Do Rams Need to Draft a Wide Receiver in the First Round?

The Los Angeles Rams could be in the market for a wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft. While they have Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, this is an offense that lacks wide receiver depth. With Adams getting older and Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith, and Konata Mumpfield as depth, the Rams could look to upgrade.

With the Rams potentially looking to add a wide receiver, USC’s Makai Lemon, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson have all been consistent targets in mock drafts. However, There is a serious discussion to be had about whether whether or not a wide receiver is the best choice with the 13th overall pick.

When it comes to the Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan offenses, archetype is arguably more important than talent. When McVay first arrived in Los Angeles, one of his first free agent signings was Robert Woods. Woods had never eclipsed 700 yards in four years with the Buffalo Bills, but broke 1,000 yards twice with the Rams. One of McVay’s first draft picks was a slower wide receiver out of FCS school Eastern Washington in Cooper Kupp. Kupp would go on to win the triple crown and Super Bowl MVP.

In 2023, the Rams drafted Puka Nacua out of BYU in the fifth round. Nacua would break the rookie receptions and yards record and has developed into one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.

Since McVay took over in 2017, the most productive wide receivers for the Rams have been players that fit a role and archetype. Again, Kupp has been the most productive wide receiver in the McVay offense as a former third-round pick. Woods was a low-value free agent and Nacua was taken in the fifth round. The fifth-most productive wide receiver in the McVay offense has been Josh Reynolds and he was a fourth-round selection.

These are all players that fit a mold. Nacua came out of BYU with elite YAC (yards after the catch) ability and was a great run-blocker. Kupp was a positive route-runner at Eastern Washington and played with good confidence and competitiveness. Reynolds was also a competitive blocker and had no wasted motion in his routes. While Woods was added as a free agent, he was always a good blocker downfield and showed success on any route.

Kupp, Woods, Nacua, and Reynolds were all low-value players that fit a certain archetype and could excel within specific roles in the offense. McVay has an innate ability to scheme players open, making the need for a player that can win tight one-on-one battles not as critical as it might be in other offensive systems. If a player can run the routes as designed and with good timing and create after the catch, they can be successful in this offense.

That’s not to say that talent isn’t important. The Rams have found success in the past with Brandin Cooks and Davante Adams last season. Still, Cooks only lasted two years in Los Angeles before he was traded. Sammy Watkins as a former top-10 pick wasn’t brought back after the Rams traded for him. Allen Robinson is seen as the biggest free agent bust of the McVay era.

The Rams have also used two top-60 picks on wide receivers in the draft. Van Jefferson had one good season in 2021, but was traded away after three mostly unproductive seasons. Tutu Atwell was taken in the second round and surpassed 500 yards in a season one time.

If the McVay offense can simply take a specific archetype and make that player successful, is there a need to spend high draft capital and resources on a top wide receiver?

Obviously, there are times where fit and talent come together. That’s likely the case when it comes to USC’s Makai Lemon. If there is a Rams wide receiver in the first round, it’s Lemon. Lemon is tough over the middle, shows competitive toughness, and is an excellent route-runner, especially against zone. His 82.9 percent success rate against zone is just below the 80th percentile.

However, if we’re looking strictly at archetype, could the Rams get just as much production out of KC Concepcion or Omar Cooper Jr. in a trade back? Germie Bernard, Antonio Williams, Elijah Sarratt, De'Zhaun Stribling on Day 2 also provide value and fit the archetype. Reggie Virgil fits the Josh Reynolds mold on Day 3.

There’s a lot of depth in this wide receiver class and if the Rams can address another position early and then find their archetype of wide receiver later in the draft, that might be the better path.

The overall point here is that while taking a talented receiver early might be enticing, it also may not be needed. Throughout the McVay era, the Rams have gotten the most out of undervalued and overlooked wide receivers that fit inside a specific mold. There are plenty of those types of players in this draft class who would also be upgrades over Whittington, Smith, and Mumpfield.