How Many Rams Rookies Will Actually Make an Impact in 2026--and Where

Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, the theme for the Los Angeles Rams was ‘impact’. Could the Rams draft a player that could improve their Super Bowl chances? Was there a player who fit the label of ‘all in’ in what is a ‘win-now’ season?

To say that the Rams didn’t take that approach is an understatement. Their first three picks included a backup quarterback, a TE4, and a swing tackle for depth on the offensive line. While Ty Simpson gives the Rams a future at the quarterback position after Matthew Stafford, he certainly doesn’t help them ‘win now’. Max Klare provides a lot of upside at the tight end position, but he’ll be behind Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson, and Tyler Higbee at minimum. Again, Trost is a depth piece on the offensive line with versatility to play across multiple positions.

The Rams entered the draft with rare flexibility. There was always this narrative that the Rams had to draft an impact player at 13th overall. However, it’s fair to question what player at 13th overall was going to provide a significant impact. Any wide receiver was going to come in as the WR3 behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Based on the Rams’ selection of Max Klare, it appears that the offense is trending towards more 12 and 13 personnel packages. In that case, the overall value of the third wide receiver is diminished in the offense.

Had the Rams taken Kenyon Sadiq, he would have entered the roster in the same spot Klare is as the TE4 at best. A pick at tight end was always going to be with an eye on the future. If the Rams drafted an offensive tackle, that player was going to be a backup behind Warren McClendon and Alaric Jackson. That player would have provided insurance for Jackson’s health and McClendon’s pending contract situation. The same can be said if the Rams had taken a guard.

Despite Rueben Bain Jr. being available with the 13th overall pick, he wouldn’t surpass Byron Young or Jared Verse on the depth chart. The Rams also have to feel good about what they got out of Josaiah Stewart last season as the third edge rusher.

At the end of the day, the Rams had the best roster in the NFL coming into the draft. Of course, a rookie can impact a Super Bowl roster. All you have to do is look at last season with Grey Zabel and Nick Emmanwori on the Seattle Seahawks. However, the Seahawks were not considered a Super Bowl contender at this point last season. The comparisons are not the same.

It was and is going to be very difficult for a rookie to come in and make an impact on this specific roster. There were no glaring needs and open starter spots that needed to be filled. The Rams could have looked to upgrade over a player or two. With that said, the Rams aren’t going to put their Super Bowl chances in the hands of a rookie. Omar Speights may not be a top-tier linebacker, but the Rams at least know what they’re going to get out of him. He at least understands the defense.

This was a draft class for the future. Ty Simpson may not make an impact now, but if he develops, he keeps the Rams competitive in three years. Klare isn’t going to be the second tight end alongside Ferguson now, but he gives the Rams a scary TE duo in a year or two.

That may not be what fans want to see out of a draft class. We live in a society that demands instant gratification. The idea of patience is nonexistent. However, the idea of win-now and the draft cannot coexist, as the draft is meant to set you up for the future.

Of course, the Rams may still get some production out of their rookie class. There is one player in particular worth keeping an eye on and that’s at wide receiver. By the end of the 2026 season, it’s possible that we are talking about how CJ Daniels had the best rookie season.

Miami WR CJ Daniels’ emotions and tears after finding out he was being drafted by the #Rams are priceless.

“C’mon Coach! What took you so long?!”

(📹 @RamsTapes) pic.twitter.com/jfldoqMLXz
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 29, 2026

When it comes to the Rams and the wide receiver position, it can be argued that archetype is just as important as talent. Some of the best wide receivers in the Rams offense have been undervalued players that simply fit a specific archetype. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods fit that description. Puka Nacua was a fifth-round pick. To an extent, Jordan Whittington fits that as well.

This isn’t to say that Daniels is going to have a Nacua-like rookie season, but he does have potential to be an immediate upgrade over Konata Mumpfield. A big reason for that is because he fits the Rams’ archetype of receiver as a good route-runner with advanced route tempo, has good ball skills, and brings alignment versatility.

It would be unfair for the Rams to blame Konata Mumpfield for their loss to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. However, it’s also true that Stafford gave Mumpfield a real shot on 3rd-and-4 with the game on the line. Mumpfield couldn’t secure the catch and Devon Witherspoon ended up with the pass breakup.

Last season, Mumpfield was a surprise as a seventh-round pick. By the end of the season, he was taking all of Tutu Atwell’s snaps. Still, he was incredibly inefficient at the catch point. Mumpfield caught just 10 of 23 targets and was 1-for-7 in contested catch situations. Daniels had a 64.7 percent contested catch rate last season and went 25-for-33 over the last three seasons. That’s a success rate of 75.8 percent.

New Rams WR CJ Daniels has elite hands.

Among qualified FBS WRs that were drafted in 2026, he has the lowest drop rate and second-highest contested catch rate over the past two NCAA seasons. pic.twitter.com/4ltpUgyujb
— Wyatt Miller (@wymill07) April 27, 2026

Daniels will have the opportunity to come in and compete with Mumpfield. It’s possible that he could overtake Mumpfield on the depth chart and potentially push him off the roster completely. Daniels provides what Mumpfield does as a route-runner. He may not create as much separation, but he’s a much stronger player and better at the catch point.

The Rams’ rookie class may not have an impact in a traditional sense, but that doesn’t mean they won’t contribute at all. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations and one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, this was always going to be the case. It may not be flashy or satisfy the media, but it allows the Rams to sustain success.

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