Coming off an amazing season where they went toe to toe with the champion Eagles in the playoffs, the Rams feel primed to make a run in their last few years of the Stafford era. Gassing up with players that can help them make that push ASAP will be key. Here are 5 potential NFL draft prospects the Rams can draft with the 26th overall pick to ram their way into the Super Bowl bubble (pun intended).
#1: Trey Amos, CB Ole Miss
The secondary is one of the Rams’ biggest weaknesses, both short and long term. Their defense (especially the front 7) is already really young and talented, and good young secondary players would add to that strength. Amos is a big, strong, athletic press corner with quick feet at the line of scrimmage. He’s not lightning fast catching up with deep routes without safety help up top, nor does he do well in off coverage. But assuming that top corners like Jahdae Barron and certainly Will Johnson will be gone, Amos would be a solid option for the Rams’ secondary. Jalen Ramsey is a great press corner who thrived with the Rams, and Amos is stylistically similar, if a bit less talented.
#2: Malaki Starks, S Georgia
Starks is the consistent #1 safety in the class, so there’s no need to sell you on him. But he does have excellent instincts and the skills to be a real chess piece in the Rams’ defense. He’s fast and rangey, and behind Jared Verse, I’m sure he’ll find chances to hawk the ball. He’s another SEC player, so there’s no doubt he’s played against the best and excelled. Their safety room is okay at best and while it’s not a premium position, Starks offers the kind of flexibility that might make him worth chasing here. Shoring up their secondary would be a great move, and the top safety would be an incredible get for the Rams.
#3: James Pearce Jr, EDGE Tennessee
I guess I’m showing my love for the SEC, but Pearce Jr. is fast, explosive, and has 17.5 sacks in his two-year career. There have been some off-the-field and character concerns, but I would trust Sean McVay and LA’s strong culture to keep him focused. Alongside Jared Verse, this would make the Ram’s pass rush very scary and very cheap for several years, leaving them money to pay upcoming contracts like Puka Nacua. Overall, you can never be too good at getting to the quarterback, and beefing up in the pass rush would be a win so late in the first round.
#4: Colston Loveland, TE Michigan
Everyone agrees this TE class is 2 deep at the top tier. There’s no way Tyler Warren makes it this far, and I doubt Loveland will make it past the Chargers at 22. But if he does, don’t overthink it. TEs thrive in McVay’s system, and while Warren isn’t the biggest or most athletic blocker, another big pass catcher will be great for the offense, and Loveland gives Stafford another playmaking option at a position where the Rams are somewhat thin (all due respect to Tyler Higbee who has won me a fantasy game or two. In a thin draft at the top end, if you can lock up the consensus TE2, you have to do so.
#5: Jalen Milroe, QB Alabama
I’ll freely admit that this is probably a reach in every sense of the word, but my ears can’t help but perk up when I think about a super-fast, athletic QB in the McVay system of zone read. Milroe is a developmental pick, but that fits with the Rams’ timeline. They’ve got at least another 2 years of Stafford, but it never hurts to plan for the future. And remember, the NFL invited Milroe to the draft in Green Bay, indicating that perhaps he is viewed as a first-round guy by someone out there. He needs time to develop and improve his footwork, accuracy, and anticipation. But Stafford and McVay are two masters in those areas, and he has athletic upside that isn’t easy to find.
