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State of the 2026 Rams Offensive Line: Is the Depth Good Enough?

Blaine Grisak|
Jun 2, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Helmets with guardian caps at the line of scrimmage as Los Angeles Rams lineman Coleman Shelton snaps the ball during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jun 2, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Helmets with guardian caps at the line of scrimmage as Los Angeles Rams lineman Coleman Shelton snaps the ball during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams are entering a season in which they will have Super Bowl expectations. However, if the Rams are going to achieve those goals, they will have to stay healthy. When the Rams have struggled over the past four years, it’s been when the offensive line has had injuries. 

That would be the case for most teams, but the Rams can’t afford to put themselves in a precarious position this season. For the offense and team overall to hit its potential, the offensive line has to find a way to stay healthy. 

Last season, the Rams were able to get by with Justin Dedich when Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson were injured. However, they still went just .500 in those games. In the late-season loss to the Atlanta Falcons, DJ Humphries was exploited at left tackle. 

This is something that’s already become problematic as Alaric Jackson awaits the NFL’s ruling on a potential suspension. Justin Dedich has also missed the entirety of training camp with a hand injury that he suffered over the Fourth of July that wasn’t fireworks-related. 

This was one of the best offensive lines a year ago, and that should be the expectation heading into 2026. With that said, Brandon Thorn of the Trench Warfare Substack and Bleacher Report ranked them 17th and in Tier 3. There are still legitimate questions about the unit. Let’s take a look at how the Rams have built their offensive line. 

The Starters

LT Alaric Jackson

Alaric Jackson Card
Alaric Jackson Card | Brandon Thorn/Bleacher Report

Last offseason, the Rams gave Jackson a contract that made him their franchise left tackle. After Joe Noteboom didn’t work out, Jackson won the starting left tackle spot and never gave it up. While he may not be one of the premier left tackles, he’s provided stability at the position over the last two years. 

While Jackson has been reliable, he has missed playing time and gotten himself into off-field situations. Jackson has managed blood clots in his legs, which has forced him to miss a few days of practice as he manages the medication. Additionally, he was arrested this past offseason for felony domestic battery charges that were later dropped. With that said, the NFL could still decide to suspend him, especially given that he’s a multi-time offender. 

Brandon Thorn of the Trench Warfare Substack recently graded every offensive lineman in the NFL and ranked them at each position. Thorn ranked Jackson as the 29th-best left tackle. 

“Jackson established himself as a functional starter inside the Rams' ultra-friendly offensive structure, which limits true dropback exposure through heavy play-action usage and Matthew Stafford's quick trigger,” said Thorn. “Jackson is a wide, heavy-bodied and sawed-off tackle with below-average movement skills. Still, he has enough play-strength and craft to survive when the rep stays on his terms.”

Giving Jackson a grade of 60 and placing him in the ‘replacement level’ tier seems harsh. When Jackson is on the field, he’s a steady presence at left tackle, even if the Rams’ system benefits him. He may not have the pure talent of other players at the position, but he’s been productive. 

Last season, Pro Football Focus graded Jackson as the 11th overall tackle, grading 10th in run-blocking and 22nd in pass-blocking. The Rams could look to move on from him after this season, but he’s been exactly what they’ve needed at the left tackle position. When Jackson is out, the offense suffers, as was evident last year against the Falcons when the Rams had to turn to DJ Humphries.

LG Steve Avila

Steve Avila Card
Steve Avila Card | Brandon Thorn/Bleacher Report

This is a big season for Steve Avila as he enters a contract season. The Rams drafted Avila with the 36th overall pick in 2023. With Avila and Dotson up for extensions at the end of the season, the Rams may need to make a choice between the two players. 

“I try not to think about that stuff too much, but I just want to be who I am and I know all that stuff will work itself out,” said Avila. “All that stuff will work itself out soon, and again, I’m not thinking about it too much. I just want to go out there and do what I can for this team.”

While he hasn’t disappointed, he also hasn’t necessarily played up to expectations. When the Rams tried to move Avila to center in 2024, it was something that didn’t work. Avila has managed injuries throughout his career. When he returned from injured reserve last season, the Rams made him earn his starting role back from Justin Dedich. 

Avila received a grade of 71 from Thorn, placing him in the “reliable contributor” tier. 

“When available, Avila remained a powerful, physically imposing left guard with the size and play-strength to generate movement in the run game and anchor against power in pass protection,” wrote Thorn. “His pass protection is more strength-based than refined, relying on mass, anchor and body positioning to absorb rushers rather than high-end hand usage or recovery skill. The limitations show up when quicker defenders force him to redirect, mirror late movement or win the hand fight before he can establish control.”

There’s no doubt that Avila has the athleticism and talent to be a Pro Bowl-caliber guard. If he can stay healthy, he could reach those heights. However, the first three years of his career have seen some inconsistencies. 

Pro Football Focus graded Avila as the eighth-best guard last season, ranking him ninth in run-blocking and 20th in pass protection. Along with Kevin Dotson, the Rams have one of the strongest and overall best guard duos in the NFL. Avila is a big part of that. 

C Coleman Shelton

Coleman Shelton Card
Coleman Shelton Card | Brandon Thorn/Bleacher Report

The Rams brought back Coleman Shelton last season after a year away. In 2024, the Rams tried Avila at center and then Jonah Jackson. While Beaux Limmer played admirably, the Rams needed a more experienced player in that spot. Shelton at least provided someone the team could rely on. 

“He's pivotal to the whole offensive line. He's literally QB2 in our minds when it comes to play calling and stuff like that,” said right guard Kevin Dotson. “He's put that dedication in, watching the tape, being in there with the quarterbacks to know what the quarterbacks are thinking, what ‘nine’ wants this week. So we trust him with our whole hearts that he's going to get the job done and he's really meticulous in the way he likes to run so we like that.”

That’s quite the endorsement from Dotson early in training camp. While Shelton may not be the most talented center, he’s the glue of the offensive line. He connects the quarterback to the five players in protection. 

In his center rankings, Thorn gave Shelton a grade of 70, placing him at 14th and in the reliable contributor tier. 

“Shelton returned to the Rams in 2025 after one season with the Chicago Bears and immediately stabilized the pivot, starting 20 games including the playoffs,” said Thorn. “Shelton is a clear-eyed presence with the awareness to sort line games, pass off stunts and use active hands to play longer than his measurements suggest. His lack of size still shows up against high-end power and length, but his technique, toughness and fit inside the Rams' system make him a rock-solid starting center.”

Shelton has proven to be exactly what the Rams need at the center position on the offensive line. Again, Pro Football Focus only graded him as the 11th-best overall center in the NFL, ranking him seventh in run-blocking and 29th in pass-blocking. Shelton provides so much value with his understanding of the offense and overall football IQ. He very clearly has his strengths and weaknesses, but the Rams are able to game plan around it. 

RG Kevin Dotson

Kevin Dotson Card
Kevin Dotson Card | Brandon Thorn/Bleacher Report

Dotson remains one of the most underrated guards in the NFL. While he has played at a Pro Bowl and All-Pro level for two years, he hasn’t gotten that recognition. The Rams traded for Dotson, acquiring him from the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2023 season. It’s arguably the best trade of the Les Snead era. 

Ever since Dotson came in for an injured Noteboom, he hasn’t given the spot back and has been the most important player on the Rams’ offensive line. 

The Rams re-signed Dotson after the 2023 season, but his three-year contract expired at the end of the year. It’s going to be a difficult decision for the Rams to decide whether to go with youth and bring back Avila, or extend Dotson. It’s unlikely the Rams will be able to bring back both players. 

Thorn ranked Dotson as the fourth-best right guard in the NFL, giving him a grade of 80. That placed him in the high-quality starter tier. Only Quinn Meinerz, Trey Smith, and Sam Cosmi were ranked ahead of him. 

“Dotson remains one of the league's most physically imposing right guards, continuing to thrive inside a Rams system that fits his power-oriented game,” Thorn wrote. “Dotson's individual value remains clear. He is a stout, tone-setting guard with elite play-strength, firm anchor and the ability to halt rushers or uproot defenders once he establishes leverage…In the run game, he is at his best covering up, displacing and caving defenders in tight quarters, giving the Rams a reliable source of interior force.”

Dotson was the third-best guard via PFF last year, ranking third in run-blocking and 23rd in pass-blocking. He has some clear deficiencies in pass protection, but his ability to move bodies in the run game is part of what makes the Rams’ running duo and gap scheme so effective. His overall strength at the point of attack is hard to match. 

When Dotson was out last year, the Rams’ run game took a big hit. The offense went from averaging 4.8 yards per carry to 4.0. He is extremely valuable to what the Rams want to do on offense. 

RT Warren McClendon

Warren McClendon Card
Warren McClendon Card | Brandon Thorn/Bleacher Report

The Rams couldn’t have asked for a better result when Warren McClendon took over for Rob Havenstein last year at right tackle. This is a big season for McClendon as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. Going into the season as the Week 1 starter, McClendon will have an opportunity to prove himself as a quality starting right tackle in the NFL. 

McClendon was drafted in the fifth round in 2023 and had some up-and-down performances throughout his career previously. When the Rams put him in for Havenstein last year, the offense didn’t miss a beat. 

Still, there is an unproven element with McClendon, and that’s evident in Thorn’s right tackle rankings. McClendon ranked 27th among right tackles, with a grade of 59, placing him in the backup, developmental tier. 

“McClendon started 10 games at right tackle last season for the injured Rob Havenstein and provided functional play inside the Rams' play-action-heavy, offensive line-friendly structure,” said Thorn. “Issues appear when isolated against higher-end rushers, where limited range and dropping his outside foot can open him to clean inside counters…His brief left tackle work in 2024 was shaky, but his '25 film provides a path toward being a functional starter after Havenstein's retirement.”

It’s certainly concerning to an extent to see the Rams’ starting right tackle receive a backup, developmental player grade. With that said, that likely speaks more to McClendon being unproven than his actual level. McClendon did struggle at times at left tackle in 2024 before providing a high level of stability at right tackle last season. 

McClendon graded as the seventh-best tackle overall via PFF, ranking fifth in run-blocking and 26th in pass-blocking. However, his 98.3 pass-blocking efficiency ranked second behind only Garrett Bolles. 

There is a scenario in which the Rams move on from Jackson at the end of the season and bring back McClendon in his place. Some were surprised when the Rams didn’t draft a tackle in the first round, but this is a team that clearly had confidence in what McClendon did last season. 

The Depth

OT Keagen Trost

Trost was drafted in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft and was listed as the backup right tackle behind McClendon on the initial depth chart. There were some questions on where the Rams would play Trost as some projected him as a guard at the next level. With that said, the Rams clearly view him as a tackle that can move inside. Dotson mentioned early in training camp that Trost has gotten some work with the first-team offense. 

“He has had his opportunities to be in there with the ones, the twos, right side and left side,” said quarterback Matthew Stafford. “He never really blinks. He just goes in there and plays ball. I appreciate guys that show up and go to work like that.”

He may be a rookie, but Trost might be the most important depth piece on the offensive line. If Jackson has to miss time with a suspension or injury, the Rams would likely have to turn to Trost. 

iOL Justin Dedich

The Rams went 4-4 when Dedich played 60 or more snaps on offense last season. Dedich is valuable in that he can play both left and right guard. He also has experience at center during his college career. Dedich is currently on the NFI list, but the Rams will hope to have him back by Week 1. He’s their best depth piece on the interior. 

iOL Beaux Limmer/Dylan McMahon

Limmer got a lot of experience as a rookie at center and played admirably in that spot for most of the season, despite the mistake against Jalen Carter in the NFC Divisional Round. Last season, the Rams played Limmer at right guard, which is also where they have him listed on the initial depth chart. However, Limmer struggled in that spot and seemed to be more comfortable at center. If the Rams decide to move on from Limmer, Dylan McMahon is a player to watch as someone who has been on the practice squad the last two years. 

OT David Quessenberry

After spending last year on the practice squad, the Rams brought back Quessenberry over DJ Humphries as an experienced player at tackle. However, like Humphries, it would be difficult to have a lot of confidence if Quessenberry were to play for any amount of time. Quessenberry is 35 years old and struggled when filling in at left tackle for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. 

The Rest/Practice Squad

There’s no reason to spend too much time on the practice squad, but there are a few guys worth mentioning. AJ Arcuri is someone that the Rams have been developing since 2022. He has the size, but hasn’t played well in preseason opportunities. At some point, the Rams may need to move on. 

At guard, Wyatt Bowles spent last year on the practice squad and showed some good moments in the preseason. He has guard and center versatility and is someone that the Rams will continue developing. 

Austin Blaske was an undrafted free agent signing after the draft and has experience at left tackle and center. The Rams likely see him as more of a center prospect as they need depth at that spot. 

Late in training camp, the Rams signed Bill Murray, Blake Hance, and Bryce Henderson. All three are likely just experienced camp bodies to play during the preseason and potentially compete with Quessenberry. However, their chances of making the roster are slim. 

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Published
Blaine Grisak
BLAINE GRISAK

Blaine Grisak is the Lead Publisher for Rams on SI covering the Los Angeles Rams. Prior to joining On Sports Illustrated, he covered the Rams for TurfShow Times, attending events such as the NFL Draft, NFL Combine, and Senior Bowl. A graduate of Northeastern University, Blaine grew up in Montana.

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