Los Angeles Rams 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

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No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the Rams' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

Los Angeles Rams Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Offensive Line
2. Wide Receiver
3. Defensive Back

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Los Angeles Rams 2026 Draft Capital

The Rams have the 25th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

Los Angeles Rams Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Rams to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

Los Angeles Rams Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Los Angeles Rams, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Matthew Stafford
2. Stetson Bennett

Matthew Stafford is coming off winning the league’s MVP Award, leading the NFL in passing yardage (4,707 yards) and passing touchdowns (46).

Stafford posted a career-high 7.7% touchdown rate (his previous high was 6.8% in 2021).

Sean McVay altered his offense last season to adjust to the current defensive climate.

Stafford played a career-high 59.6% of his snaps under center, which led the league.

Stafford took 250 dropbacks under center.

The next closest quarterback was at 189.

As a byproduct of playing more under center, Stafford used play action on a career-high 36.7% of his pass attempts, which also led the league.

On his under-center dropbacks, Stafford used play action 86.1% of the time.

On those dropbacks, Stafford threw 20 touchdowns to 1 interception.

Stafford turned 38 in February with one year left on his current contract.

That, paired with one of the weaker backup situations, does have the Rams in play to add a quarterback in this draft.

Running Back

1. Kyren Williams
2. Blake Corum
3. Ronnie Rivers
4. Jarquez Hunter
5. Jordan Waters

The Los Angeles running game was excellent in 2025.

Their backfield combined to rush for:

• 4.9 yards per attempt (3rd)
• 0.04 EPA per rush (1st)
• 49.4% success rate (1st)
• 29.3% resulted in a first down or touchdown (1st)
• 11.9% rate of runs for 10 or more yards (4th)
• 12.3% of runs failed to gain yardage (2nd)

The Rams operated with a more split backfield to close the season, which was a departure from what we have seen from them in recent years.

Over the final 12 games, Kyren Williams tallied 197 touches (59.3% of the backfield touches) for 1,047 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Blake Corum handled 126 touches (37.9%) for 640 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Both backs were equally efficient runners.

Out of 49 running backs with 100 or more attempts, Williams (49.8%) and Corum (48.3%) ranked first and second in success rate.

Corum produced a first down or touchdown on 30.3% of his runs (2nd) while Williams was at 28.6% (4th).

Corum was a bit more efficiency-based than Williams, since he was more sensitive to game scripts, but he made up for that with a 15.8% rate of runs of 10 or more yards, second in the league.

The Rams also played heavier personnel this past season, which led to the backs running more against stacked boxes.

52.4% of Corum’s runs came with eight or more defenders in the box, fourth in the league.

Williams was at 45.9%, which was 16th.

The Rams are in a great position here with both Williams and Corum under contract for multiple seasons.

Jarquez Hunter did not play an offensive snap as a rookie, but should push Ronnie Rivers as the RB3 this season, since McVay has slow-played most of his rookie running backs.

Wide Receiver

1. Puka Nacua
2. Davante Adams
3. Konata Mumpfield
4. Jordan Whittington
5. Xavier Smith
6. Brennan Presley
7. Mario Williams
8. Tru Edwards
9. Tyler Scott

Puka Nacua is coming off another incredible season, leading the league in receptions (129) for 1,715 yards (2nd) and 10 touchdowns (tied for 6th).

Nacua led the league in yards per route (3.71) and target rate per route (35.9%).

Even with Davante Adams on the field, Nacua was targeted on 35.8% of his routes with 3.51 yards per route.

Since entering the league, Nacua is averaging 7.1 receptions (2nd) and 95.3 yards per game (1st).

He has had a run of off-the-field issues over the past few months that have raised some concerns, but the Rams have been supportive of Nacua through his transgressions.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Nacua is set to become the league’s highest-paid receiver if the Rams are truly not concerned.

Adams had a solid year in his first season with the Rams, catching 60 passes for 789 yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns.

Despite the solid production, Adams averaged 56.4 yards per game, his fewest since 2015.

He made up for that dip in yardage through immense touchdown equity.

Even though he missed the final three weeks of the season, Adams led the league in touchdowns.

He had 28 end zone targets, the most recorded since that data has been tracked.

The next closest player had 18.

With Nacua set for a monster payday and Adams turning 34 this season with one year on his current contract, the Rams should be in the mix to add receiver depth to the roster.

When Adams missed the final three weeks of the regular season, no wide receiver stepped up outside of Nacua, showcasing the thin depth here.

Over that span, Konata Mumpfield was the next highest receiver in terms of playing time (57% of the dropbacks) while non-Nacua receivers combined for 14 catches over those three games.

Tight End

1. Colby Parkinson
2. Tyler Higbee
3. Terrance Ferguson
4. Davis Allen
5. Mark Redman

The Rams maxed out the tight end room last season.

Los Angeles tight ends combined for 150 targets (5th), 103 receptions (7th), 1,128 yards (4th), and a league-high 17 touchdowns.

The Rams utilized all of their tight ends by deploying a league-high 30.5% 13-personnel rate.

The next closest team last year was at 13.3%.

Colby Parkinson led the unit in targets (56), receptions (43), yards (408), and touchdowns (8), running a route on 39.2% of the dropbacks.

Parkinson was targeted on 22.9% of his routes with 1.67 yards per route run, both team highs.

Tyler Higbee was targeted on 19% of his routes for 1.49 yards per route.

He was retained on a one-year contract.

Davis Allen was second among the tight ends with a route on 31% of the dropbacks.

Allen was targeted on 17% of his routes for 1.07 yards per route.

Terrance Ferguson played the least among the tight ends (26.9% of the dropbacks), but his role was the most dynamic and masked some of that 13-personnel in certain looks with him on the field.

Ferguson only played 49% of his snaps in-line, playing 26.3% in the slot and 22.7% out wide.

He averaged 18.6 air yards per target with 56% of his targets coming on throws 20 or more yards downfield.

While the Rams can run everything back here from a year ago, they could still be enticed to add another player here if they like them.

We have seen McVay double up on positions in back-to-back drafts before, and only Ferguson is currently under contract for 2027 among the core group.

Parkinson, Higbee, and Allen are all set to be unrestricted free agents after this season.

Offensive Line

LT: Alaric Jackson, AJ Arcuri
LG: Steve Avila, Beaux Limmer
C: Coleman Shelton, Dylan McMahon
RG: Kevin Dotson, Justin Dedich
RT: Warren McClendon, David Quessenberry

The Rams are bringing back all five of their offensive linemen in snaps played last season, but they have some potential moving parts approaching quickly.

Alaric Jackson has developed into one of the better left tackles in the league and is still signed for two more seasons, but the rest of the offensive line has some work to do on the contractual end after this year.

Given the number of expiring contracts we have covered across the other offensive positions to this point, the Rams are not going to be able to keep everyone.

Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Kevin Dotson, and Warren McClendon are all in the final season of their current contracts.

Right tackle is the spot with the most immediate attention.

Rob Havenstein retired this offseason.

He played only 7 games last season due to injuries, which allowed the Rams to get a look at McClendon.

McClendon started a career-high 10 games and only allowed a 4.2% pressure rate (16th among tackles).

Los Angeles Rams Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Los Angeles Rams, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Braden Fiske
2. Kobie Turner
3. Poona Ford
4. Tyler Davis
5. Ty Hamilton
6. Larrell Murchison
7. Bill Norton

The Rams ranked 14th in yards per carry allowed to running backs (4.2) last season and were 31st in forced negative run rate.

Those numbers are obviously not great, but this defensive front is already where it needs to be.

Braden Fiske took a step back in the sack department in year two, but he logged a very similar 12.3% pressure rate.

Kobie Turner picked up the slack with 7 sacks on a 12.4% pressure rate.

Poona Ford was strong against the run, recording 10 run stuffs and ranking fifth among all qualified defensive linemen in tackle rate on running plays.

Tyler Davis was 13th among that same group in tackle rate on running plays.

There are no real concerns in this group in the short term, but Turner will be a free agent after this season.

Edge Defenders

1. Jared Verse
2. Byron Young
3. Josaiah Stewart
4. Desjuan Johnson
5. Keir Thomas II

The Rams finished fourth in pressure rate (41.6%) last season and ranked seventh with 47 sacks.

Both Jared Verse and Byron Young ranked in the top 15 for pressure rate among qualified pass rushers last year.

Young was eighth in the league with 12 sacks, and Verse contributed 7.5 of his own.

That starting duo also plays a ton of snaps, with both topping 850 last season.

That did not leave a ton of room for Josaiah Stewart and Desjuan Johnson behind them, but those two also showed well on limited snaps.

Stewart had 3 sacks and a 13.4% pressure rate, and Johnson had 2 sacks on just 69 pass rush attempts.

Like at defensive line, the only real concern along the edge is contractual.

Young is headed into the final year of his rookie contract, and he is going to command top dollar if he continues to play like he did last season.

That could prompt the Rams to plan for the future by drafting another pass rusher.

Linebacker

1. Nate Landman
2. Omar Speights
3. Grant Stuard
4. Shaun Dolac
5. Elias Neal

The primary snap takers at linebacker return for 2026 (Nate Landman and Omar Speights), and the Rams added Grant Stuard in free agency.

Landman is coming off a good first season with the team, recording 13 run stuffs and ranking 14th among qualified linebackers in tackle rate on run plays.

Speights was not as active against the run, but he finished 19th among qualified linebackers in yards allowed per coverage snap.

Landman is under contract through 2028, but Speights will be a restricted free agent after this year.

The other concern is depth.

Stuard has been more of a special teams player to this point in his career, and Shaun Dolac played 42 snaps last year as an undrafted rookie.

Cornerback

1. Trent McDuffie
2. Jaylen Watson
3. Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
4. Josh Wallace
5. Cam Lampkin
6. Alex Johnson

The Rams allowed 6.8 yards per attempt last season and finished sixth in EPA allowed per pass attempt, but their pass defense became a concern by the end of the season.

The front office made big changes in the offseason, trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson, both from the Chiefs.

That pair will replace the over 1,500 corner snaps that have left the roster.

McDuffie might not be quite at the elite level, but he is a quality corner who has allowed just 6.6 yards per target over his four seasons in the league.

Watson is coming off a quality season in which he allowed just a 69.0 quarterback rating in coverage.

The nickel spot should be handled by Quentin Lake (listed below with the safeties), who has been the primary slot corner the last two years.

The Rams also got surprisingly good play out of Emmanuel Forbes, who looked like a first-round bust during his time with the Commanders.

Forbes did still give up some plays, but he also finished second in the league in passes defensed.

Josh Wallace also has some experience, but like with the rest of the defense, the main concern at corner is depth.

Safety

1. Kamren Kinchens
2. Kam Curl
3. Quentin Lake
4. Jaylen McCollough
5. Tanner Ingle
6. Nate Valcarcel

The Rams brought back Kam Curl this offseason, keeping their safety rotation intact for 2026.

A 2024 third-round pick, Kamren Kinchens played 75% of the snaps in his second season, forming a great partnership with Curl.

As mentioned above, Quentin Lake has worked as the primary slot corner the last two seasons, and he has the versatility to play anywhere in the secondary.

Jaylen McCollough also saw a lot of time on the field in his second season, giving the Rams a lot of experience in the safety group.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams