7-Round Mock Draft

My LA Rams 7-Round Mock Draft

Introduction:

As we move closer to the draft, it is time for my first mock draft that is solely focussed on the Rams and their picks over all three nights. As it stands, the Rams hold 7 draft picks, including one pick in each of the first three rounds. The only original draft picks that they still own are their second and third round picks at 61 and 93 overall.

I will be including trades in this mock draft, as I would put a lot of money on the Rams trading in some way or another on draft night and I want it to be as realistic as possible. Speaking of trades, let’s jump into the Rams first pick of the draft.

Pick one: LA Rams TRADE picks 13 and 61 to the New York Jets for picks 16 and 44

Although the Rams would love to trade back and recoup their mid-round picks here, they are also wary of dropping too far back in the first round and missing out on one of their top players. By moving back three spots in round one, they manage to move forward 17 spots in the second round which gives them the flexibility of selecting another staring calibre players or trading back from there to get their picks back.

The Jets are slated to select one of the top edge rushers in the draft at pick 2, leaving one of their pressing needs as a complimentary receiver to Garrett Wilson. The Jets trade up to acquire one of the premium talents at the position, getting ahead of the Rams and Ravens who are in the market for help in their wide receiver rooms.

With the 16th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select WR KC Concepcion

The Rams clearly need another weapon to go alongside Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, especially with both of their contracts expiring in the near future. Sean McVay will always look to add to his arsenal of weapons, and he will want to put everything in place to help Matthew Stafford carry his red-hot form into next season and lift another Lombardi trophy.

There are a number of receivers I can see the Rams liking in the middle of the first round: Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson, Omar Cooper Jr and KC Concepcion. I think this is why they’ll be happy to trade back as the difference between these receivers isn’t considerably wide. This likely means that the group of players you could get from the haul you receive from trading back will most likely be more valuable than the single 13th pick due to the small differences of quality between receivers at this stage.

After the Rams essentially lost the NFC Championship game because of special teams and a muffed punt, they go and get one of the best returners available in the draft in KC Concepcion. The Texas A&M star recorded 2 punt return touchdowns in 2025 alone, with over 18 average yards per return on 25 runbacks. Sean McVay and the Rams won’t allow a single component of their organisation to be below par this year with it all on the line, so upgrading your kick returner removes one of the few question marks left on the roster.

However, Concepcion is much more than just a returner. He was given the Paul Hornung award in 2025, which is presented to college football’s most versatile player. KC can attack all three levels of a defence in the receiving game, operating both in the slot and on the outside, while also being used as a gadget on screens and jet sweeps. He is unbelievably shifty with the ball in his hands, and he can simply just accelerate away from defensive backs when he has an angle to take it all the way.

Regardless of his athletic ability, he also has great football IQ, especially when attacking zone coverage. Concepcion is especially effective over the middle of the field where he can attack holes in zone coverage using his savvy route running, or by simply sitting down and providing an easy completion for his quarterback. 

The only downsides to his game are some occasional drops and a lack of size leaves him vulnerable against more physical defensive backs. More physical backs do still need great hand usage and a strong punch to put him off his course as he has the initial burst to power through contact at the line of scrimmage and accelerate away from coverage. I believe the drops will diminish as there was evidence of him bringing in very difficult catches throughout his college career but more than anything else, Matthew Stafford’s accuracy compared to his QB play in college will give him a much easier time catching the ball.

Pick two: LA Rams TRADE picks 44 and a 2027 6th round pick to the Green Bay Packers for picks 52, 120 and 160

Here is where the Rams regain their mid-round draft capital, by a simple trade back with the Packers who want to trade up to make their first selection of the draft. They are reportedly very high on cornerback Chris Johnson so if he was still on the board at pick 44, I can see the Packers aggressively trying to come up and grab him, with the Rams being perfect trade partners.

With the 52nd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select OL Gennings Dunker

I know there are plenty of Rams fans out there that will want the Rams to select a linebacker at this spot as that is one of the only remaining weaknesses on the roster, but I think there is value at the position later in the draft. Anthony Hill, Jake Golday and Josiah Trotter could all be available here and the Rams have met with both Golday and Trotter so it’s certainly not out of the question. 

Fans may also believe that the offensive line is not a position of need, but the Rams need depth at all 5 spots on the line, not to mention that they have Avila, Dotson and McClendon who have expiring contacts in the near future. That is why I have the Rams selecting versatile lineman Gennings Dunker in the second round.

Before I get in to his on-field qualities, I need to mention his character and achievements outside of football. If you are part of our community Discord group you will already know all about Dunker, who sports an impressive ginger mullet and moustache and is also the multi-time winner of the Iowa Beef Days Hay Bale toss where he managed to throw a 50-60 pound hay bale over a 14-foot-6 bar. If that doesn’t make you want the Rams to draft him, I don’t know what will.

His hay bale tossing skills match exactly how he plays football, he is a mauler who relies on pure power and a strong base to win his reps against defensive linemen. Dunker’s elite toughness especially helps him in the run game by simply displacing defenders using his incredibly powerful initial punch, to create holes for his running back. When he reaches the second level it is just an unfair mismatch with defensive backs and linebackers, but he doesn’t hold back in the slightest, ploughing through anyone he can lay his hands on.

He does lack top end athleticism which occasionally caused him trouble in college when he was playing tackle, but a move inside to guard at pro-level will diminish those problems somewhat. At guard, he will be more likely to get help from his center, but he will also have to move less than he would at tackle which will suit his game much more.

In recent years, the Rams have targeted players who have great character outside of football to match great play on the field. Dunker is incredibly smart on and off the field, achieving a 3.59 GPA and a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honouree while majoring in health and human physiology. He is also a multi-sport athlete, competing in wrestling, baseball, volleyball, shotput and discus during his years at college which normally correlates well at the pro-level. Personally, he is easy going in his everyday life, but as soon as he puts pads on, he switches to a hardworking, competitive teammate who always gives his all to try and be the best he can be.

Pick three: With the 93rd pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select LB Bryce Boettcher

After passing on linebacker at 52, the Rams can’t pass up on another multi-sport athlete in Bryce Boettcher. The Oregon linebacker actually went to college on a baseball scholarship as a center fielder, before attending a walk-on session in 2022 for the Oregon football team and instantly impressing. He had grown up through school playing quarterback and defensive end, but the coaching staff at Oregon asked him to move to linebacker to replicate his athleticism shown as a center fielder.

Boettcher even had to give up his baseball scholarship to play football at the college that his family have had season tickets for since he was just a kid. He technically became a double walk-on, and juggled both sports for two years, before being drafted to the MLB by the Houston Astros in 2024. He decided to return to his hometown to finish his final year of eligibility playing football, where he continued to improve and decided to declare for the NFL draft this year.

In terms of his footballing ability, you can clearly see how his experience as a center fielder helps him as a linebacker at the heart of a defence. He was a valued leader of the 2025 Oregon defence, having been given the green dot to communicate the play calls to his fellow teammates on the field. While he won’t have that role in the Rams defence due to the emergence of Nate Landman, leadership and communication skills are vital for any linebacker.

However, he is still fairly raw in his development, as he only started playing linebacker in 2022. To make such an impression so early in his career as a linebacker clearly proves how quickly he can adapt and learn, so by being around coaches and more experienced players in the NFL, he will hopefully grow and improve even further. This will hopefully help him become more patient when trying to make plays as he can occasionally get overzealous and puts himself in compromising positions by biting too quickly on plays. This most commonly occurs on play action or misdirection plays where he tries to fire downhill without hesitation and when it turns out he read the play wrong, it puts him in a very compromising position.

Boettcher isn’t a finished article, but he has the traits and toughness that the Rams should be looking for in not only their linebackers, but in all of their players. He has never had anything given to him on a plate, having to work hard for everything he has achieved, including giving up his baseball scholarship and managing to play baseball and football at the same time. His character on and off the field is exemplary and that is something that has recently pushed players up the Rams’ draft boards.

Pick four: With the 120th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select TE Eli Raridon

In my previous report about my defensive draft gems, I highlighted Nate Boerkircher as a potential target for the Rams at tight end, but I think this would be slightly too early to take him. Instead, the Rams can’t pass up the promising talent Eli Raridon from Notre Dame.

At 6”6, he is a long and explosive Y tight end, who can come in and make an impact on all three downs. Although he wasn’t asked to play with his hand in the ground much at Notre Dame, he showed that he was more than capable of performing solidly there whenever he got the chance. With the Rams increased usage of 12 and 13 personnel, it is a necessity for their tight ends to be able to play with their hand in the ground as an extension of the offensive line.

Raridon’s length sometimes leaves him a little upright in his blocking stance, but other than that he is a very competent blocker both on his own and in double teams. He has above average play strength which could still be improved by adding muscle, and his gritty and tough nature never make it easy for a defensive lineman to beat him. His footwork while blocking also gives him a strong base to drive from to make it even harder for defenders to drive him back using their own power.

Huge 11-inch hands help him with both blocking and receiving. By having such huge hands, he makes it harder for defenders to get loose of his grip when he is attached while blocking and also helps him have a wider catch radius and then have a vice like grip on the ball once he gets his hands on it. This helped him bring in contested catches with ease, reaching a 75% success rate on contested catches in his career.

Raridon brought in 8 catches that resulted in more than a 20-yard gain last season, which is 25% of his total catches. That is the highest number of 20+ yard catches among this tight end class, and averaging 15.1 yards per catch on 32 catches backs up his big play threat even further. He is very explosive off the line of scrimmage and reaches his top speed quickly to threaten down the seam of the defence, which also creates more space over the middle of the field for dig or crossing routes elsewhere.

If it wasn’t for two previous ACL tears in his right knee, Raridon would probably be going much higher than this, so the medical records and tests will be key to where he does go on draft night. That said, his two tears were in his final year of high school and first year of college. He managed to be injury free in his final two years of college which will be a positive sign that the tears were freak incidents rather than a recurring theme.

Pick five: With the 160th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select CB Thaddeus Dixon

It was clear to everyone that the main weakness of the Rams was their secondary and they have done all they can to fix it already this offseason. Bringing in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the Chiefs will provide a monumental improvement to the secondary, but they have lost Durant and Witherspoon, so they still need some depth at the position.

Thaddeus Dixon can provide that depth as a versatile corner who can play both on the perimeter and in the slot as a nickel. He transferred to North Carolina for his final year of college where he played under Bill Belichick and earned his trust and garnered praise from one of the greatest coaches of all time. Belichick said that Dixon could ‘probably play any position in the secondary’, proving his valuable versatility.

The Los Angeles native can use his athleticism to cover receivers, but his physicality is more effective. He is a particularly good hand fighter throughout the route and always seems to get his hands in the right place to make the catch as difficult as he possibly can for his opponent. Despite this, he has struggled to generate interceptions in his college career, with only two picks in total. This is mainly due to him finding the ball late, so he has to try and recover and break it up rather than make a play on the ball. 

Dixon is well respected both on and off the field. His tough nature in everything he does on the field from physical coverage to fearless tackling is respected by his teammates and coaches, especially from Washington in 2024 where he transferred from. They said he was always ‘team-first’ and would always work hard and give his all for the betterment of the team.

There were some concerns around his long speed on tape, but he has history in track events, and he recorded an impressive forty-yard dash time at his pro-day, so it may be something that can be coached into him more than a problem with his athletic ability. The only other question mark around him, is the injury he suffered last season which saw him miss 7 games. It was an upper body injury that meant he wasn’t able to put together an impressive final season, following on from his great 2024 campaign, recording 10 pass break ups and 1 interception for Washington.

Pick six: With the 207th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select EDGE Quintayvious Hutchins

The Rams are relatively thin at outside linebacker behind Jared Verse and Byron Young as they currently have Josiah Stewart, Desjuan Johnson and Keir Thomas as the only depth on the roster, so they will look to bolster that room before preseason begins. Stewart did have a promising rookie season after being picked in the third-round last year, but Johnson and Thomas have struggled for considerable snaps so far in their career.

Therefore, the Rams select Quintayvious Hutchins out of Boston College. Despite starting just 16 games in his five-year college career, Hutchins was made a captain of his defence in 2025 and played nicely despite his lack of production on the stat sheet. Although he only managed 3.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks, he continually impacted plays by pressuring the quarterback. 

He lacks the desired size and bulk of an NFL edge rusher at 6”2 and 229 lbs, but that doesn’t stop him from giving his all on every single snap and generating power through his base and legs. If you watched his tape without knowing his size, you wouldn’t think he was as light as he was, as he can drive offensive lineman back if he can get into their chest. He can also use his power to help set the edge when defending the run or stopping a mobile quarterback from scrambling out of the pocket.

Hutchins also has impressive bend at the top of his rush, allowing him to get around offensive tackles and generate pressure without allowing the quarterback to step up in the pocket to avoid him. However, he does struggle with second efforts, because linemen are able to keep him at arm’s length due to his smaller wingspan which means it’s harder to disengage from blocks.

He can be used in other ways too, as he is more than comfortable dropping in to coverage, even picking off now Saints quarterback Tyler Shough two years ago. His footballing IQ is high as he has played 6 different positions throughout his footballing career, so he is able to diagnose plays in coverage and doesn’t look out of place. 

Hutchins is also a special teams star, specialising in punt and kick coverage by motoring downfield and filling up holes in the coverage and bringing returners down whenever they get close to him. That should help his case for a roster spot as he can add value elsewhere, not just as a rotational edge rusher.

Pick seven: With the 232nd pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select WR Chase Roberts

I don’t want to get carried away or overhype a player by comparing him to a current NFL superstar, but Chase Roberts has had a similar career and plays similarly to current Rams wideout Puka Nacua. For starters, they both attended BYU, where they made an impact both on and off the field as likeable and hard-working characters.

Roberts doesn’t possess anything close to blistering speed, having ran a 4.64 second forty-yard dash. However, the Rams don’t tend to look deeply into the forty times of their receivers, and it seems to have been successful. Cooper Kupp ran 4.62 seconds, and Puka Nacua ran 4.57 seconds, and they have been two of the best Rams receivers in recent history. Roberts doesn’t have incredibly high top speed, but the speed at which he changes direction and snaps off the breaks in his routes allow him to get open without relying on speed.

The two-time BYU captain comes from a family full of footballers, his dad also played at BYU in the 80s and his brother was his teammate in his final college season, even having lockers next to each other. He has played football from a very young age with his family, which may be the reason behind his fierce competitiveness and hard-working demeanour. Roberts plays every single snap like it’s his last, whether that’s battling for the ball in the air or powering through contact for extra yards, he will always put his body on the line. Being made a two-time captain was an honour for Roberts, who led his teammates with pride, and was described as a magnetic and mature personality that was liked and respected by all of his teammates and coaches.

His most illustrious trait is his sticky hands. Despite lacklustre quarterback play throughout his college career, he was able to fight through contact in tight windows to snatch the ball out of the air before his defender can break it up. This is another reason why his lack of speed isn’t a huge problem, even if he struggles to separate from quicker defenders, he can box them out with his larger frame and use his impressive hands to bring in receptions even if the throw isn’t perfect. 

Roberts also had a fair few impressive adjustment catches: sliding and diving across the turf to catch low throws, toe-tapping on the sideline and he was especially good at tracking deep balls by adjusting as late as possible so the defender would have less chance of knowing where the throw was going. Hate to do it again, but the similarity to Nacua tracking deep balls and fighting through contact to bring it in is pretty uncanny.

Having played football for many years, he has an impressive level of football IQ, especially when running routes and finding soft spots in zone coverage. He can adjust his routes to be able to evade defensive backs in zone coverage and allow his quarterback to throw in to space with ease. Roberts’ route running is also impressive for a man of his size, by using subtle movements before his breaks to really sell the defender on which way he’s going to break. This means that he is especially effective against off coverage where he can have a free release and beat his man with cleverness and route running technique rather than his physical traits.

Overall, he isn’t the greatest wide receiver prospect as he does lack the top end speed, and he will be 25 by the time the draft rolls around. However, we are talking about a late round pick so there are no real expectations for him to come in and set the world alight at training camp. I think he has the IQ, mentality and toughness that the Rams value in their receivers that could make him a target for them on day three of the draft.

Pick eight: With the 251st pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select QB Joey Aguilar

Aguilar is one of the older quarterbacks in this draft class at 25 years old, but he has the traits available that could allow him to make an impression early on in training camp and secure a spot on an NFL roster. At 6”3 and 229 lbs, he has a solid build to go along with immense toughness, taking plenty of hits throughout his college career but always getting straight back up for the next play.

His 2025 tape was a vast improvement from 2024, especially in his decision making which became much quicker and much more effective. Tennessee’s offense is easier for a quarterback to lead, but he still had to read defences and make the throws in time with his receivers which he was very effective at. 

Aguilar was most comfortable when he could use play action and uncork a deep ball by stepping up into the pocket. The touch was sometimes a little too much on his deep balls which allowed deep safeties to make plays on the ball, but he has a very strong arm so he can easily push the ball very deep downfield and in stride for his receivers. He actually had 26 completions of more than 20 air yards in 2025 alone.

As you may have noticed, a common theme of the players I have mocked to the Rams so far have a relentless motor and toughness on the field, as well as showing leadership and being well-liked both on and off the field. Aguilar is another player to fit that mould as he was a team captain in his final year at Appalachian State where he was popular among teammates due to his easy-going and genuine personality. He was also extremely hard-working, being noted as always staying late to meet with coaches and watch film to help him improve and make sure he is always prepared.

Although his decision making improved during his time at Tennessee, he still needs to work on his anticipation and working through progressions. Tennessee’s offense normally allowed the quarterback to hit the first or second read so there wasn’t as much on Aguilar’s shoulders, but in an NFL scheme against NFL defences, he will have to adapt and be comfortable enough in the pocket to cycle through multiple progressions. Once he gets more comfortable, I’m sure the anticipation on his throws will improve as he won’t be so fixated on his first or second read and wait for them to be completely open before throwing.

Aguilar is an interesting prospect as he has all the physical traits you could want, but the mental side of the game restricts him from being a day two pick. Sitting behind a mastermind like Stafford for at least a year would be perfect for Aguilar who could learn from Stafford’s experience and knowledge and that could unlock the potential to match his mental capabilities to his physical traits.

Pick nine: With the 252nd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select DT Jordan Van den Berg

Van den Berg is hoping to become the first ever South African born player drafted to the NFL and there are clearly reasons why he should be. First of all, he is an athletic freak, and I don’t use that lightly. At 6”3 and 310 lbs on his pro day at Georgia Tech, he tied the defensive tackle record for the quickest recorded shuttle drill at 4.19 seconds which demonstrates his incredible explosion and burst. 

He also jumped a 36-inch vertical and 9’11” in the broad jump which both rank in the 98th percentile of all defensive tackles. His forty-yard dash was quite impressive at 4.94 seconds, but it was the 10-yard split that really raised eyebrows. His 1.61 10-yard split was an entire 0.05 seconds quicker than the fastest split recorded at the combine, which once again illustrates his elite burst. He averaged a negative 0.11 tackle yards depth which displays how quickly he can get up field to bring down ball carriers or quarterbacks. The next closest tackle depth in this draft class is positive 0.6 yards so almost a whole yard’s difference.

After all of that, you may be wondering why he isn’t a first-round pick, and I have the Rams taking him with one of the last picks of the entire draft. He is still extremely raw, having only started 20 games in total in college and only cementing himself as a starter in his final year when he finally started showing some real potential. That does leave uncertainty around whether he can adapt to the NFL after just one good season in college, especially with just 3 sacks last year which was a career high. 

That is mainly due to his stiff lateral movements. He is great at pushing the pocket back with his pure strength and great base, but when he is asked to move laterally and get around the edge of guards and centers, he struggles with his bend to really get to the quarterback. Furthermore, he also occasionally over commits in space when he goes for tackles, leaving him vulnerable to cuts from agile running backs and mobile quarterbacks.

Despite those deficiencies with his game, he still made a lot of splash and impactful plays, especially in the run game. If he can touch up his technique and work with more experienced and knowledgeable players and coaches, then there is no doubt he can work his way on to a roster. 

Van den Berg is more of a project than a finished product right now, but with such a late pick in the draft it is more than worth the risk. There is no doubt he will enter training camp for an NFL team and work his socks off to do whatever he can to make the team. He might have the most relentless motor of all defensive tackles in this class; he just does not stop until the whistle is blown, no matter how the play is going. His coaches at Georgia Tech claimed he was an incredible leader by setting the example of how everyone should go about their business and present themselves as players and as people.

Conclusion:

The Rams end up with nine picks in this scenario, selecting two wide receivers, a versatile offensive lineman, a linebacker, tight end, corner, edge rusher, quarterback and defensive tackle. This draft is about getting immediate quality to help win a Superbowl this year and developing depth in case of injuries and contract expiries after this year. 

They have achieved the immediate starters with KC Concepcion, Bryce Boettcher and potentially Gennings Dunker as the 6th offensive lineman, unless they want to move Avila to center and Dunker to guard. The rest of the draft will be all about depth and ensuring the future of the roster, by drafting promising talents that could reach a higher ceiling with coaching, that also work hard on and off the field and have positive personal character. 

Of course, it is almost impossible to predict what the Rams are going to do next week, but I would be very surprised if they didn’t try and fill the gaps in rounds four and five via some sort of trade. Knowing McVay they’ll also take a running back on day two and send the whole fanbase into meltdown.