NGLEWOOD, Calif.- - — The 2026 NFL Draft has come to an end with some team’s fan base feeling as if they walked away with a jackpot and others scratching their heads.
After some interesting choices early in the draft some Rams’ fans are feeling like the latter.
When many thought Los Angeles would draft a top wide receiver in this year’s draft in the early rounds. The Rams actually waited until the 197 pick in the 6th round.
The University of Miami’s CJ Daniels got the call to play with fellow wideouts Puka Nacua, Devante Adams and reigning MVP, quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Daniels, caught 50 passes for 557 yards and seven touchdowns this past season with Miami. He will come in to compete with Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith and Konata Mumpfield for the third receiver spot in one of the most potent offensive in the NFL.
“You didn't think they we're going to leave the draft that a receiver, did you?,” director of scouting strategy and analytics, Nicole Blake said. “Shout out to one of our scouts, [National Scout] Anthony Robinson. I can't remember when the meeting was. It might have been September or October. The only thing he said about CJ Daniels was, ‘This kid is a Ram,’ and here we are.”
Los Angeles made their final pick of the draft by selecting defensive tackle Tim Keenan III of Alabama. Keenan was a three-year starter with the Crimson Tide and lined up primarily at nose tackle. He was the Rams' only defensive selection of the entire draft.
After trading their two other 7th round picks, Los Angeles only made five selections in the draft. It is the smallest draft class in the team’s history.
“For us having a fewer number of picks and guys that we really believe in was a good thing for us,” assistant general manager John McKay said. “I think it all depends on where you're at in your team build and we felt like we’re a very deep roster right now… We’re happy with where it's at. Five I think is the lowest we've ever had before. It’s not necessarily a bad thing with where we are at and we feel really good about the five that we ended up with.”
Most draft experts don’t see it the same way as they see this as a very average draft for the Rams.
Missing out on Makai Lemon and drafting Ty Simpson continues to leave fans and pundits confused. Then, adding another tight end to a group that is already deep was a head scratcher to some.
It wasn’t all bad for Los Angeles as my favorite pick of the their draft is the addition of offensive lineman Keagan Trost. It’s hard to find a guy that can play all five positions up front but it’s exactly what Trost can do.
"To be able to solidify behind Warren [McClendon Jr.] and Alaric [Jackson] -- and being able to get David Quessenberry back was big -- but this guy can play right, he can play left, he can play inside, he can really play all five," coach Sean McVay said.
All in all this draft class will have its naysayers but only time will tell.
With the Rams one of the better teams in the NFC, let’s see if any of the rookies drafted can help the team reach its goal of returning to the Super Bowl.