Sean McVay had heavy praise for rookie receiver CJ Daniels as McVay presented Daniels as a potential solution for the team, and any perceived lack of receiver depth. McVay has been asked as the trade deadline approaches if the Rams are looking to add to their wide receiver room, and so far, the head coach publicly has leaned more towards a “No” than a “Yes”. Instead, verbally opting to see other players return from injury, and step up on the depth chart.
Enter Daniels, a Day Three pick in the 2026
NFL Draft who the Rams traded up to acquire. Daniels hasn’t accumulated any stats at the NFL level, yet, but McVay hints that Daniels, rather than a trade, could be an answer for the Rams at their receiver position as they move forward.
The Rams have Puka Nacua, Davante Adams is on IR, and after them there is second-year veteran Konta Mumpfield and veteran Ram Tutu Atwell, but no one has been able to fill the void left behind by Adams, and if Nacua goes down, who can Matthew Stafford reliably throw to?
Said McVay on how the Rams can bolster their wide receiver room for the last half of the season,
“I do think there’s some guys on the roster that are capable of being able to step-up if their number’s called. Whether you’re talking about Tutu, I think Mumpfield’s done a nice job with his opportunties. There’s a guy in CJ Daniels that’s really done a hell of a job that you’re gonna see get more opportunities.”
What does more playing time for Daniels look like? Will he be featured in the offense in a meaningful way? McVay keeps his answer vague, which is fair as he doesn’t want to tell other teams what his plans are, but one telling aspect is that McVay does say that he’s not going to hand out chances that could hurt the team. So, it begs the question, is Daniels ready to help the Rams now, or does he need more time to develop?
“I would never rule out opportunities to get better, but at what opportunity cost? And you gotta be able to figure out for what does that look like for the long and the short.”
If Daniels is ready, and if he performs well-enough to prove McVay right, then the Rams were correct in standing pat at the trade deadline. If Daniels isn’t ready, and if Nacua misses time, then McVay may regret the decision not to trade for a wide receiver before the deadline, and or not adding more help through the draft.
The Rams are taking a gamble if they don’t add more depth, and according to McVay, not adding more depth could mean they are betting on Daniels.
