What Type of QB Prospect Should the Rams Be Looking for?

The Los Angeles Rams have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft after making a trade with the Atlanta Falcons on draft day. This was a good trade, all things considered, but which way should the Rams lean towards regarding the draft?

What I mean by this is, in what way should the Rams approach the 2026 draft, given that they have two picks? It's presumed that the Rams will find more success than the Falcons in 2025, which means they'll have a higher pick than the one they'll get from their own team record.

This question can go in a lot of different directions depending on how successful the Rams are in 2025. If they're able to overcome the number of challenges in their way and manage to win a Super Bowl next season, their outlook on the draft will look wildly different than if they were to miss the playoffs.

In both of the 2026 NFL mock drafts I've covered, the Rams have spent one of those picks on a quarterback, with the other one being used elsewhere to help the team. I think this move is obvious for them, but what type of prospect should they be looking for?

Matthew Stafford is on the team until 2026, and after that, his future in the NFL, much less the team, is uncertain. That means that no matter how successful the Rams are next season, they'll have one year of Stafford remaining to mentor whoever is coming in.

Should the Rams be looking for a prospect who's ready to come in and play at a high level under Sean McVay's scheme, or more of a project quarterback who will take longer to develop but has a higher ceiling?

Even after Stafford and Davante Adams' contracts run out in 2026, the team is adequately built for success in the future. They have Puka Nacua, who's a star on the offensive side of the ball, and Jared Verse, who's the leader of a young defense.

Are the Rams willing to take a step back as contenders in order to foster a quarterback's development, or do they want the transition from Stafford to their next play caller to be as smooth as possible and continue to try to be contenders even after he's gone?

I believe that as long as they can retain pieces of their young core, selecting a quarterback with higher upside would be the smartest way to go. However, that takes convincing those players that the potential years it may take for that prospect to fully develop are worth it in the end.