2026 NFL Draft Grades: Los Angeles Rams

This still makes little sense to me. The Rams were four points from reaching the Super Bowl in February, losing to the Seahawks 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game. They won 12 games last season, and the offense looked unstoppable (outside of Seattle, at least). They brought back league MVP Matthew Stafford for at least one more season, and then they added cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (trade) and Jaylen Watson (free agency) to immediately fix their biggest issue. It was a clear all-in effort to go win another Super Bowl before life after Stafford set in.

I had wide receiver and right tackle as my top two needs for the Rams, and I saw addressing either position in a meaningful way in Round 1 as the potential topper on building a real no-joke contender. When Los Angeles got on the clock at No. 13, Monroe Freeling and Blake Miller were there. Makai Lemon, whom I projected to the Rams in my final mock draft, was still there. It was all lining up for coach Sean McVay and the Rams.

But then Los Angeles shocked everyone and took Ty Simpson. On one hand, smart front offices try to plan ahead, moving on future needs before they actually develop. Stafford is 38 years old, he has dealt with various injuries over the past few years, Stetson Bennett IV was the only other quarterback on the roster, and there was no plan of any sort for QB of the future. That's all valid. But taking Simpson here did not line up with the team's Super Bowl window and current trajectory. It did nothing to make the team better today.

And while Simpson is accurate, smart and mobile, there's really no guarantee this pick makes the team better tomorrow, either. He had just 15 career starts in college -- all in one season -- and he endured some rough patches. I saw him as a late-Round 1 target for a team with a much bigger QB need. Hopefully he can learn behind Stafford and become a legit starter for the Rams in a year or two, but this was probably the most confusing move of Day 1.

Max Klare was a slight reach on Day 2, but it was another spot where I thought Los Angeles could get that missing WR3 (and maybe future WR2 if Davante Adams isn't on the team in 2027 when his deal expires). Zachariah Branch would have been a jolt of lightning out of the slot. And because I have Keagen Trost kicking inside in the pros, the Rams went into Saturday without a single one of their top three needs accounted for. CJ Daniels caught seven touchdowns last season, but he isn't the WR3 I was hoping to see.

Their most notable accomplishments? Acquiring McDuffie for three 2026 picks, including No. 29 overall and a pair on Day 3. Also? Coach Sean McVay really, really, really appreciates QB Matthew Stafford, the league's 2025 MVP, and would never want him to think otherwise. Maybe first-round QB Ty Simpson, chosen 13th overall as Stafford's heir apparent — which may mean 2029? — and his four fellow draftees will all become key members of this operation. None are likely to do so in 2026, a year when the Rams are very much expected to be Super Bowl contenders ... even if they didn't get a rookie who might have put them over the top.

Best Pick: Third-round tackle Keagen Trost will likely move inside to guard, where I think he can become a dominant player. He probably won't play a lot this year, but he will start down the road.

Worst Pick: I didn't like the idea of taking Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick. It didn't look much like coach Sean McVay did, either. They should have been all-in for Matthew Stafford this year. A receiver?

The Skinny: This is a year where they seemed to be all-in, with perhaps Stafford playing his last season. But the draft said otherwise. In addition to Simpson, they took tight end Max Klare in the second to add to an already deep room. Their rookies won't help much this year.

Prior to the draft, I listed the Rams as one of the cleanest fits for Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. His pre-snap recognition and accuracy project quite well to Sean McVay's offense, and with Matthew Stafford already in place, Simpson will have the opportunity to learn from the sideline, rather than get pushed onto the field prematurely.

However, I thought the Rams had a unique opportunity to add an immediate difference-maker at No. 13 overall and further propel a possible Super Bowl run. Instead, GM Les Snead opted to plan for the future. He may prove a genius in doing so, but McVay and Rams fans might be left wondering "what if" should that not occur.

Frankly, I was just as mystified by the Rams' second selection of tight end Max Klare at No. 61 overall. I like Klare and think he, too, is a good fit in the Rams' scheme, but L.A. has invested more at tight end recently than any other team in the league.

Frankly, in terms of immediate impact, my favorite pick for the Rams was Keagan Trost, a massive right tackle who might push Warren McClendon this upcoming season. The undeniable upside that Simpson and Klare offer keeps this from being the worst grade outright, but frankly, I was hoping for more — and I think many Rams fans feel the same.

I never bought into the Rams taking Ty Simpson in the top 15 because they are a very clear Super Bowl contender that should continue to floor it (which they did in the pro market). I was wrong, but I'm still confused.

There are things to like about Ty Simpson (especially in this offense), but Kenyon Sadiq, Makai Lemon or Omar Cooper Jr. all seemed like much better selections in that spot. You have a unique window with Matthew Stafford, do everything possible to capitalize on it.

After that, it wasn't all bad for Les Snead and company. Max Klare has plenty of moments in his game that remind me of Sam LaPorta. Trost and Daniels were reaches, but Trost has played a ton of college football across seven years where he should provide depth at guard.

Tim Keenan III was my favorite pick. I think he's a legitimate rotational nose tackle that does a ton of dirty work against the run. He was a much more impressive player in 2024 as an ankle surgery in August of 2025 slowed him down.

Here's why: I've grown to understand the Ty Simpson selection the more I've sat with it. Slightly. Stafford insurance, both for this season and beyond, is something the Rams have desperately wanted. And adding Simpson to the quarterback room means the Rams have a succession plan for a post-Stafford world, while also not being at the mercy of Stafford's back and one-year extensions. While I was more comfortable with Simpson on Day 2, which is where I had him graded, quarterbacks get inflated all the time when teams decide to select their guy. It's still a little rich to me for a player who I think lacks high-end upside that you usually want with your first-round quarterbacks. It's why I would have preferred the Rams, who were the Super Bowl favorites heading into draft week, to have boosted their team with another weapon (and Davante Adams age/injury insurance). Either way, whether Sean McVay and Les Snead are correct will be determined later, potentially much later.

Third-round selection Keagen Trost wins ugly a lot of the time, but McVay always finds a way to make these types work. His guard-tackle flexibility is a nice addition of depth for the Rams to protect themselves for injuries this year.

Most interesting pick: Max Klare, TE, Ohio State

Stop me if you've heard this over the past few months: tight ends and 13 personnel are all the rage! Two straight years, the Rams take an athletic tight end in the second round. Two of the Rams' tight ends are free agents after this season, and Klare will help keep the multi-tight end looks going in the years to come. He's a good athlete who is a willing blocker, even if he lacks the strength to truly hold up in-line. It's why I would have preferred if the Rams took a more true "Y" tight end this year. Picking nits aside, Klare is a yards-after-catch threat who will allow the Rams to stay explosive and attack downfield even with multiple big athletes on the field.

The team's acquisition of star cornerback Trent McDuffie can be included in the Rams' haul here (he was acquired for the team's first-rounder plus fifth- and sixth-rounders), but L.A.'s actual picks were puzzling. GM Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay shocked the world when they took Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick, an interesting selection, considering the team is right in the prime of its championship window under reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. Going with a developmental passer like Simpson (who has just 15 college starts on his résumé) over an immediate impact playmaker on either side of the ball could be a decision the Rams regret late in the 2026 season. On top of that, the second-round selection of Ohio State Max Klare was also a bit strange, especially since L.A. already has Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, and Davis Allen under contract and spent the 46th overall pick on Terrance Ferguson last year. In the third round, the team grabbed tackle Keagen Trost, a 25-year-old seventh-year senior who could provide depth on the offensive line. Overall, it feels like the Rams missed an opportunity to add pieces that could help them load up for a Super Bowl run in 2026—and the Simpson pick could drive a wedge between Stafford and the team's brass.

Analysis: It's fine that the Rams took Simpson as high as they did because teams don't wait to draft quarterbacks. The problem, though, is that Simpson started only one season in college and now will have to wait a year or two for playing experience while serving as Matthew Stafford's backup. Still, the Rams have a loaded roster, one good enough to win it all, especially at tight end. Klare offers athleticism in the passing game and offers a similar skill set to last year's second-round pick, Terrance Ferguson.