The common theme for the 2026 Los Angeles Rams offseason is the front office once again taking an ‘all in’ approach. Following two seasons that ended in losses to the eventual Super Bowl champion, the Rams are on the cusp of once again competing for a championship. With Matthew Stafford in the twilight of his career, there won’t be many more opportunities with the roster as currently constructed to make a push. Therefore, it makes sense to push the chips into the middle of the table again and risk
more than they have the last few years.
That may not mean mortgaging the future as they did in 2021. However, they traded the 29th overall pick for Trent McDuffie and spent more in free agency than they have recently. Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, the Rams don’t have a glaring need on the roster. In a sense, it speaks to how well the front office has done when it comes to roster construction. At the same time, it also provides flexibility in the draft. It allows the front office to truly draft the best player available and make a luxury pick if needed.
Given how free agency played out, it’s very possible that the Rams find themselves in a dilemma with the 13th overall pick. This is a weaker draft class at the top, with realistically just three blue chip prospects. An argument can be made that the only ‘blue chip’ caliber prospects in this class are linebacker Sonny Styles, safety Caleb Downs, and running back Jeremiyah Love.
As it stands, all three of those players are projected top-10 picks. With that said, positional value could force one of those players to fall, especially when it comes to Love. Are the New York Giants or Washington Commanders in position to take a running back that high? The Kansas City Chiefs were seen as a Love destination, but they signed Kenneth Walker in free agency.
It’s very possible that because of positional value, Love falls to the bottom half or just outside the top-10. This is exactly what happened in The Athletic’s Beat Writer Mock Draft last week. Love didn’t go until the 14th overall pick. If that were the case, despite the Rams having Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, they would almost have to consider taking Love with the 13th overall pick. The Athletic’s Nate Atkins wrote about this dilemma,
“I think this upgrade idea is a bit more complicated, and not just because Williams and Corum are here…Love projects as a talented and fairly ready pass protector in his own right, but this area can be a sizable jump for any rookie. There’s plenty of reason to believe Love will develop into a very good pass protector, but can he do it fast enough to fit Stafford’s timeline? You could argue that the Rams could draft Love and keep Williams as the primary third-down back. That setup could make the run game electrifying and set up the heir to Stafford with an easier role in a run-heavy offense. But this would be the definition of a luxury move, and it would come with some potential downside. Remember, this was still a top-five rushing team last season with Williams and Corum, who combined for nearly 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry. It was plenty explosive in 10-plus-yard runs. It could improve on truly explosive gains — which I think will happen with more Corum touches — but that is less of a concern for a team as elite in the red zone as this one with Stafford, Davante Adams and 13-personnel sets.”
Atkins ended up passing on Love in favor of Makai Lemon in the Beat Writer mock, but that may not have been the correct decision. If Love is there at 13th overall, it would be very difficult for the Rams not to make that pick. It’s true that having Kyren Williams and Blake Corum complicates that decision. The duo combined for over 2,000 yards last season and when used together, they were able to create explosive plays.
Still, context is needed. This isn’t to say that Williams and Corum weren’t responsible for any of the Rams’ success running the ball, but the offensive line was the best run-blocking unit in the NFL by a wide margin. Corum did well creating and both he and Williams ranked inside the top-25 in 10+yard runs. Still, the Rams have lacked a home-run hitter at the position since the 2018 version of Todd Gurley. What if the Rams are able to take those 10-yard runs and turn them into 40 yard runs? That third gear is what the Rams currently lack. They have two singles hitters who can occasionally hit into a double. Williams and Corum have been effective, but are they maximizing the value of the overall run game?
This is where Love comes into play.
We’ve seen what a high-level playmaker at the running back position can do in the McVay offense. In 2017, Gurley was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year and may have repeated had he not gotten injured in 2018. Through 10 games of the 2018 season, Gurley led the league in rushing, rushing touchdowns, yards from scrimmage, and combined rushing and receiving touchdowns.
Much like Gurley, Love has the top-end speed and explosiveness. Since 2019, the Rams have rarely made their running backs a featured part of the passing game. However, Love brings value as a receiver out of the backfield or split out wide. That’s simply not something that the Rams have been able to tap into since Gurley’s injury in 2018.
This isn’t to eliminate Kyren Williams from the offense after just signing him to an extension last August. In fact, early in his career, Love may be a better fit as a complementary piece to Williams than Corum has been. He adds an element of speed that Corum doesn’t have and brings a receiving ability that the Rams don’t have currently. The best way to think of this is how the Detroit Lions were able to pay David Montgomery, but were able to pair him with Jahmyr Gibbs. It’s also worth noting that the Rams could theoretically move on from Williams after this season if they wanted to. Still, he may be better as a complementary piece initially as there are some questions about his ability to be a workhorse type running back.
While taking Love may not eliminate Williams’ value, it does take away from Corum’s role and almost certainly eliminates a need for Jarquez Hunter. At that point, the Rams could look to trade Corum, but he would still provide good depth behind Williams as well as special teams value.
Again, when it comes to the top of the 2026 draft, Love is one of the few players that would be able to come in and make an immediate impact even in more of a support role. We’ve seen what this type of running back can do in a McVay offense and it very nearly led to a Super Bowl title in 2018. With Stafford getting older, the Rams may need to take a ‘less is more’ approach with their quarterback. Adding a unique playmaker like Love to the offense in the draft may be the type of ‘all in’ move that the Rams need to make.
