10 Takeaways From Rams’ Controversial 2026 NFL Draft Class

Any wide receiver drafted was going to be the WR3. As seen with the Max Klare selection, he’s going to be the TE4. Any offensive lineman drafted was going to be a backup depth piece. No rookie was going to have a significant impact on this team and it’s a testament to how strong the roster is. 

3. Ty Simpson is the Perfect Fit for Rams Rimeline and McVay

With the 13th overall pick, the Rams shocked the football world by taking quarterback Ty Simpson out of Alabama. While there was a lot of criticism of the pick, there are also a lot of reasons why it made sense. The idea has always been to put a young quarterback behind Matthew Stafford to learn and develop. While the Rams could have waited until 2027 to do that, it also would have removed any flexibility to trade that first round pick for a proven player at the trade deadline. Simpson may be inexperienced, but he gets to develop behind an MVP quarterback and get mental reps until he takes over. 

Additionally, if a team likes a quarterback and has conviction, it’s not a position worth messing around with. If McVay really liked Simpson, it made sense to just take him rather than trade back and risk losing him. It should come as no surprise that McVay likes Simpson. It’s very possible that McVay sees a young Kirk Cousins in terms of him being a high-level processor with a mix of Baker Mayfield’s athleticism. Simpson is the prototypical quarterback for the McVay system. 

4. Max Klare Signals More 13 personnel 

Last season, the Rams shifted to more 13 personnel packages in Week 6 due to injuries at the wide receiver position. However, it ended up working well and the Rams incorporated it for the rest of the season. Running their offense out of 13 personnel allowed them to get defenses into base and take advantage of those matchups. 

With Klare, the Rams will have five tight ends on the roster. They are much deeper at tight end than they are at wide receiver. After having success in heavier tight end packages last season, it appears that may become the norm after taking Max Klare. 

5.  Warren McClendon Will Get His Shot

Throughout mock draft season, the media consistently gave the Rams a right tackle in the first round despite Warren McClendon playing well in place of Rob Havenstein. By waiting until the third round to take a tackle, the Rams are giving McClendon a shot. 

While McClendon’s play dipped slightly in the playoffs, he’ll get an entire offseason to build on his performance and work with the starters. Keagen Trost should provide good depth at tackle and along the interior, but this is McClendon’s job. 

6. CJ Daniels May End Up as One of the Best Picks in the Class

Rams general manager Les Snead has consistently done his best work on Day 3 of the draft, and specifically the sixth round. As the kids say, Snead has “cooked”. He’s found players such as Quentin Lake and Jordan Fuller in the sixth round as well as Jordan Whittington. 

It’s very possible that Daniels ends up as one of the best players in this draft class for the Rams. He gives them exactly what they need at wide receiver over Konata Mumpfield as someone who runs good routes and is strong at the catch point. Out of all the rookies, Daniels is the one that could have an immediate impact. 

7. Rams Coaching Staff Trusts Omar Speights

Right before the Rams were on the clock with the 61st overall pick, the Tennessee Titans traded ahead of them at 60 to draft linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. out of Texas. Hill was a player that I saw as a great fit for the Rams. We’ll never know if Snead would have taken him, but the Titans certainly felt the need to trade ahead of the Rams to get him. 

The Rams ended up not taking a linebacker in the entire draft. Some of the players who they may have drafted got selected in the fifth round, but it’s possible that they simply didn’t see a need at the position. A rookie on Day 3 wasn’t going to start over Omar Speights and the Rams seem to like what they have in Shaun Dolac. 

8. Rams Didn’t Put a Focal Point on Special Teams

Special teams ended up being the Rams’ downfall last season and it was thought that they may put a focal point on it late in the draft. However, CJ Daniels doesn’t bring special teams value and Max Klare also has limited special teams experience. 

It wouldn’t have been surprising for the Rams to add a punter or kicker after the draft to add some competition, but they didn’t do that either. The hope seems to be that a new special teams coordinator in addition to the signings of Grant Stuard and Joe Cardona are enough. 

9. This Class Sets Rams Up Well for Future

As mentioned previously, the draft was always approached with the future in mind for this version of the Rams. Ty Simpson gives the Rams a future at quarterback which the team didn’t have previously. The Rams are currently deep at tight end, but Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen are free agents after this season. Selecting Klare provides flexibility there. The same can be said about the selection of Trost as four of the Rams’ five starters on the offensive line are on expiring contracts. 

This draft was approached with the future in mind and the Rams accomplished their goal. Every pick isn’t going to work out, but from a theoretical standpoint, the Rams have at least given themselves flexibility with future decisions. 

10. Snead Took a Risk and Only Time Will Tell if it Works

There’s no doubt that taking an inexperienced quarterback at 13 was a risk. It’s a similar decision that the Green Bay Packers made after losing in the 2019 NFC Championship Game. The Packers made the NFC Championship Game the following season and lost by five points. 

Only time will tell if Simpson develops or if the Rams took the right approach in the draft. However, this is a front office and coaching staff that has earned the benefit of the doubt. They aren’t perfect by any means, but most of the time they are right. If the Rams make the Super Bowl and Simpson develops into a Drew Brees-lite, there are going to be a lot of receipts to look back on.

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