As soon as the 2025 NFL season for the Rams, an onslaught of succession planning will immediately be put to the test for the Los Angeles Rams. While the team will face a painstakingly high number of potential players entering the 2026 NFL Free Agency market, estimated to be as high as 31 players, the team must also come to terms with when to begin new chapters at tight end, right tackle, and most importantly, quarterback.
Of course, nothing is preventing the Rams from extending players to new contracts. But limited funds seem to run out long before the team achieves adequate roster depth. And even as the team tries to retain veterans whose contracts have expired, the front office must keep the younger players who are about to enter their final year of their rookie contracts in the peripheral vision too. They will want to be paid as well.
What all of this means is that the Rams will be forced to let some vital contributors slip through their fingers to find big paydays elsewhere in order to extend other players who are not as readily replaced. It's the same process that all 32 NFL teams face every season. It's just that the Rams roster, having improved over time with very successful drafts, seems to be filled with must-extend categories of players.
And yet, it's the same draft that has loaded the roster with incredibly talented players that must deliver once more. As is the case for any draft class, the clock starts ticking down from the moment a rookie prospect is selected. That team has four years to develop that player, play that player, and determine if that player is worth extending or left to forage for a right to compete in the NFL elsewhere. By design, a team must expect to replace approximately 25 percent of its 53-man roster every year.
That works out to over 13 new faces annually. So, how can the Rams plan to restock so many new players after this season? They get a huge jump on the matter with 10 projected draft picks for the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, the question becomes who the Rams might select in the 2026 NFL Draft. Based on the latest Rams mock draft, you are going to love this haul:
Day 1
QB Lanoris Sellers is the future franchise quarterback that you may not even realize the Rams roster needs. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 242 pounds, this rapidly rising star is a solid South Carolina quarterback who already has everyone buzzing. He falls to the Rams because he will only have had two seasons as a starting quarterback, and that gives some NFL general managers hesitation to pull the trigger on him. He is a big-bodied dual-threat quarterback who threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 674 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.
He checks all of the boxes: High IQ, cannon for an arm, makes off-platform and off-sequence throws, can innovate, passionate competitor, loyal and high-quality locker room leader. He simply oozes an ideal fit for the Rams offense. Best of all, he is currently expected to be available when the Rams pick in Round 1 without any need to use both Round 1 picks to trade up.
Sellers will arrive very talented and still a bit raw to run the Rams offense in 2026, which allows the team to give him a full season to learn from veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Rams opted to trade out of Round 1 in the 2025 NFL Draft to pick up an additional Round 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Selecting South Carolina quarterback Lanoris Sellers in Round 1 more than justifies taking the deal.
OT Calem Lomu gives the Rams a true franchise offensive tackle who can plug and play in his rookie season as a starter. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing nearly 300 pounds, the Utah Utes left tackle has the choreography and movement of a tight end, the buttressing ability of a fireplug, and the unstoppable momentum of a wrecking ball.
The Rams will need new options at offensive tackle with the expiration of Rob Havenstein's contract, and Lomu brings an instant plug-and-play presence to the Rams roster at a time of great need. And it's always fashionable to tap the Utah Utes for offensive line talent. Lomu is an ideal selection for the Rams because he is ridiculously smart in terms of football IQ, he has solid pass blocking, but he loves to get downfield as a run-blocking road grader. Lomu is the perfect addition to an offensive line that is seeking ways to unlock RB Jarquez Hunter's sensational ability to attack a defense's perimeter.
Lomu may or may not be the obvious choice here for you, but by the time the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around, he will be. On the first day of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Rams have addressed their needs for successors at quarterback and offensive tackle.
This must be what Rams GM Les Snead meant when he alluded to the Rams swinging for the fences in this draft. So, how many more runs can the Rams pile on with the arrival of Day 2?
Day 2
DB Jalen Kilgore is a versatile rookie who arrives to pick up the slack from outgoing DB Quentin Lake. Viewed by some NFL draft analysts as a safety and by some as a cornerback, Kilgore is simply a Swiss Army Knife solution for the Rams secondary. He is a ballhawking defensive back, snatching five interceptions in 2024. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 219 pounds, he is a big-bodied defender who offers plenty of physicality to handle NFL tight ends, while having enough pass coverage prowess to stick to receivers like a shadow.
Because he possesses the size of a linebacker, Kilgore scores highly on his run defense. And it's that ability to stuff that run that lures quarterbacks to test his coverage skills, with disastrous results. He brings maturity and leadership to the defense, traits that are uncommon in rookies. He plays his role like the physical defensive backs of yesteryear. Best of all, he is not needed on the football field instantly, so the Rams can find his optimal role and ease him into competition.
WR Josh Cameron is an overdue addition to the Rams aerial arsenal. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 218 pounds, this Baylor Bears rookie wide receiver prospect exploded for 754 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, and with a similarly productive 2025 season, will be one of the rookie prospects with his stock rising rapidly. Better still, Cameron is an accomplished return specialist as well.
The Rams sought out former Philadelphia Eagles KR/PR/WR Britain Covey as a free agent. But Josh Cameron offers NFL-leading punt returns while still adding an inexpensive four-year rookie contract and plenty of upside to the offense as well. The Rams will want to upgrade all three phases of their game, and with Josh Cameron, they upgrade two of three phases with one rookie selection.
Day 3
DT Gracen Halton adds reinforcements to the defensive line of scrimmage, and continues the trend of the Rams front office placing more value on production than height/weight standards. Halton is an interior defensive lineman who is adept at both run-stuffing and pass rushing, and as such, gives this defense one more option for a rapid DL rotation.
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 291 pounds, Halton is a bit undersized for most NFL teams, but he runs right into the Rams DL wheelhouse. And with his 2024 numbers that include 30 tackles, 5.0 quarterback sacks, six tackles for a loss, and two forced fumbles, I have to agree that Halton brings a load when he tackles. Like many Rams defensive linemen, Halton surrenders size to offensive linemen, but gains agility and power over them. He is a perfect padawan to play behind and learn from Kobie Turner.
WR J. Michael Sturdivant is another solid playmaker that the Rams will love to add to the new offensive chapter. After playing for California and UCLA for two years apiece, he will be taking his 6-foot-3, 205-pound physique to the Florida Gators to try his luck on the East Coast. Will he rebound after two disappointing seasons at UCLA? Time will tell.
Studivant is blessed with size and speed. Even standing 6-foot-3, he can race 40 yards in just 4.38 seconds. That's solid speed, and is the type of size/speed combination that creates mismatches in opposing secondaries. The problem is that in four NCAA seasons, Sturdivant has 123 receptions, 1,667 yards, and 13 touchdowns. Worse yet, he hasn't been used on special teams, negating that added value to an NFL team that is not sold on an underperforming, athletic receiver. The Rams need to add playmakers, and Sturdivant brings that to the team.
Day 3 (continued)
CB Dontae Balfour may be a Day 3 selection, but he brings NFL-caliber ferocity and talent to the Rams secondary. He was a highly touted defensive back who never seemed to find his way on the North Carolina Tar Heels defense, but did manage to jumpstart his college football career after transferring to Charlotte for two seasons. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 185 pounds, Balfour is at the cusp of becoming a solid rookie cornerback prospect. To do so, he will need to show up huge in Texas Tech's secondary in 2025.
Balfour seemed to take a step back with his transfer to Charlotte, but if he manages to show growth and added development at Texas Tech, he could make a compelling case to be selected by the Rams. In 2024, he put up 49 tackles, three tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and broke up 11 passes. Can he sustain lofty production with Texas Tech? That will be a huge determining factor in where he ends up in the 2026 NFL Draft.
OT Max Iheanachor is a raw but talented offensive lineman who is worth developing. Some way too early mock drafts have him coming off the board in Round 1, but he roams anywhere from those lofty projections to as low as undrafted. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 315 pounds, Iheanachor is a native of Los Angeles, California, and would love nothing better than to suit up for the Rams.
Some draft analysts love his potential, but others are discouraged by his video footage to date, implying that he is no better than a Day 3 offensive tackle prospect as is. I mock him to the Rams because he is a huge powerhouse who specializes at right tackle, and the Rams will need to address the depth at right tackle in the offseason next year. I suspect that RT Rob Havenstein may opt for retirement at the end of the 2025 NFL season. Max Iheanachor is more than worthy of competing for that role next season
Edge Derrick Moore brings reinforcements to a feared Rams pass rush. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 256 pounds, Moore is a former teammate of Rams rookie OLB Josaiah Stewart. While the Rams may view the pass rush room as saturated with talent, the need to restock pass rushers to backfill vacated positions in the future and to add to the rotational depth is a real need by this team.
Moore is a NASCAR pass rusher, able to hit and maintain full throttle up the field and at the hairpin turn to aim at the quarterback. But Moore's production so far has been all about outclassing his opponent physically, rather than developing a solid arsenal of pass rush moves. In three college seasons, he has amassed 65 tackles, 11.0 quarterback sacks, five deflected passes, and two fumble recoveries. Moore will need to show up better than ever in 2025. But as of right now, he is a solid get for the Rams defense.
LB Ernest Hausman is a feisty linebacker who continues the trend of putting solid tacklers into this defense. Entering his fourth season as an inside linebacker for the Michigan Wolverines, this 6-foot-2, 235-pound thumper is a solid Day 3 addition for the Rams. Not only does he become a seamless competitor with veteran ILB Nate Landman, but he also brings instant high-level competition to the Rams' special teams.
Hausman has been steadily improving at his craft, positioning himself to claim the spotlight on a talented Michigan Wolverine's defense. He put up 89 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, 2.0 quarterback sacks, and even broke up a pass in 2024. While unlikely to be a top linebacker in the 2026 NFL Draft, he is a solid addition to develop into a significant future defensive contributor.
The Rams have 10 draft picks to spend in 2024, and this mock allows superb rookies to fall to the Rams at their projected picks. The Rams may wish to trade up for a top-tier quarterback, but it's simply too soon to know who that may be. As a result, this Rams mock draft fills all projected roster needs with enough depth to compete for a Super Bowl in 2026 and beyond.
As always, thanks for reading.
