Monday Morning Rambling: Rams Don’t Need an Impact Player at 13th Overall

We are officially less than two weeks out from the 2026 NFL Draft when the Los Angeles Rams will hold the 13th overall pick. However, as is the case when it comes to the draft and general manager Les Snead, the theme tends to be, expect the unexpected.

Snead and head coach Sean McVay tend to get aggressive. Last year, they traded up three times throughout the draft to get their guys. They moved up to take running back Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round. In the fifth round, the Rams moved up twice to take defensive tackle Ty Hamilton and linebacker Chris Paul Jr. That doesn’t include that the Rams attempted to trade up from 26 to take wide receiver Tet McMillan.

The expectation going into the draft is that there will be a lot of trading, which hasn’t been the case in recent years. Over the past two years, the phones have been quiet on the trade front during the draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars did make the blockbuster move for Travis Hunter last year, but the next trade didn’t happen until 25th overall. In 2024, the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets swapped the 10th and 11th overall picks, but that was just one of two trades inside the top 20. For comparison, the 2023 draft had six draft day trades in the first round.

As of now, the expectation seems to be that the Rams will trade down from 13. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising if that were the case. This is a draft with a solid top 10. That’s where teams will want to be. However, once you get out of that range, there won’t be a huge drop-off in value between pick 13 and pick 20.

This is why in a win-now season, trading up might make more sense. There are a few prospects inside that top 10 that could take this roster over the top. Ohio State’s Carnell Tate is exactly what the Rams need in a ‘Z’ receiver.

For years, the Rams have needed a linebacker. While they have found success with low-value players, Ohio State’s Sonny Styles would be the perfect pairing next to Nate Landman. The Rams have seen the impact that Fred Warner has had in the middle of the San Francisco 49ers defense. Styles is seen as a similar player.

While it might require a trade inside the top five, running back Jeremiyah Love would take the offense to another level. We’ve seen what McVay can do with this style of player when Todd Gurley won Offensive Player of the Year in 2018. The Notre Dame duo of Kyren Williams and Love would be reminiscent of what the Detroit Lions have had in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

Can the Rams Find an Impact Player at 13?

This is the question that I keep coming back to for the Rams in the first round. There seems to be this narrative that in a win-now season, the Rams have to find an impact player at 13. However, what exactly does that mean and is it possible?

There are two big things to consider here. To start, outside of a few exceptions, the Rams roster is in a spot where a rookie isn’t necessarily going to come in and have an immediate impact. That’s not a bad thing. If anything, it’s a testament to how strong the Rams roster is heading into the draft.

Any wide receiver that gets drafted is going to be the WR3 for the year. If the Rams take Kenyon Sadiq, he is probably the third tight end behind Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson to start his career. He might even get less playing time than Tyler Higbee initially. An offensive tackle is going to start the year as a depth piece behind Warren McClendon and Alaric Jackson. The Rams addressed their need at cornerback in March by trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson.

To put it simply, the roster is in a much different spot than it was two years ago when the Rams needed immediate contributions from their rookie class. Adding a high-end depth piece may not just be realistic, but the route that the Rams take.

Lastly, and going back to the point made earlier, this also isn’t a draft with a lot of day one impact starters. That’s not to be negative about this draft class. In a best case scenario, Styles, Love or Rueben Bain drop. Styles and Love would have an impact on day one. The same can’t be said about others in this class, especially wide receiver as the Rams utilized 12 and 13 personnel more than any other team in 2025, which limits the value at the position.

The Rams are in a really good spot where they can truly draft the best player available, regardless of position. They are in a spot where they can and probably should be drafting for the future. The immediate needs were addressed in free agency. Right now, the goal should be to fill future holes with cheap rookie contracts as the bill comes due on the 2023 class that includes Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Steve Avila, and Warren McClendon. Team needs are ever-changing and the needs now won’t be the needs in six months.

With all of that said, it’s not imperative that the Rams find a Day 1 impact starter at 13. If a player like Styles or Love is there at eight, the Rams should absolutely attempt to make an 'all in' type move. One of those two could be what gets the Rams over the top in a Super Bowl run. However, this is a depth draft for the Rams, and that will likely be their goal when they are on the clock rather than focusing on an impact player.

The Rams Trade Scenarios That I Keep Coming Back To

1. Earlier last week, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell did his ‘All Trades’ mock draft. One interesting trade in particular was one that he had between the Rams and Vikings. Barnwell had the Rams trading back with the Vikings at 18 and acquiring a third-round pick and quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Whatever your thoughts might be on McCarthy, that wouldn’t be a terrible move for the Rams to explore. They get a young, backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford that they can develop. If he turns out to be the guy after Stafford, that’s great. In the more likely case that he doesn’t, you still have a solid backup quarterback while picking up a third round pick and moving back five spots. There’s zero downside to that move.

2. What happens if Rueben Bain actually falls to the 13th overall pick? While the Rams could certainly take Bain in that spot, it also makes their pick incredibly valuable. How much would a team like the Lions give up to get a top five talent on the edge to pair with Aiden Hutchinson?

There has been a lot of discussion about the Rams potentially netting a 2027 first round pick in a trade back. It would take a lot for that to happen, but would the Buffalo Bills do it to move up from 26? They don’t have a second round pick and the best edge rusher available late in the first round may be Zion Young. Is that an impact move that a first-year head coach pushes to make?

3. If the Rams move up, a trade with the Washington Commanders makes the most sense. In this scenario, the Rams would be moving up for Carnell Tate. The Commanders have six picks in this draft and have a need at wide receiver. While they could simply take Tate, they may look to grab some more picks and still take a wide receiver in the first round.

The Commanders can move back to 13 and still find value at wide receiver with Makai Lemon or Jordyn Tyson who has fallen down draft boards recently. The 13th overall pick may also be a spot to take Omar Cooper Jr. who compares well to Deebo Samuel. Commanders general manager Adam Peters was in San Francisco when the 49ers drafted Samuel.

Rams Prospect Fits That I Keep Coming Back To…

1. iOL Olaivavega "Vega" Ioane, Penn State

This is a scenario that I’ve recently started thinking about and actually like. This may not be the expected or popular choice for the Rams, but it absolutely makes sense. Looking ahead to next offseason, both Kevin Dotson and Steve Avila are free agents. The Rams will likely only be able to bring one of them back. Additionally, Avila and Dotson have both missed time with injuries over the last two years. The Rams get immediate depth on the offensive line and a future building block at guard. Protecting Matthew Stafford has to be the top priority and Ioane allowed 0 sacks in his last two years at Penn State.

2. WR Makai Lemon, USC

There’s no doubt that Lemon would fit seamlessly into the Rams offense. Looking at past Rams receivers, Lemon fits into that archetype. However, he’s also built similarly to and plays a similar role as Puka Nacua. Lemon projects as a slot option as a rookie, and last season, the Rams found something by playing Nacua in the slot more often. The concern has never been skill with Lemon, but rather his projected role. Given some of the recent uncertainty with Nacua’s future, Lemon makes more sense than he did a month ago. At the very least, he’s insurance for Nacua if the Rams begin to think that an extension is too much risk.

3. WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

The concerns with Concepcion are obvious. While he might be one of the best separators in this class, it can be hard to get over the drops. However, Concepcion has impressive catches on tape through contact. One of those is teachable, and that’s the catching technique to fix the drops. Concepcion is a deep threat that the Rams need and he adds value on special teams as a punt returner. The Rams were burned by Rashid Shaheed last season and could look to add their own weapon with a similar skill set.

4. LB Josaiah Trotter, Mizzou

There has been some speculation that the Rams could look to draft a linebacker higher than they normally would. If the Rams were to take a linebacker in the second round, that would put them in the Josaiah Trotter, Jake Golday, and Kyle Louis tier. While all three would be an upgrade, the fit, especially with Trotter, doesn’t make sense. Trotter brings a lot of the same skill sets that the Rams already have in Nate Landman. He gets lost in space in coverage, but he’s excellent with his run fits. Louis is good in coverage, but a liability against the run while Golday is still newer to the position and learning the intricacies. If the Rams can’t get Anthony Hill Jr. or CJ Allen, waiting until later to take Bryce Boettcher or Jimmy Rolder may be the better move.

5. CB Chandler Rivers, Duke

If the Rams go cornerback in the middle rounds, Chandler Rivers makes too much sense. He’s exactly what the Rams have typically targeted at cornerback. He’s smaller in stature, but plays bigger than his size. Rivers can play in the slot or on the perimeter. He fits the mold of a Cobie Durant or Roger McCreary who both left in free agency. Rivers brings good ball skills as he had 29 passes defended in his career. He simply feels like a Rams cornerback.

Final Thought for the Week

There are a lot of options for the Rams at the 13th overall pick and the 2026 NFL Draft. Again, the roster is set up in a way in which they don’t have to force anything. There aren’t a lot of things that the Rams could do next week that would genuinely be upsetting, and that includes taking Ty Simpson. The lone exception may be if the Rams draft Zachariah Branch or Brenen Thompson after moving on from Tutu Atwell.

There’s no need for the Rams to solely focus on drafting an impact player or worrying about where a player may fit right now. The Rams made the NFC Championship Game and ended up with the 13th overall pick. That’s not something that happens often and they need to take advantage. As long as the Rams draft a good player that can be a building block moving forward, nobody should be too disappointed.