When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams drafting at the 13th overall pick, the consensus seems to be that they need to draft an impact player at that spot. In terms of position, that player tends to be a wide receiver such as Makai Lemon or Jordyn Tyson.
A wide receiver for the Rams certainly makes sense. Davante Adams is getting older and 2026 could be his final season. Additionally, there is some uncertainty when it comes to Puka Nacua’s future which makes the selection of Lemon more significant.
However, in the realm of 2026, it’s fair to question what impact that player will still have in this offense. With a healthy Adams and focused Nacua, that player is at best the third wide receiver in the pecking order. Last season, the third wide receiver statistically in the offense was Xavier Smith who had 18 catches for 303 yards. Whether it was due to a lack of talent or a shift in overall philosophy, the Rams moved to more 12 and 13 personnel, dramatically shifting the value of the WR3.
Given the Rams’ recent interest in players such as Brock Bowers and Dalton Kincaid, it can be assumed that this was likely a planned shift in philosophy. As teams play more nickel, it makes sense for offenses to get bigger up-front. It’s a reason why the Rams drafted Terrance Ferguson. He may be listed as a tight end, but he plays like a wide receiver. If the plan is for Ferguson to take a step forward this year, that seems to signal that the Rams plan to use him and Colby Parkinson together more in 2026.
Unlike past seasons in which the Rams utilized three wide receivers in 11 personnel, that simply wasn’t the case last year, and may not be moving forward, at least in the short term. That puts less value on the third wide receiver in the offense. That’s not to say that the third wide receiver isn’t important. Davante Adams missed time last year and Puka Nacua missed a game with injury. With that said, can the third wide receiver in the offense be taken in the second or third round instead of inside the top-15?
It’s also worth pointing out the lack of success of most rookie wide receivers in the offense. It’s not necessarily a position that the Rams haven’t invested in. While it’s fair to argue that they haven’t drafted one inside the top-15, the Rams also have made just one first-round pick in the Sean McVay era. On two separate occasions the Rams have used their first or second pick of that draft on a wide receiver. In both cases, that wide receiver was a top-60 pick.
In 2020, Van Jefferson was drafted with the 57th overall pick which was also the Rams’ second pick in that draft. Jefferson was drafted as the WR3 and someone to push Josh Reynolds, but finished with just 19 catches for 220 yards as a rookie. Tutu Atwell was the Rams’ first selection in 2021 and was injured his entire rookie season. Still, it’s hard to see where he would have fit in the rotation with Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Jefferson.
The only times that a Rams rookie receiver has produced in the offense was in 2017 and in 2023. In 2017, it was Cooper Kupp who was basically thrown into a starting role immediately. The same can be said about Nacua in 2023 when he became the team’s top target with Kupp injured.
If the Rams draft Lemon or Concepcion, they jump into a situation much more similar to Jefferson in 2020 than Nacua in 2023. It’s one position in which the Rams have typically valued experience. Again, Adams and Nacua are the bonafide WR1 and WR2. If the plan is to use more Ferguson in 2026, he becomes WR3a while Xavier Smith still has a role as a vertical threat. In the case of Lemon, his role is clouded up by Nacua and Ferguson. Outside of Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate, players such as Chris Bell and KC Concepcion are going to need more time to develop.
Again, Nacua and Adams have had their history of injuries. It’s very possible that a rookie wide receiver sees playing time at some point. However, when we talk about “impact”, it’s hard to see the third wide receiver having that in the current iteration of the Rams offense. Cases in which a rookie wide receiver has produced in this offense has been more of the exception than the rule, even when that player has been drafted relatively high.
At the end of the day, it’s a reminder that an impact or ‘win now’ player at 13 is less likely than some want to believe. The Rams can draft for need, but the needs now won’t be the needs in six months. From a front office perspective, the Rams addressed their immediate needs in free agency and set themselves up to go best player available and look at the future. At 13, the goal should be to set the team up well for the future. If that’s a wide receiver, that’s fine. However, in terms of impact, the reality may not meet the expectation.
