCollough plays an important role as the dime linebacker and Wallace is important depth in the secondary. Wesley Bailey is the Rams’ latest find. In Week 2 of the preseason, he became one of five players since 2023 to have 10 or more pressures in a preseason game.

Trades/Waivers (5) - Trades Add Star Power to the Rams’ Homegrown Core

QB Matthew Stafford (Trade, 2021)
RG Kevin Dotson (Trade, 2023)
CB Emmanuel Forbes (Waivers, 2024)
EDGE Myles Garrett (Trade, 2026)
CB Trent McDuffie (Trade, 2026)

Where Les Snead has done some of his best work is on the trade market. There is no doubt that Matthew Stafford was a big reason for the Rams winning the Super Bowl in 2021. Acquiring Kevin Dotson for a fourth-round pick was a key trade in re-building the offensive line. The Rams will hope that the Garrett and McDuffie trades are just as instrumental in a potential Super Bowl this season. While Forbes has shown some inconsistencies, he’s shown he can be a solid depth piece when needed.

Practice Squad (3) - Practice-Squad Additions Round Out the Roster

OL Dylan McMahon (2025)
K Harrison Mevis (2025)
RB Ronnie Rivers (2025)

Another testament to the Rams’ development and coaching is the presence of players on the roster who came through the practice squad. McMahon is a player the Rams signed from the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad. As Justin Dedich recovers from an injury, McMahon will take his place. After struggling at the kicker position last year, the Rams signed Mevis and he’s added much needed stability. Some will disagree with the Rams keeping Ronnie Rivers, but the Rams trust him and he’s a solid special teams contributor.

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