Going into the week of the 2026 NFL Draft, a lot of good teams have a bad need at guard, which is why so many of them could be drafting offensive line help on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. However, one of several problems with drafting a guard to start in 2026 is that many of these prospects are not even guards yet.
Some of the top prospects, like Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor for example, will need to be moved and taught and start their careers all over again, in a way.
Conversely, the Rams are in
the rare position of not only having two starting guards that they like but also in the difficult position of deciding whether or not they can pay both Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson before they become free agents in 2027. This is why L.A. could consider a guard like Vega Ioane with the 13th overall pick, if not trading down or trading up from the second round to secure a different interior offensive lineman like Chase Bisontis or Keylan Rutledge.
Their situation at guard, combined with the weakness of other teams, begs for us to ask the question:
Could the Rams just not reset the clock at guard now by trading either Avila or Dotson for picks that help Les Snead secure his replacement now, not later? If the Rams do not intend to extend both guards, maybe they should trade one.
How good of a haul could they get now?
Teams that need guards in 2026
Guard is cited as the biggest need for the Ravens by many, including USA Today:
The free agent loss of center Tyler Linderbaum has a ripple effect across Baltimore’s offensive line, especially in the interior. The Ravens signed veteran center Danny Pinter and guard John Simpson in free agency. However, work still needs to be done to solidify the interior of their offensive line. Cornerback depth is another area the Ravens could look to address after they finished at the bottom of the AFC in pass defense.
The most common mock draft pick in the universe, besides Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, is Ioane to the Ravens at pick 14.
But what if instead Baltimore took a different player who they need—like say a wide receiver or Kenyon Sadiq—and traded a day two pick for Steve Avila?
The Ravens hold picks 45 and 80 on day two. It is out of line to suggest trading Avila for pick 80 or maybe L.A. could swap pick 61 for pick 45 and Baltimore throws in a fourth round pick? Then maybe the Rams could get Rutledge in round 2.
USA Today also mentioned the Chargers:
The Chargers had the worst offensive line in football last year by multiple metrics. As a result, LA’s set to have three new starters along the interior of its O-line. New additions Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange are penciled in at center and right guard, respectively. There’s a vacancy at left guard that could be filled in the draft.
The L.A. Chargers hold pick 55 and 86. Would you trade Avila or Dotson for picks 86 and 123?
The Rams save cap space and in the same move reload the middle of their draft class. If the Rams drafted Vega in the first round, they could have an immediate upgrade at the position and get younger/cheaper.
ESPN cited the Giants as having a hole at right guard;
The remaining glaring need on offense is at right guard, where Daniel Faalele was just signed as another John Harbaugh follower — but ask Ravens fans how it feels to have Faalele start 17 games. The Giants have fine-to-strong starters at all other positions along the line and shouldn’t faff around with the fifth pick here accordingly. They draft too early in the first round, but No. 37 is a great spot for guards in this draft, including Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech) and Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M).
It looks like everyone expects the Giants to be active during the draft. The problem is that the Giants don’t have a third round pick.
I’m not sure how much they would value Kevin Dotson, but a guy like John Harbaugh does know the value of a great offensive line and New York is desperate to get better in a hurry around quarterback Jaxson Dart. Is Dotson a better move for the Giants than Bisontis, Proctor, Rutledge, or Emmanuel Pregnon? The Giants supposedly want to draft Jeremiyah Love, what’s it worth to them to have an offensive line for Love?
Would they overpay for that offensive line help?
Surprisingly, ESPN also listed the Eagles as already having a need for an interior line help again despite so much investment in recent years:
The driving force behind the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win was their offensive line, and that unit is suddenly in jeopardy. Left guard Landon Dickerson and center Cam Jurgens are both returning from injury-hampered seasons; right guard Tyler Steen is in a contract year; right tackle Lane Johnson is coming off an ankle injury and was reportedly mulling retirement. The Eagles need to invest in multiple offensive linemen to start in 2027 or earlier.
Imagine if some of these great offensive lines had traded any of their offensive linemen before their value hit the tank!
Could be so crazy that it’s genius.
The Eagles have two third round picks at 68 (from the Jets) and 98 (comp pick) so maybe 68 for Avila is a fair price. It would allow the Rams to have a lot more flexibility on day two.
And the Eagles aren’t the only team that once had a great offensive line but now needs a guard. Put the Lions on the list too:
Then the Lions still need to use another pick on the interior offensive line. Christian Mahogany is not a guaranteed starter at left guard and has missed time in both of his pro seasons. Cade Mays was a solid bargain signing in free agency but was a backup for most of his career in Carolina; the Panthers released him in 2024. Neither has a stranglehold on his position, and the Lions should hedge their bets with a middle-rounds pick accordingly.
Not only that, but we know how good the relationship is between Snead and Lions general manager Brad Holmes. Does Holmes want to make another trade with his old team?
Unfortunately, the Lions don’t have a lot of day 2 draft capital. I doubt they’d trade pick 50 for a guard who will be a free agent next year, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Let’s not forget that the Lions expectations for next season are sky high and they can’t afford to miss the playoffs again. They can’t just hope that their rookies are ready to play at a high level.
ESPN also mentioned the Jets:
I think receivers are always easier to find in the middle rounds than other positions, so the Jets should look hard at guard (if Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane makes it to them) or corner (neither Brandon Stephens nor Nahshon Wright have locked up starting roles).
The Jets hold three of the first 33 and four of the first 44 picks. Maybe they’d be open to trading back from 44 to acquire Avila, a versatile option for new offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
And ESPN called out the Browns:
I’d also like to see a contender at right guard over Teven Jenkins, for which No. 39 might be the call. That’s the range for Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M) and Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech).
Finally, the Browns must also continue to rebuild a once-great offensive line. Is pick 70 in the third round a worthy price to pay for Avila? Cleveland head coach Todd Monken needs to get his offense in order immediately and hope to give the quarterback, whoever that is, a chance to drop back and pass next year.
Or the running backs a chance to run.
Should the Rams trade a guard?
I believe so.
Strike while the iron is such a red hot need for so many teams. I didn’t mention the 49ers or Cardinals but they also have a great need at guard. The Cardinals might even be willing to deal in the division because Mike LaFleur is the new head coach so he’s familiar with the game of these two guards.
Will any trade happen? Almost certainly not.
But as the Rams plan for the now and the future, there’s a fighting chance that not only could they avoid losing a guard next offseason, they could draft his replacement now with the pick they get in return. If the Rams take Vega, then a trade is almost certainly on the table in the hours following.
And Vega’s a really good guard prospect who could be better than Avila immediately … or at least younger than Dotson if that’s what happens.
I would make a trade if I could. But the Rams may not find it so easy.
