When it comes to how the Los Angeles Rams plan to improve the team. There are no urgent needs that must be addressed on the shopping list during the 2025 NFL Draft. That hasn't stopped the growing sense that the team will emerge with one of the top two tight ends in this rookie class. Of course, I am referring to Penn State tight end Tyler Warren and Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.
For the Rams fans, the expectation for the team to land either tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft is less about perceived need for the team, and more about the pattern that has developed over the past two drafts. In 2023, the team tried feverishly to trade up for rookie TE Dalton Kincaid. In 2024, the same pattern emerged, this time the Rams tried fruitlessly to trade up for rookie TE Brock Bowers.
Since neither attempt was successful, fans simply expect the same pattern to develop this year. And with two tight end prospects catching the eye of NFL Draft analysts this year, it only seems logical that the Rams can land at least one of the two tight ends. But it's often true in any draft that an abundance of talent at a single position acts as chum in the water for NFL sharks, elevating their interest and fervor to land one of those talented players.
We all witnessed how that worked in the 2024 NFL Draft when the first 14 selections in Round 1 focused on offensive players. It was that insistence by NFL teams to feast on abundant offensive talent that started the chain of events to allow Florida State outside linebacker Jared Verse to fall to the Rams at 19. He ultimately became the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Rams next selection, defensive tackle Braden Fiske, was also in the running.
Rams get flipped on their ears by ESPN's latest mock draft
ESPN's NFL Draft Analyst Mike Tannenbaum waited for the first wave of NFL Free Agency before launching his latest NFL Mock Draft. With ever-increasing volume over the interest of multiple teams in selecting either Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland, he projects both coming off the board long before the Rams step up to the podium to make the 26th overall pick. So what about OT Josh Simmons, who had been a favorite target of the Rams in early mock drafts?
Nope. He was projected to be selected by the Miami Dolphins at 13. Texas WR Matthew Golden was gone as well. So, who is left?
Tannenbaum rolls up his sleeves and projects Mississippi rookie QB prospect Jaxson Dart to the Rams at the 26th overall pick. Does that any sense? Well, it does and it doesn't. We know that the Rams have already announced plans to address their quarterback succession plan as quickly as possible. And the selection of any quarterback in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft brings an automatic successor-to-Matthew-Stafford moniker with it.
Does it make sense? Or is this simply sensationalism? Let's dive into the likelihood.
Why the Rams won't select QB Jaxson Dart in Round 1
The challenge of any rookie prospect is not where we believe he fits in the tiers of the big draft board, but where the Rams see his value to the team in terms of tiers. Jaxson Dart may deserve a Round 1 projection for many NFL teams. But does he bring that level of value to upgrade the roster more than other prospects? Let's explore why the Rams may not select QB Jaxson Dart, even if he is on the board at the 26th overall pick.
(1) - Dart is too valuable, to other teams
The fact of the matter is that its improbable that Mississippi rookie QB prospect Jason Dart remains on the draft board long enough to come anywhere near the LA Rams. The mad scramble of so many NFL over a handful of veteran quarterbacks who excite nobody has laid the pavement to a highway of team's reaching for rookie quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. As many as six NFL teams are reasonably in the market for a young arm in the draft.
Tannenbaum projects just two quarterbacks off the board before the Rams select at the 26th overall pick. If Dart is still on the board, I see a more realistic scenario for the Rams to be tempted with a massive trade package to trade out of that spot to allow another team to name him as their selection with the 26th overall pick. It's not that I don't believe Dart is a solid fit and an ideal player with tremendous upside.
I just cannot see the Rams valuing his contribution on the roster worth a potential trade package from a team desperate to land a young quarterback. A team like the Cleveland Browns, would be foolish not to trade back into the bottom of Round 1 to grab a rookie quarterback. In his mock draft, Tannenbaum projects WR/CB Travis Hunter to them with the second overall pick. The Browns could package their 34th and 94th overall picks to pry the 26th overall pick from the Rams.
(2) - Should the Rams spend a Round 1 pick on a developmental quarterback?
No matter who is selected as a quarterback for the Rams roster in the 2025 NFL Draft, they will need to put on quite the performance to earn a spot on the Rams depth chart over any of the three existing quarterbacks. There is no way any rookie wins the starting quarterback job from veteran Matthew Stafford. Likewise, the team extended veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo to be the primary backup for the team in 2025.
So the best that any rookie quarterback can hope for is a backup-to-the-backup role. And I'm not even certain that the team automatically anoints a new rookie to the third-string quarterback. The team simply is not currently built to have an open slot on the roster or the depth chart for a rookie to assume a significant spot among the team's pecking order.
(3) - Do Rams have an offense built for a mobile/pocket passer?
Jaxson Dart stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 223 pounds. While he has solid size, he brings plenty of versatility to an offense. Over four seasons in college football, he completed 735 of 1,118 passes for 11,970 yards, 81 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. But he also rushed 393 times for 1,541 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.
As much as the team had flirted with mobile quarterbacks, the Rams offense is designed to optimize the talents of a pocket passer. That's important, because pass rush pressure in the NFL for a young quarterback can lead to bad habits of pulling the football down and running for daylight, even when a receiver is open. While Dart can be coached up to be patient in the pocket, that is not the type of coaching to-do list that an NFL team wants to invest in a Round 1 quarterback.
(4) - Can the Rams motivate a Round 1 rookie QB to work hard to be benched?
Perhaps the final obvious challenge to any mock draft that projects QB Jaxson Dart to the Rams in Round 1 is the obvious motivation factor. It's impossible to dangle the keys to the Rams offense in front of Dart and hint that he gets to drive the high-powered Rams offense in 2025. He may not even be motivated if the team promises him a starting role in 2026.
Professional athletes rarely exhibit that much patience. And it's the chance to land a significant role on the team that is the basic motivation for every player. Therein lies the rub.
The Rams roster is bursting with talented players whose potential is far greater than their production. You can name WR Tutu Atwell, RBs Ronnie Rivers and Blake Corum, TE Davis Allen, and more. It's difficult to develop young players whose role is limited in the offense. That is doubly difficult when it comes to young quarterbacks, whose early NFL experiences runs aground with truly competitive situations.
Can Dart develop without the taste of live football action? Some can. Some cannot.
Why the Rams could select Jaxson Dart in Round 1
The Los Angeles Rams are a rather unpredictable team in any NFL Draft, by design. Because the team has frequently not stepped up to the podium until Round 2, the front office has developed a savvy habit of keeping its cards close to the vest. Ther results can lead to huge surprises when the team finally makes its picks. So why might the team opt to go all-in on Mississippi QB Jaxson Dart with the 26th overall pick in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. There are many good reasons to do so:
(1) - Carpe Diem
The Los Angeles Rams have to remain light on their feet in the 2025 NFL Draft. Since there is no true consensus among draft analysts as to who is chosen when by NFL teams in the second half of the draft on Day 1, the team has to be prepared for just about anything.
It comes down to seizing the day.
In a fast moving unpredictable draft, the Rams have to be well-schooled in practically any and every scenario. After all, it's the one unbelievable scenario that nobody thought to consider that will occur. I don't know that anyone expected the Rams to select OLB Jared Verse, as he was projected to to be selected among the first 10 rookies.
If he is there, does he make sense to be selected? I suppose that depends on who is on the board as well. The Rams are unlikely to choose him over an offensive weapon who projects as a plug-and-play option in the offense this year. But he could top the list if the Rams have not better options. And it's no stretch to envision the benefits of locking down a future franchise quarterback now.
Select him, Coach him. See how he handles the offense. In a worst-case scenario, the Rams could always reset the QB room for the 2026 NFL Draft if need be.
(2) - The Rams could not hope for a better quarterback prospect to work with in 2025
The expectation for the Rams to select a rookie quarterback prospect on Day 3 is less about the quality of prospects and more about setting expectations to align with the most probable scenario. After all, why purposefully set yourself up for disappointment? It's far too easy to fall in love with a rookie like Jaxson Dart. If the Rams are unable to add him, then the entire draft experience can be ruined for some fans.
I'm not versed in every rookie prospect available in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. But clearly ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mike Tannenbaum loves the synergy of Jaxson Dart in the Rams offense.
The Rams have worked wonders with veteran quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield, Carson Wentz, and even current veteran backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Even young quarterback Stetson Bennett flashed outstanding resolve and competitiveness in two come-from-behind victories in the 2024 preseason.
Jaxson Dart has a proven pedigree of quarterbacking at a high level. And as a young 21-year-old quarterback, he has plenty of time to grown and develop into an NFL powerhouse.
(3) - The Rams coaching staff was built for this
When the Rams welcomed back young back quarterback Stetson Bennett into the fold in 2024, the team was not simply welcoming him back with a shallow greeting. The Rams examined the support system for young quarterbacks after the 2023 NFL season, and found it to be quite lacking. And so, the team infused mutliple coaches on the coaching staff whose forte was developing QBs. And that investment was simply not for a one-and-done season. Rather, the Rams understand that their offense has to have a legitimate successor to Matthew Stafford on the roster.
That obvious successor is not on the Rams roster just yet.
The team can find a successor anywhere in the draft. The components needed to build a true successor is time, coaching, a solid work ethic, and a young quarterback who can process what he sees quickly and thoroughly.
Jaxson Dart brings all of those raw components to the team. Best of all, he has shown a remarkable rate of development and production, a clear indication that he is ready to take his game to the next level. The best chefs demand the best ingredients. For the Rams to develop Stafford's successor, Dart is an idea rookie to start with.
(4) - Have NFL Draft analysts overestimated Dart's NFL readiness?
NFL Draft analysts spend all season preparing for the annual three-day NFL Draft event. As soon as the NFL season ends, all eyes turn to the rookie prospects who declare for the draft. From that moment in time, NFL fans undergo a crash course in learning who is available, and why their team should select that player.
In a social media platform economy, clicks equate to revenue. Nobody want to read about the young man who is unlikely to hear his name called out in the draft. The buzz hovers around the top prospects, and how rookies compare with other prospects, and which teams are most likely to select which players.
Since the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, the stock of Mississippi QB Jaxson Dart has jumped dramatically. The thing is, it's the period of time when messaging from NFL agents, scouts, and GMs all collide in a jambalaya of everything and anything mentioned about the rookie. That goes for legitimate perspectives, as well as calculated narrative designed to impact the order of when NFL prospects are selected in the draft.
Some of the recent Dart's analytics have been both positive and compelling:
Still, many teams want to add a quarterback. But with some of the most quarterback-needy teams also choosing from the first 10 picks in the draft, their needs for a young quarterback take a back seat to adding an elite talent to the roster.
To select or not to select Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, that is the question. The scenario for the Rams to make that decision may never happen on draft day. But if it does, there are solid reasons for the team to go either way. In the end, it comes down to trusting GM Les Snead and HC Sean McVay. After crushing the past two drafts, they have earned our trust.
As always, thanks for reading.
