After making a run to the NFC Championship game, the Los Angeles Rams enter an offseason in which they don’t have many needs, but there are important upgrades to make if they are to take the next step. The Rams have fallen in the playoffs each of the last three seasons by a combined 11 points. Taking that next step and making another run to the Super Bowl with Matthew Stafford is close, but improving at a few positions is necessary.
Every offseason there are deeper positions in free agency and the draft.
A free agent class may be deep at wide receiver while a draft class is deep on the defensive line, but thin at wide receiver. That doesn’t mean that good players can’t be found at thinner positions or that it’s guaranteed to find a good player at a lower price point at a deeper position. However, if a draft class is deep at linebacker, it might make more sense to wait and prioritize other positions earlier.
Heading into the offseason, the Rams’ top needs include cornerback, offensive line depth, and wide receiver depth, among others. Without a doubt though, cornerback should be a priority for the Rams this offseason. ESPN recently ranked the deepest and thinnest positions in free agency and the draft. Benjamin Solak ranked cornerback third and said that it’s a good year to need a slot corner and a bad year to need an outside corner with size. Said Solak,
“Great players don’t really hit free agency at cornerback…This year’s group isn’t as good. The outside-only guys are Riq Woolen (Seahawks), Jaylen Watson (Chiefs) and Jamel Dean (Buccaneers). Alontae Taylor (Saints) has inside-outside versatility, but he has always played his best ball from the slot…The draft class looks strong for cornerback overall, but even the best players are lacking in size…Defenses that need a starter on the outside, especially in a defense that prioritizes height and length, won’t enjoy this offseason much should they miss out on Woolen or Watson…Those defenses that prioritize interchangeability and quickness over size and stopping power — like the Jeff Hafley unit in Green Bay and the Chris Shula group with the Rams — will find plenty of options available.“
While the Rams tend to prioritize versatility which lines up with the position’s strength this offseason, they do need an outside cornerback with size. The best option for that remains Riq Woolen or Jamel Dean. It’s very possible that the Rams could show interest in Alontae Taylor, but he does a lot of the same things Quentin Lake does who was just extended.
Another position that the Rams will need to address is the offensive line. They did re-sign David Quessenberry, but he simply provides experienced depth. Heading into 2027, Alaric Jackson is the only starter under contract. The Rams could extend Warren McClendon, Kevin Dotson, and Steve Avila. However, they need a backup plan as well. That lines up with the strength of the available offensive tackles this offseason. Solak said that this is a good year to need a starter for 2027 and a bad year to need a starter for 2026. Solak said,
“There are about 4 billion names at the position in the draft this year. Guys I’ve seen get late-Round 1/early-Round 2/future developmental starter buzz include Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor, Clemson’s Blake Miller, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, Oregon’s Isaiah World, Iowa’s Gennings Dunker and Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan. Seemingly every draft we get a mini-run on developmental tackles in Round 3, but given how poor the class is overall this year, that run might come in Round 2…even the ones I’m sketchy on, I can see how a positive developmental track would play out. But even for those guys I like, the idea of a Week 1 start really shakes me up. Forcing young tackles into action too soon can teach them bad habits and hurt their confidence.”
If the Rams want tackle depth, they may need to take a player in the second round which may be too rich for a developmental tackle. With that said, a player like Caleb Tiernan who has over 40 combined starts at both right and left tackle is exactly what the Rams need. The Rams are currently missing a sixth-man on the offensive line and Tiernan provides that in 2026 with upside to replace McClendon if needed in 2027. This is a position in which the Rams need to at least protect themselves with a backup plan.
Another position that the Rams could look at would be a developmental quarterback. With Ty Simpson potentially a late first-round option, he will get connected to the Rams often. Still, as much as the Rams need a plan post-Stafford, this simply may not be the year to do it. Solak called this year a good year to need Fernando Mendoza and a bad year to need anything else.
“The second-best quarterback prospect is Alabama’s Ty Simpson. He’s a one-year starter in college, he didn’t have elite production in that one year, and he lacks top-flight tools (size, arm strength, speed). That’s the long and the short of it. There’s plenty of ways to talk yourself into him as a developmental player…He can see the full field from the pocket and has the intangibles and coachability of a player who will succeed in the pros. But again, this is a developmental player — a year away from seeing the field…Yet Simpson may go to the Rams at No. 29 because they have the extra first-round pick and need developmental youth at quarterback. If they pass on Simpson, who is there? The free agent and trade markets have more viable options than the draft class, but that isn’t saying much…The only thing I like about this quarterback class (sans Mendoza) is how many rookie contract dart throws are floating around on various rosters. The list includes Anthony Richardson Sr., Will Levis, Spencer Rattler, Tanner McKee — and even Milroe now that Darnold has proved he’s the guy in Seattle.”
If the Rams go quarterback in the draft, they are hoping that they can develop Simpson or mid-round prospects such as Cade Klubnik or Garrett Nussmeier who have pedigrees. Those pedigrees may be a reason to take a mid-round prospect, but quarterbacks drafted outside of the first round tend to have an extremely low hit rate. The Rams won’t be able to afford Malik Willis which leaves Zach Wilson or Sam Howell in free agency. If the Rams are going to take a swing at a developmental quarterback, does using draft capital and trading for Anthony Richardson or Will Levis make more sense?
As mentioned, just because a position is deeper in the offseason than another, it doesn’t guarantee a quality player. The priority should always be finding players that fit within the team ecosystem regardless of position. However, when stacking a draft board, having an idea of which positions have depth is still beneficial.
