It appears that Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead is making overtures to higher-end linebacker candidates as the 2026 NFL Draft gets closer. There are reports circulating that L.A. has met with three Top 100 linebacker prospects, Missouri’s Jeremiah Trotter, Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis, and Cincinnati’s Jake Golday.
This news is a completely different strategy from what fans have come to expect. Since the 2017 partnership of Snead and Coach Sean McVay, investing capital in the linebacker corps
could be best described as an afterthought.
Since the Rams are at least going through the motions of being interested in early linebacker prospects, here’s a look at the Round 2 linebacker prospects from my draft board.
CJ Allen – Georgia 6’ 1” 230 lb. 31 1/2” arms
Four-star high school recruit, also participated in basketball and track. Allen reportedly ran 11.16 100m and 23.58 200m. Comes out as a true junior. Took over as starter midway through his sophomore season and had 30 starts in 41 games. Totaled 205 tackles, 13.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 11 passes defended.
Does his best work near the line of scrimmage and working downhill. Allen is an outstanding tackler in both space and in traffic, putting his pads into runners, driving through, and wrapping up very well. Physically takes on offensive linemen to fill gaps between the tackles and scrapes well to cover the edges. An average/good athlete, (chose not to test at the Combine or his Pro Day) doesn’t show sideline-to sideline speed, but can certainly cover half the field. Can be just a touch slow to read/react, not enough to be a constant problem, but when paired with his average acceleration, he can be beaten outside when runners break it around the edge. Although his ferocious play style hints that he could be an effective blitzer, Georgia didn’t call on him to do it much. In pass coverage, Allen also prefers coming downhill. He gets good drops in zone, reads the quarterback, and breaks on the ball well. In space, he looks stiff when changing direction and flipping open his hips.
Thinking man’s linebacker, a tough, assignment-based prospect that gets high marks for leadership and football IQ. Reportedly called plays for Georgia’s sophisticated defense. There’s a developmental aspect to Allen’s game, while he’s been a multi-season starter for a top program against top college competition, there are questions about his athleticism, particularly laterally and change of direction. High floor prospect that will need to show he can upgrade his pass coverage.
Anthony Hill – Texas. 6’ 2” 238 lb. 32 3/8” arms
Five-star recruit, also competed in track on the 4×100 relay team and the triple jump. Hill recently turned 22 and comes out as a true junior. Was twice named to All-American teams at Texas. Played in 40 games with 32 starts and logged 249 tackles, 31.5 for loss, 17 sacks, and seven passes defended. Also forced eight fumbles.
Although he has the requisite height/weight numbers, Hill looks to have a lean, athletic frame and his Combine testing numbers bear it out with a 9.81 RAS grde. He is adept at run/pass defense and his play style is aggressive and physical. Against the run, he shows quick read/react skills and an explosive downhill trigger to make stops behind the line of scrimmage, while also having true sideline-to-sideline pursuit speed. Gets under control to tackle and shows good wrap up form. He does play a little high at times and can overrun plays. Play strength and stack/shed need polish, he’s willing to bang heads in gaps, but can be stymied when blockers get a hold him. His lateral, stop/start, and change of direction movements are in the plus category for both run and pass. Can really hunt the quarterback on blitz calls, mostly speed-based, with good bend around the the corner and nifty feet to navigate traffic in pursuit. A three-down prospect with the move skills and reactions for pass coverage, particularly zone. Mirrors the quarterback’s eyes and has good hand/eye coordination. Didn’t do a lot of sophisticated man coverage, so there’s likely to be work needed.
Hill’s burst and acceleration clearly show up on film. The best all-round linebacker in college, can defend the run, blitz, and is solid in pass coverage. He’s a high ceiling/high floor prospect. Also brings edge versatility, but he’s a bit raw there. I have a late Round 1 grade on him, but for some reason he’s been sliding on most, if not all other draft boards. More than a couple rate him in Round 3.
Jacob Rodriguez – Texas Tech 6’ 1” 231 lb. 30 7/8” arms
Four-star recruit, was a top quarterback and safety in high school. Originally signed with Virginia, showing his versatility by playing quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, and on special teams. As a sophomore, Rodriguez transferred to Texas Tech as a walk-on and moved to the defensive side of the ball. He charted 302 tackles, 24.5 for loss, six sacks, and 18 passes defended.
You can see his natural athletic ability and ball skills clearly on film, he plays like a move safety and throws all of himself into every play. A dangerous combination of football IQ and instincts, Rodriguez has top-notch read/react skills. He quickly processes and diagnoses plays, triggering in an instant. There are some issues with over-running the ball in space and he’ll need to get better under control in the pro game. Many pundits point out that his shorter arms have led to occasional missed tackles, and while I tend to agree to that as a general rule, Rodriguez breaking down better and getting his feet set would be something he can actually improve upon. Actually, he squares up runners well and drives through well. He’s also throws an excellent “peanut” punch. This technique can give up some extra yardage, but good hand/eye coordination on these strikes leads to turnovers. His safety background shows up In pass coverage, he can explode downhill or laterally in short zone and has the cover chops to to fluidly turn and run downfield in man. He’s bit of a gambler and created a lot of turnovers, but conversely can give up some big plays. The biggest problem he will face as a pro will be navigating bigger, faster offensive lineman inside. His lack of length and mass will be tested when they latch onto him.
Rodriguez is blessed with the innate abilities to ballhawk and make big plays. A heady blend of athleticism, had/eye coordination, and sheer will. He was the most decorated best college linebacker in 2025, as his senior year numbers were crazy good. If his height and arm length were a couple more inches, we’d be talking about him a Top 10 pick rather than on Day 2.
Jake Golday -Cincinnati 6’ 5” 239 lb. 31 7/8” arms
Lightly recruited out of high school, Golday was an outstanding basketball player. Turns 23 in May. Spent his first three seasons at Central Arkansas, as a backup edge, before being moved to linebacker and flourishing. Transferred to Cincinnati for his final two seasons. All told, Golday played in 51 games with 30 starts, chalking up 289 tackles, 26 for loss, 11 sacks, and 10 passes defended.
Long, lanky frame. Nice package of size and athleticism, named to the Feldman’s Freak’s List. Cincinnati often had him stationed outside the tackle, and over the slot. He can clearly pursue well and does a good job of navigating through traffic, but where they lined him up, he was too often out of the play before it began. Golday is also a good tackler, he sets a good base and squares up. His stack/shed work is good, good extension and grip strength. As a pass rusher, although he’s raw, there’s some moves in his toolbox from his past. Too often he relies on his burst and athleticism and doesn’t put those moves into regular use. Played a lot of zone coverage and shows the requisite change of direction skills and lateral agility. Didn’t see a lot of man coverage. Mostly underneath patterns, swings, turn ins, and drags. His hips and reactive movement looks fluid enough to handle man.
Difficult projection as he needs development for the pro game. You can see his explosive traits and tools, but he’s really only been at the position a couple years, so he’s quite unpolished. Golday does brings some edge versatility and made the jump from FCS to FBS and a new position look routine. There’s a bit of a boom/bust aspect to drafting him. He shows the tools, physicality, and motor for the pro game, even so, there’s also a need for play strength and polish, although not extensive, on most facets of his game.
Josiah Trotter – Missouri 6’ 2” 237 lb. 32 1/4” arms
Four-star recruit, turns 21 in mid-April. Comes out as a redshirt junior, missed all of 2023 with a knee injury. Trotter started his career at West Virginia, finishing at Mizzou in 2025, having started 23 of 24 games and racking up 176 tackles, 17 for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three passes broken up. Father and older brother played in the NFL
Thumping downhill player that is best in run defense. Trotter has a well put together frame and hits like a bigger player. Although average/good speed limits him to a half field defender for the most part, he wins outside by taking good angles, doesn’t get caught flat-footed. Understands blocking schemes and has good natural instincts to feel where the runner is looking to go. Shows good burst getting into gap and understands low leverage. Can beat blockers with stack/shed moves, crashing into them at full speed or using some finesse, feinting jab step moves, adducing under them. Nifty feet in traffic and good upper body strength help. Needs work on his pass rush, but has the right tools to be effective. Pass coverage is a work in progress. Almost the exact opposite of his run defense, he appears to be tentative and unsure, biting on fakes and misdirection. In his defense, at 21 as a rookie, he has room and time to grow.
There’s an old school vibe to his game, a physical and instinctive prospect, but in fact, he’s very young and inexperienced. Trotter’s an interesting fit into the Rams defense, a stellar run defender and pass rusher that could struggle early in pass coverage, which might work out fine in the Rams safety-heavy dime packages.
Best Rams fit?
All five have stellar tools and would fit into the Rams defense. Since I seriously doubt the Rams are looking to push Nate Landman off the field, it’s the “WILL” role currently held by Omar Speights that is likely being considered for an up grade. I wouldn’t say that disqualifies any of the capsuled prospects, even the guys that need pass coverage work.
Anthony Hill, Jacob Rodriguez, and Jake Golday would each fit seamlessly, the role mirrors what they did in college. Because CJ Allen and Josiah Trotter are so solid versus the run and young, they too would fit. In early/run down packages, they could put their best foot forward while absorbing the nuances of pro pass coverages.
Hill would be my personal choice, he has the potential to be a weapon that can be lined up all over the formation. Rodriguez would a shade behind, exchanging his abilities against both run and pass for Hill’s pass rushing upside. Allen is likely the most Rams-like, physically and mentally tough, knowing what the offense wants to do and getting right in the middle of it. Trotter’s physicality would set the tone and make the L.A. defense meaner. Golday needs more seasoning than the others, but could also be an all over the field weapon.
Are the Rams serious about spending early draft capital on a linebacker? If so, who should it be?
