With the 2026 NFL Draft less than a month away, eyes are on the Los Angeles Rams on future prospects. As always, there are questions, “Who fits?, Where should they be taken?, Will Les Snead trade #13?” But what about the current roster, “Where did they get drafted?” or even better, “How did they get on the roster?”
Here’s a look at the draft pedigree’s of L.A.’s current roster and how they got there. Projected starters in bold and if the Rams didn’t originally ink them, their original signing team
is in parentheses.
Round 1 (4)
QB Matthew Stafford (DET), CB Trent McDuffie (KC), E Jared Verse, CB Emmanuel Forbes (WAS)
Round 2 (4)
WR Davante Adams (GB), G Steve Avila, DT Braden Fiske, TE Terrance Ferguson
Takeaway: You cannot say the Rams are top heavy, only 12.5% (8) of the roster comes from Rounds 1 and 2. As it should be, Six of the eight are high-end starters, with the verdict still out on Ferguson. Forbes would be listed with an asterisk in the reclamation file.
Round 3 (5)
E Byron Young, DT Kobie Turner, RB Blake Corum, S Kamren Kinchens, E Josaiah Stewart
Round 4 (6)
G Kevin Dotson (PIT), TE Colby Parkinson (SEA), TE Tyler Higbee, QB Stetson Bennett, RB Jarquez Hunter, WR Tyler Scott (CHI)
Round 5 (7)
RB Kyren Williams, WR Puka Nacua, LS Joe Cardona (NE), T Warren McClendon, TE Davis Allen, DT Ty Hamilton, DT Larell Murchison (TEN)
Takeaway: One-third (18) of the roster was selected in Rounds 3. 4, and 5, including eight starters. Three more, Corum, Kinchens, and Stewart are all heavily-used as backups.
Round 6 (6)
S Quentin Lake, T David Quessenberry (HOU), DT Tyler Davis, C/G Beaux Limmer, WR Jordan Whittington, C Dylan McMahon (PHI)
Round 7 (7)
S Kamren Curl (WAS), CB Jaylen Watson (KC), LB Grant Stuard (TB), P Ethan Evans, E Desjuan Johnson, WR Konata Mumpfield, T AJ Arcuri,
Undrafted (25)
T Alaric Jackson, DT Poona Ford (SEA), C Coleman Shelton (SF), LB Nate Landman (ATL), S Josh Wallace, S Jaylen McCollough, LB Omar Speights, E Keir Thomas, G Justin Dedich, WR Xavier Smith, LB Shaun Dolac, LB Eli Neal, S Tanner Ingle, CB Cam Lampkin, K Harrison Meevis (CAR), S Nate Valcarcel, G Wyatt Bowles, WR Mario Williams, RB Jordan Waters, WR Tru Edwards, DT Bill Norton, WR Brennan Presley, CB Alex Johnson, TE Mark Redman, RB Ronnie Rivers (AZ)
Takeaway: Where the Rams live. Almost 60% (38) of today’s roster came from Rounds 6, 7, and the undrafted ranks. That includes 10 starters and another half-dozen that were big contributors last year.
Where they came from
Drafted by the Rams (25) 39%: Verse, Avila, Fiske, Ferguson, Young, KWilliams, Lake, Turner, Corum, Kinchens, Stewart, Higbee, Bennett, Hunter, Nacua, McClendon, Allen, Hamilton, Davis, Limmer, Whittington, Evans, Johnson, Mumpfield, Arcuri
Rams undrafted free agents (20) 31.3%: AJackson, Wallace, McCollough, Speights, Thomas, Dedich, Smith, Dolac, Neal, Ingle, Lampkin, Valcarcel, Bowles, MWilliams, Waters, Edwards. Norton, Presley, AJohnson, Redman
Free agency (14) 22%: Adams, Ford, McDuffie, Shelton, Parkinson, Curl, Landman, Watson, Stuard, Cardona, Quessenberry, Scott, Meevis, Rivers
Waivers/poached (3) 4.7%: Murchison, McMahon, Forbes
Trade (2) 3.1%: Stafford (DET), Kevin Dotson (PIT)
The Rams do things their own way
Most football fans would be aghast if their favorite team’s roster only had eight players from the first two rounds, but Rams fans have been shown the light. Whether by choice or situation, Rams General Manager Les Snead and his scouting staff continues to bring in players with perceived value, while Head coach Sean McVay and his staff shape and mold them into a team that is consistently relevant in both the regular season and playoffs.
This current L.A. contending team is built on 70% home-grown talent and 60% late-round candidates, with free agency plugging holes. The Rams zag when expected to zig and certainly not averse to big moves for established stars. But that kind of action has been on the wane recently, the roster is now on solid footing, allowing an eye towards solidifying and polish.
