The Los Angeles Rams are back in the first round of the NFL Draft after a brief hiatus. Last year, they flipped their pick to the Atlanta Falcons, who took James Pearce Jr in that spot. But that gave Los Angeles the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft, which they still have. What will the Rams do in the NFL Draft, according to the PFF mock simulator?
The Rams had a great 2025 season, although the ending was not what they dreamed of. Matthew Stafford won league MVP for the first time, largely thanks to his connection with Davante Adams. The veteran hauled in a league-high 14 touchdowns, and Puka Nacua grabbed 10 of his own. The Rams have holes to fill, however, and can do so in the Draft.
Who do the Rams select in the NFL Draft? Let’s find out what PFF says.
Rams beef up the offensive line in 1st round
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The last time the Rams drafted in the first round, they hit a massive home run with edge rusher Jared Verse. This time around, they get someone to protect Matthew Stafford, and whoever follows him as LA’s quarterback. The Rams take Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle, Monroe Freeling, with the 13th overall pick in the draft.
The Rams did a great job protecting Stafford and setting up Kyren Williams and the running game last year. But with Alaric Jackson turning 28 and hitting free agency at the end of the 2027 season, it is never too early to find replacements. They do that here with Freeling, who started every game of the last two seasons for Georgia.
The Rams earned the 29th pick in the draft last year, but traded it to the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason for Trent McDuffie.
A playmaker in the second round
The Rams have been one of the many teams in on the AJ Brown trade sweepstakes this offseason. This mock draft assumes that the deal does not get over the line before the picks are due in April, so Les Snead takes a wide receiver in the second round. With the 61st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Rams take Skyler Bell out of Connecticut.
Bell was sensational on a surprisingly good UConn team in 2025, leading the team with 101 catches, 1,278 yards, and 13 touchdowns. Snead has succeeded at finding playmakers outside the first round, see Nacua’s drop to the fifth round, and may strike gold with Bell. The Rams are rebuilding on the fly and trying to get the most out of Stafford’s final years. Drafting Bell in this spot helps with both of those goals.
Adding a player on defense
Moving on to the third round, where the Rams have the 93rd overall selection. Here, they fill another need with Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott. Without many needs on their roster, they slightly reach for a player largely projected to fall into the fourth round. But if Elliott cannot be a player right away, the defense will survive.
Elliott was a monster for the Sun Devils last year, picking up 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks for a lackluster squad. If he can bring energy to the defense, the Rams may be able to keep up with the Seahawks in the blistering NFC West battle. That is the gamble that Snead and company should take once the Draft gets into the middle rounds.
Two more wide receivers later in the NFL Draft
114 picks pass before the Rams select again at 207. There, they go into the Division III ranks to select Tyrem Montgomery out of John Carroll University. The Blue Streaks went to the D3 semi-finals with a 12-2 record last year, and Montgomery is a big reason why. He led the squad with 119 catches and 1,528 yards, and John Carroll is far from any D3 program. Don Shula, Josh McDaniels, Brandon Staley, and London Fletcher all went to the Ohio university.
The Rams are back on the clock in the seventh round, where they select another wide receiver. Noah Thomas was Freeling’s teammate at Georgia, but poor college numbers have him falling to 232nd overall. He caught just 16 passes for 239 yards in his lone season with the Bulldogs. Three years at Texas A&M did not end up much better. But if any team can find the diamond in the rough at receiver this late, it’s the Rams.
Two dart throws to round it out for the Rams
The Rams have picks 251 and 252 in the NFL Draft to round out their crop of selections. While not Mr. Irrelevant, it is very unlikely that these players are difference makers at the NFL level. But this simulation has the Rams selecting two players at key positions that could change the outcome.
First is Keagen Trost, an offensive tackle out of Missouri. After playing 12 games at Wake Forest in 2024, he transferred to Missouri to help replace Armand Membou, who was taken in the first round last year. According to PFF, he allowed just one sack in 891 offensive snaps for the Tigers in 2025. If that continues with the Rams, this will be a great find.
Finally, the Rams have not faced the impending end of Matthew Stafford’s career yet. They take the first step in that process in this draft simulator, taking Jalon Daniels out of Kansas with the 252nd overall pick. Give him a year to learn under Stafford and Sean McVay, and maybe he can be the Rams’ next starter. He threw for 2,500 yards, 22 scores, and seven picks in his sixth and final season with the Jayhawks.
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