LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams aggressively reshaped their secondary this month by landing All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie in a blockbuster trade with the Chiefs. While the move cost Les Snead the No. 29 overall pick, the Rams still sit in a prime position with the No. 13 selection via the Atlanta Falcons. With a roster built to win now, the focus shifts to finding the next mid-round “cheat codes” to complement Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua.
Snead and Sean McVay have a history of turning Friday and Saturday selections into Sunday stars. You don’t have to look further than Kyren Williams or the meteoric rise of Puka Nacua to see the blueprint. This year, the Rams hold two Day 2 picks and four on Day 3, including a flurry of activity in the seventh round. To keep the Super Bowl window propped open, they need immediate contributors who can play above their draft slot.
The secondary is largely settled with McDuffie and Jaylen Watson now in the fold. Now, the attention turns to offensive depth and front-seven versatility. Here are three sleeper prospects who fit the Rams’ “calculated risk” philosophy perfectly.
“We aren’t just looking for talent; we are looking for players who can handle the mental load of this system. We’ve seen guys like Cooper and Puka do it. This draft class has a few of those ‘throwback’ players who just flat out compete.”
— Sean McVay, Rams Head Coach
Elijah Sarratt is the name to watch at pick No. 93. While USC’s Makai Lemon is the flashy choice for the first round, Sarratt offers the physical “X” receiver profile the Rams might lose if Davante Adams departs in 2027. Sarratt dominated the Big Ten with an 85.0 PFF grade, proving he can win against elite press coverage. He isn’t a burner, but his hands are like magnets in the red zone.
Defensively, Eric Gentry represents the ultimate “matchup” weapon. Coaching legend Rob Ryan raved about Gentry’s growth at USC, where he recorded 75 tackles and disrupted passing lanes with a massive 7-foot-3 wingspan. For a Rams defense that needs length in the middle, Gentry is a steal if he slides to the sixth round. He’s the type of hybrid defender who can neutralize the league’s elite “big” tight ends.
Finally, the Rams must address the life-after-Stafford era. Behren Morton isn’t the projected franchise savior, but as a seventh-round flyer, his value is immense. He completed 66% of his passes for nearly 2,800 yards in 2025. He’s a “coach’s son” type of player who can execute McVay’s intermediate passing game with surgical precision. Even if he only serves as a high-end backup, he buys the front office time before they have to spend a 2027 first-rounder on a name like Dante Moore.
The Rams’ draft strategy is clear: use the No. 13 pick on a cornerstone—likely an offensive tackle like Spencer Fano or Caleb Lomu—and then hunt for value. By sacrificing their original late-first-rounder for McDuffie, they’ve traded “potential” for a “proven” lockdown corner. The success of the 2026 season now hinges on Snead’s ability to find one more starter in the triple-digit picks.
