What the NFL Draft Told Us About Sean McVay’s real Plan for the Rams

With some teams, it’s more difficult to gauge what the overall plan is for the offense or defense after the draft. However, when it comes to the Los Angeles Rams, their plan for the offense was pretty clear, especially after they drafted tight end Max Klare.

Throughout the Sean McVay era, the Rams have consistently been an 11 personnel team. Just two years ago, the Rams ran 94.6 percent of their offensive plays with three wide receivers on the field.

That significantly shifted last season as McVay got back to his roots. In 2016 with the Washington Commanders, McVay ran 22 percent of his offense out of 12 personnel. That lined up with the league average, but the next season with the Rams, it was just 15 percent. By 2023, the Rams were running over 90 percent of their snaps in 11 personnel.

This completely shifted in the middle of last season and it ended up being key to the Rams’ success. Whether it was out of necessity due to injuries at the wide receiver position or a planned adjustment, it worked. With Terrance Ferguson getting more involved, the Rams utilized tight ends more heavily. During the final 12 games of the season, the Rams ran 13 personnel at a rate of 43.8 percent.

When the Rams drafted Max Klare in the second round, it was partially done with Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen’s contracts in mind. Both of their contracts expire at the end of the season. At the same time, it also signaled that McVay plans to lean into more 12 and 13 personnel. It’s unlikely that Klare gets a lot of playing time as a rookie. However, within the next year or two, Klare and Ferguson have high upside as a tight end pairing.

With the Rams drafting tight ends in back-to-back years, it’s clear that this is the direction the Rams are going. Instead of a wide receiver trio of Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Brandin Cooks, the Rams have Colby Parkinson, Max Klare, and Terrance Ferguson. The roles are generally the same, but the body types are different. How they win is different.

Last season, the Rams were able to create a lot of mismatches as defenses matched them in base personnel. It’s the same idea, but flipped. With 11 personnel, the Rams forced teams into lighter boxes which made it easier on the run game. In 13 personnel, it forces the defense to use more linebackers and asks those players to cover in space. Instead of running against lighter boxes, the Rams are throwing against slower defenders. The Rams are also able to generate a stronger play-action pull because of the run-heavy look.

With the addition of Klare, the Rams are building a tight end room that functions like their old wide receiver room. They’ve recreated their 11 personnel in 13. Max Klare takes on the Kupp role in the offense as a middle of the field threat with some YAC ability. Ferguson takes on the Woods role as a more versatile player who can leak into routes off of play action. Woods and Kupp were great in their roles because they could block like tight ends. Ferguson and Klare move like wide receivers.

In drafting Klare a year after taking Ferguson, McVay has told us that he plans on 13 personnel becoming more than just a twist and actually becoming the offense’s identity.

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