LOS ANGELES — The confetti from the 2025 season has settled, and the Los Angeles Rams are staring down the barrel of the 2026 NFL Draft with a rare commodity: a premium first-round pick. Matthew Stafford just hoisted the league MVP trophy after a blistering campaign. Davante Adams justified every penny of his blockbuster arrival with a league-high 14 touchdowns. Puka Nacua added 10 more scores. The offense didn’t just operate; it torched opposing secondaries.
But general manager Les Snead knows the NFL waits for no one. The Rams hold the 13th overall pick. They have an aging offensive line, a defense demanding more bite, and a ticking clock on their franchise quarterback. According to the latest comprehensive PFF mock draft simulator, Los Angeles plans to build a fortress around Stafford in Round 1 before taking wild, high-upside swings in the later rounds.
The last time the Rams drafted in the first round, they hit an absolute grand slam with edge rusher Jared Verse. They return to the well this year, but the focus shifts entirely to the trenches. At 13th overall, the Rams select Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle Monroe Freeling.
LA protected Stafford incredibly well last season, allowing Kyren Williams to chew up the clock and dominate the ground game. But left tackle Alaric Jackson turns 28 soon and hits free agency at the end of the 2027 season. You do not wait until the roof leaks to fix the shingles.
Freeling started every game of the last two seasons in the SEC. On tape, his kick slide is incredibly smooth. He anchors exceptionally well against speed-to-power rushers, utilizing a heavy initial punch that disrupts edge rushers before they bend the corner. In Sean McVay’s scheme, offensive tackles must operate in space for outside zone runs. Freeling possesses the lateral agility to reach the second level and seal off linebackers, making him a plug-and-play insurance policy who can eventually take over the blindside.
Los Angeles spent the entire offseason entangled in the A.J. Brown trade rumors. The front office pushed hard, but this simulation operates on the harsh reality that a deal won’t materialize before Roger Goodell steps to the podium in April.
Forced to find a weapon internally, Snead looks to the 61st overall pick and selects Skyler Bell out of Connecticut. Bell put the college football world on notice during a surprisingly dominant 2025 campaign for the Huskies. He crushed defenses with 101 catches, 1,278 yards, and 13 touchdowns.
Snead makes a living finding receivers outside the top 32 picks. Cooper Kupp was a third-rounder. Puka Nacua fell to the fifth. Bell brings a distinct flavor to the Rams’ 11-personnel groupings. He flashes explosive stop-and-start ability at the top of his routes. When defenses press him, Bell uses aggressive hand-fighting to stack cornerbacks and win vertically. The Rams want to maximize Stafford’s final championship window, and adding a polished route-runner like Bell keeps the offense lethal.
The Rams hit the third round looking for defensive attitude. They hold the 93rd overall selection and grab Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott. Some draft boards label this a slight reach, projecting Elliott as an early day-three prospect. But Snead cares about traits, not consensus boards.
Elliott operated as an absolute wrecking ball for a lackluster Sun Devils squad last year. He racked up 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks. The NFC West remains an absolute bloodbath, with the Seattle Seahawks boasting a terrifying offensive attack. The Rams need linebackers who can diagnose the run quickly and shoot gaps with bad intentions. Elliott plays with a relentless motor. Even if he starts his career exclusively on special teams, his violent tackling style will immediately endear him to the coaching staff.
The draft enters the grueling marathon of Day 3. 114 picks fly by before Los Angeles is back on the clock at 207. Here, Snead taps into a legendary football pipeline.
The Rams select Tyrem Montgomery out of Division III John Carroll University. The Blue Streaks marched to the D3 semi-finals with a 12-2 record last season, completely driven by Montgomery’s dominance. He posted video-game numbers: 119 catches for 1,528 yards. Do not scoff at the D-III label. John Carroll produced Don Shula, Josh McDaniels, Brandon Staley, and London Fletcher. Montgomery runs precise routes and attacks the football at its highest point. He is a gritty, high-IQ player who fits the Rams culture perfectly.
A few picks later, at 232, the Rams take another receiver: Noah Thomas. Thomas played alongside Freeling at Georgia, though his college production never matched his physical tools. He managed just 16 catches for 239 yards in his lone SEC season after three wildly inconsistent years at Texas A&M. However, Thomas stands 6-foot-6. You cannot teach that catch radius. If wide receivers coach Eric Yarber can fix his release off the line of scrimmage, Thomas becomes a terrifying red-zone target.
With their final two selections—picks 251 and 252—the Rams address depth and the elephant in the room.
At 251, they select Missouri offensive tackle Keagen Trost. After transferring from Wake Forest to replace former first-rounder Armand Membou, Trost quietly put together a brilliant 2025 season. PFF credited him with allowing just one sack in 891 offensive snaps. That kind of pass-blocking efficiency late in the draft represents massive value.
Then, at 252, reality sets in. Matthew Stafford will not play forever. The Rams select Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels. During his lengthy, six-year collegiate career, Daniels threw for 2,500 yards, 22 scores, and only seven interceptions in his final campaign. He brings elite out-of-structure playmaking ability. McVay gets a highly experienced, athletic quarterback to stash on the practice squad. Daniels can spend a year dissecting defenses in the film room behind the reigning MVP.
“You don’t replace a guy like Matthew overnight. You build the wall thicker in front of him, and you find guys who can separate by two yards when he throws no-look passes. If these rookies want to play, they better learn the playbook by Tuesday.”
— Anonymous Rams Offensive Assistant
How rare is it for Les Snead to pick in the top 15? You have to scroll back years to find LA operating in this territory. They famously traded away years of first-round picks to acquire established stars like Jalen Ramsey and Matthew Stafford. Here is how their rare first-round history looks.
| Draft Year | Player Selected | Position | Overall Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monroe Freeling (Mock) | OT | 13 |
| 2024 | Jared Verse | EDGE | 19 |
| 2016 | Jared Goff | QB | 1 |
| 2015 | Todd Gurley | RB | 10 |
| 2014 | Aaron Donald | DT | 13 |
Notice the trend. When the Rams actually use their first-round picks, they target foundational pillars. Freeling fits the exact mold of a trench warrior expected to anchor the franchise for a decade, much like Aaron Donald did on the opposite side of the ball from the exact same draft slot.
Vegas and fantasy managers should pay close attention to this mock draft. Stafford’s fantasy ADP (Average Draft Position) currently sits comfortably in the top 5 among quarterbacks following his MVP run. Drafting a premium pass protector like Freeling ensures Stafford stays upright, reinforcing his status as a must-draft QB1.
For dynasty fantasy leagues, Skyler Bell immediately becomes a priority target in rookie drafts. If the A.J. Brown trade officially dies, Bell steps into an offense that routinely feeds three receivers. If Nacua or Adams face double coverage, Bell will see single coverage against LB3s and nickel corners all season long. Expect the Rams’ Over/Under win total to remain sky-high (likely around 10.5 or 11.5) as long as this offense stays healthy.
Rams Nation erupted on social media as the mock draft results circulated. While some fans screamed for the front office to mortgage the future for A.J. Brown, the pragmatic base celebrated the Freeling pick. “Stafford took way too many hits in the playoffs,” one prominent fan account posted. “Keep 9 upright, and we win the Super Bowl.” The late-round selection of Jalon Daniels also sparked fierce debate on sports talk radio, with fans split on whether the Kansas product has the arm talent to succeed Stafford.
This draft class does not radically alter the Rams’ immediate Super Bowl odds—because those odds are already elite. However, it raises their floor. By securing the offensive line with Freeling and adding dynamic route-runners like Bell and Montgomery, McVay ensures his offense will not stall if injuries strike. The defense still needs to prove it can stop the run in clutch situations, but Elliott adds necessary violence to the second level. The Rams are built to win the NFC right now. This draft simply sharpens the sword.
The Rams hold the 13th overall pick based on the final standings and tiebreakers from the 2025 season. Despite a strong playoff push and an MVP season from Matthew Stafford, their final record positioned them just outside the top 10.
Monroe Freeling is an offensive tackle from the University of Georgia. He started every game over his last two college seasons and is widely considered one of the most polished pass protectors in the 2026 draft class.
As of April 2026, the Rams have been heavily involved in trade rumors regarding A.J. Brown, but no official deal has been completed. This mock draft operates under the assumption that the team uses the draft to find alternative wide receiver depth.
No. Matthew Stafford is the reigning NFL MVP and the undisputed starter for the Los Angeles Rams. Jalon Daniels is projected as a developmental prospect drafted late to learn Sean McVay’s system.
