Peter Schrager of ESPN sent his first mock of the draft season out into the world. He used context from his time at the NFL annual meetings to gather information from sources and inform his project first-round picks. Schrager is basing his selections off what he heard from teams and not necessarily personal evaluations or what he thinks is best.
With that context in mind, who did the Los Angeles Rams land? What were their options at the time?
Two receivers came off the board before the Rams were on
the clock at #13. The Chiefs took Jordyn Tyson at ninth overall. The Dolphins swiped Carnell Tate two picks before Los Angeles.
#13 – Rams: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Lemon fits with a lot of what the Rams do on offense. And taking the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner would be a sign that the Rams are truly all-in to win in 2026, potentially Matthew Stafford’s final season. But this pick would also have the long term in mind, with Davante Adams entering the final year of his deal and turning 34 in December.
TE Kenyon Sadiq was selected by the Ravens at #14 following the Rams’ pick. Omar Cooper went a few slots later to the Jets at 16 overall.
JB’s thoughts
Schrager mentions that Los Angeles needs another receiver given Davante Adams’ advanced age. Lemon certainly will help the team both short and long term and could be an immediate contributor. Still, the Rams need someone who can eventually replace Adams on the outside and this is not the best fit for Lemon overall. Tyson and Tate better fit this need; however, they were already off the board by the time the Rams were on the clock.
The way this mock draft fell does not favor LA. There is a high probability that Tate is long gone and the Rams can only acquire him if they trade up. I’d feel better about the Lemon pick if the team had its choice between Tyson and Lemon, and if they could decide that Tyson’s injury history is too risky. They shouldn’t be pigeonholed into picking the best available wide receiver, though the other options in the same range weren’t exactly intriguing.
It’s a tough draft class to have the 13th pick.
