LA Rams UK off-season report - Draft Prospects for the Rams 2025

2025 NFL Draft Report: Pick 26

By Lewispeza

Introduction:

Welcome to a report about the 2025 Los Angeles Rams NFL Draft class where I will be looking at potential draftees that would suit the needs and be good fits for the Rams. This report will look at the Rams’ options at pick 26 which could be their first back to back first round pick since 2015/16 which resulted in Todd Gurley and Jared Goff.

The Rams are in quite a lucky position in which they don’t have particularly glaring needs across their roster unlike other teams in the league. However, knowing that Matthew Stafford only has one or two more years in him, they have to draft smartly in order to win now and bring another ring back to LA.

Options at pick 26:

Obviously, the Rams have three options at pick 26: trade up, trade back or stick and pick. Les Snead and Sean McVay have shown before that they aren’t afraid to do any of the three options. Their versatility and adaptability helped the Rams grab Jared Verse and Braden Fiske last year by sticking at 19 for the defensive rookie of the year, then trading up to get his Florida State team-mate in the early stages of the second round. However, that trade came at a cost – the Rams second round pick this year. This leaves a big gap between picks 26 and 90 without a selection for the Rams so trading down has been a popular choice for many analysts and fans.

I’ll be mainly looking in to the prospects that the Rams could be interested in if the Rams stick and pick at each position but also quickly going over some players they could target by trading up or down.

Prospects at pick 26:

QB: Jaxson Dart

Dart seems to be splitting opinions around the league with some viewing him as a high ceiling potential starting quarterback, while some view him as a project who needs to sit for a year or two behind a more experienced starter. The Rams are a great landing spot from Dart’s point of view as he could sit behind and learn from Stafford and then take over the starting role after a year or two. 

There is no doubt he possesses the physical attributes to be successful in the league but his mental processing may need improvement as the Ole Miss offense is very QB friendly. He is athletic and agile enough to extend plays and use his legs effectively with 1500 rushing yards over three years in college as a starter. He also uses his legs to make great improvisational plays and has a strong arm which can be used at different angles due to his experience playing baseball.

There have been a few mock drafts that have had the Steelers taking Dart at pick 21 as their current QB1 is Mason Rudolph so he may not make it to 26, but if the Rams do like Dart and his potential then they would have to hope he drops to 26 and take him there because it seems increasingly unlikely that he falls out of the first round after a very impressive pro day.

RB: Omarion Hampton

I don’t think there is much chance of the Rams taking Hampton with this pick as he is purely a downhill runner who takes on contact and generates yards after contact. That is too similar to their current running back room. If they are to draft a running back it’ll need to be a speedy home run hitter that compliments Kyren Williams and Blake Corum well by coming in sporadically and generating explosive plays on the ground. 

There is a big gap between Ashton Jeanty and Hampton and then a similar gap to whoever you rank as the third best RB whether that be Kaleb Johnson or one of the two Ohio State backs so the Rams won’t have much other choice if they wanted to go running back here. While Hampton is very good, he isn’t a home run hitter in the slightest so although he is the most likely selection at running back at this pick, I don’t think the Rams go here

TE: Colston Loveland

Loveland would be a dream for McVay to get his hands on. Higbee suffered an ACL injury at the end of the 2023 season which knocked him out of most of 2024 and he is now 32 reaching the twilight of his career. The Rams also only have Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen as depth so could do with another quality TE for insurance of injury to Higbee and avoid the large drop-off in quality down to Parkinson and Allen.

The Rams did operate out of 11 personnel on 82% of plays last year but that was heavily reliant on Cooper Kupp operating from the slot. Loveland is an agile receiving tight end that was used almost as a wide receiver (in line or in the slot) in college so he can help fill the void left by Kupp. 

While he isn’t the best blocker, he is serviceable. His hands are elite, and his routes are crisp which gives very easy quick completions for his quarterback. He is a very ‘Travis Kelce’ type of tight end who has the nimbleness to create yards after the catch and has the football IQ to run effective option routes. 

WR: Luther Burden, Matthew Golden, Emeka Egbuka

All three of these receivers could go anywhere between pick 10 to 32 as they’re all completely different receivers that have different skillsets and attributes.

Starting with Luther Burden, who is a bit more of a gadget receiver than the others. In college he often took screens, jet sweeps or occasionally handoffs and rely on his run after the catch ability. He is electric with the ball in his hands but his routes aren’t totally clean and does sometimes struggle to create separation. He has also been criticized for his obvious lack of effort on some plays.

Matthew Golden is a much bigger deep threat receiver. He has been unlucky with injuries (foot and groin in 2024) but when he is fully healthy he can be a game changer. He would play in the Tutu Atwell role in the current Rams offense by stretching the defence downfield while also running sharp dig, out and curl routes to keep defensive backs guessing. He has also operated as a kick returner which can offer even more upside if he doesn’t get to see much of the field early on.

Finally, Emeka Egbuka might be the best schematic fit for the Rams. He is mainly a slot receiver who has great footballing IQ and incredible hands. He always manages to find the soft spot in zone coverage and creates easy completions for his quarterback. He’s well built at 6”1 and 205lbs so can shield off smaller defenders but he doesn’t have top tier speed. He may need to improve the sharpness of his cuts at the top of his routes but the positive for Egbuka is that he has the mental capabilities to be a top NFL wide receiver and can improve his route running over time with quality coaching which the Rams possess in coach Eric Yarber.

OL: OT Josh Simmons, OT/OG Grey Zabel

Simmons could well have been a sure fire top 10 pick this year if it wasn’t for an ACL injury which cut his 2024 season short. He’s a silky smooth pass protector who uses his hands and wingspan to great effect by keeping rushers at an arm’s length and not allow them to get close to his chest and use their power against him, which is a part of his game which is a little bit lacking. He isn’t particularly agile to be greatly effective in the run game and screen passes but nothing that is bad enough to be that worried about. It will be a risk to take him with his injury history but the Rams would be able to sit him behind Jackson and Havenstein and he could then take over the right tackle spot from Havenstein if he was to retire.

Grey Zabel is one of the most versatile linemen in the entire draft. He has played every single position across the offensive line during his time at college and has elite power and size in order to manhandle defenders. He is the polar opposite of Simmons who uses finesse to keep defenders at bay, Zabel uses his strong base and power to hold back defenders so they just hit a brick wall. At 6”6 many believe he will start at tackle but we all saw how effective 6”7 Mekhi Beckton was for the Eagles last year so he would serve as a great option anywhere along the line.

EDGE: Donovan Ezeiruaku

Ezeiruaku is slightly undersized at 6”2 but has the motor and power to make up for his lack of length. He is great in the run game especially by setting the edge and being a more than effective tackler by wrapping up runners with his powerful arms. When he’s rushing the passer, he doesn’t have the best get off and burst but he has elite bend to get round the tackles and put pressure on the quarterback. He’s a very good all-round edge player that can join the rotation on the Rams’ young D-line in place of Michael Hoecht.

DT: Kenneth Grant

Grant is a huge figure on any D-line at 6”4 and 331lbs who can take on double teams and use his thick build to make plays in the run game. He does lack top-end agility and burst but the Rams have plenty of that already on their defensive line. He uses his hands to great effect and has the power and length to fill up gaps on the line of scrimmage to allow running backs no space to manoeuvre. The Rams do need depth at nose tackle with Bobby Brown leaving in free agency and Tyler Davis as the only nose tackle on the roster, but I’d be surprised if they went there with their first pick in the draft.

LB: Jihaad Campbell

Campbell is an intriguing prospect that is projected to have a similar positional situation as Micah Parsons coming out of Penn State. Campbell was recruited as an edge rusher but was moved to inside linebacker as both Dallas Turner and Will Anderson were at Alabama while he was there. They both turned in to first rounders which explains why Campbell was moved. 

He is the size of an edge rusher at 6”3 and 244lbs but the agility and IQ of an inside linebacker. He doesn’t possess great power so can get caught on some blocks by powerful linemen but is slippery enough to fly past them if he can diagnose the play early enough. Although he is raw and needs to work on his pass rush moves and plan, he does have potential to be a very impactful edge rusher as well as a middle linebacker.

CB: Trey Amos

Cornerback is a difficult position to regard at pick 26 as there is a clear top three that should go in the top 20 and then a considerable drop off to a bunch of players predicted to go in the second round. In my opinion, Trey Amos is the most likely of that bunch to take a jump in to the first round. 

He has good size and length at 6”1 and 195lbs but maintains his fluidity and smoothness. His instincts and ball skills may be his best traits (3 picks and 13 PBU’s in 2024) and is at his best in press coverage matching up to receivers with his back to the quarterback. The main concern around Amos was his long speed but he put that to bed at the combine with a 4.43 second 40 yard dash. Amos’ stock has been rising since the combine and he has the potential to be the fourth cornerback off the board.

S: Malaki Starks

Starks would be a massive difference maker on the Rams defence. He is such a versatile defensive back that can play a bunch of different roles. Starks is dominant as both a deep safety in zone and down in the box in tight man coverage against both tight ends and running backs. His footballing IQ is elite and always seems to be a magnet for the football. 

Something that many Rams fans have had some qualms with over the last few years has been missed tackles, and Starks almost never misses a tackle against anybody. He has perfect wrap-up technique and a constant motor means he never lets his target go. Having Starks paired with Quentin Lake as hybrid safeties would be a dynamic pair of defensive backs that can play all over the defensive backfield.

Trade up candidates:

TE: Tyler Warren

Warren is a much more physical tight end than Loveland but has just as much receiving ability, if not more. He plays much more like a Rob Gronkowski type of tight end but if he was to compare to a current day TE it would most likely be Sam LaPorta. He has the size and build to be an effective in-line blocker but needs to work on his hand placements and how to get the most out of his raw power against edge rushers. 

Other than that, it is hard to find many weaknesses with Warren’s game. His size paired with his IQ when attacking zone coverage makes him such a reliable target in the redzone. Also, a part of Warren’s game that often doesn’t get spoken about is his character. His coaches and teammates all loved having him as part of their team and raved about his leadership especially around his fellow tight ends that he helped develop in his time at college.

CB: Jahdae Barron

Barron is a physical, bulky nickel cornerback that is best when allowed to sink in to zone coverage close to the line of scrimmage. Press coverage allows Barron to use his physicality to restrict receivers’ release which will then help the defensive line have more time to get pressure and sack the quarterback as the receiver can’t get in to their routes and breaks as quick as usual.

Although he is at his best in the nickel spot, he has the speed and good size to be more than comfortable on the outside of the defence. If the Rams draft Barron, it would be interesting to see who they opt to play in the slot between himself and Decobie Durant.

Trade down candidates:

RB: TreVeyon Henderson

One of the two standout Ohio State running backs that are projected to go early in the second round but getting more and more buzz as the draft nears. Henderson possesses the perfect skillset for the Rams in that he is categorically the best pass protecting RB in the entire draft and he also has the speed and shiftiness to break off long runs consistently. He also offers value in the pass game as a reliable receiver out of the backfield.

Henderson doesn’t have the best vision which means that he does sometimes rely on the offensive line creating clear holes for him to run through but once he sees a hole he can be gone in a flash.

TE: Elijah Arroyo

Arroyo is one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft mainly due to his injury history. He suffered a horrid torn ACL as well as other smaller injuries which has sidelined him for a lot of his college career. Therefore, he is on the raw side of prospects but when he was on the field he clearly showed he has the ability to be a gamechanger in the pass game.

He has top tier speed for the position alongside great hands which makes him such a dangerous weapon for any offense. His run after the catch ability is scarily good for a tight end and his elusiveness sets him apart from the rest of the tight ends in this class. However, he is a little undersized and the small sample size means it is a risk for teams to take him.

WR: Jack Bech, Jayden Higgins

Bech is a prototypical style of wide receiver that the Rams like to go after in the draft. His mentality to never stop and always get involved in anything and everything makes him a coaches dream. He matches his mentality with top tier toughness helping him be an effective blocker and create yards after the catch. 

His route running is incredibly refined and his hands are really impressive. His only downside as a prospect is his top speed, running a 4.55 second 40 yard dash. However, the Rams often disregard 40 times and use real “game speed” instead, especially in the cases of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua which you could say worked out pretty well.

Jayden Higgins is a big bodied receiver who is best when he is able to compete for jump balls and use his frame to box out smaller defensive backs. At 6”4 he is one of the biggest receivers in the whole draft but he is by far a one trick pony. He runs nice routes when required and shows really impressive zone coverage IQ to find the soft spot and sit there for an easy completion. 

All of his skills mean that he is an incredible weapon for any quarterback in the redzone as he can offer a great option with fades as well as finding soft spots in coverage over the middle. His blocking ability could use some work and his speed was a worry but he ran a 4.47 40 which is very impressive for someone his size so it shouldn’t be too much of a worry for teams, especially with his other elite traits.

CB: Shavon Revel, Azareye’h Thomas

Both Revel and Thomas are bigger bodied corners at 6”2 but play in completely different ways. Revel prefers to sit back in zone/off coverage with his eyes on the quarterback and be able to break and burst on the ball or man. Although he does like to have his eyes in the backfield, he has great patience and eye-discipline so he doesn’t often overcommit or bite on any double moves. He does struggle to locate the ball when he is in press coverage and has to time turning his head to perfection. He may be a lock in the first round if it wasn’t for a bad ACL tear that lost him a lot of time in college.

On the other hand, Thomas loves to get physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage to not allow a clean release. This can sometimes attract some flags if he ends up being too handsy through the route but he is a very sticky corner that doesn’t allow much separation, if any. Unlike Revel, Thomas relishes having his back to the ball and with such great length he can get his long arms up high to make late plays on the ball when challenged downfield. An underrated part of Thomas’ game is his never ending motor. He will never give up on a play and can also come down and make decent contributions in the run game if needed.

My opinions:

If the Rams are to stick and pick at 26 then I have two personal favourite picks: Colston Loveland and Emeka Egbuka. I think they would both be able to fill the huge void left by Cooper Kupp and offer a reliable option for Stafford over the middle of the field while Nacua and Adams can make magic happen on the outside. The Rams’ offense would be one hell of a fun watch with one of these two added to the equation.

However, I do believe that the trade off you would get from trading back and recouping a later pick whether that be a second or third rounder would be a tempting way to go. This draft class is already being touted as a very deep class so you can still pick up very good players in the mid rounds. Therefore, I’d personally try and trade down to early in the second round to see if a wide receiver or cornerback is there that you really like and then you have another pick to play with later on that you could always use to trade back up.