The Los Angeles Rams head into the 2026 NFL draft with no clear need, a top-13 pick and a desire to compete for another Super Bowl this year. All three realities could shape the team’s draft strategy over the weekend and give the Rams a fully-operational roster heading into offseason workouts.
The Athletic’s Nate Akins took a final stab at what he thinks the Rams could do over the course of seven rounds, and found a few trade options that would give L.A. exactly what it needs to stabilize the roster in 2026. Here are his picks:
Round 1, No. 13: Georgia OT Monroe Freeling
Freeling is a 6-foot-7, 315-pound ball of clay with an upward trajectory. He’s played left and right tackle and should be able to step in on the right side and add some juice next to Kevin Dotson. He would also add the refinement to become the mainstay at right tackle the Rams need after Rob Havenstein’s retirement.
Round 2, No. 41 (via trade with Bengals): Washington WR Denzel Boston
This is where the Rams would need to get creative to find a wide receiver. In this scenario, they trade pick No. 61 in the second round, along with a 2027 fourth-rounder, to the Cincinnati Bengals to take their swing.
Round 3, No. 98 (via trade with Eagles): Pittsburgh LB Kyle Louis
To recoup a little draft capital after trading up for Boston, I took a five-pick slide in the third round to pick up the Eagles’ fourth-rounder at No. 137.
It worked out nicely, as the Rams’ next top need is linebacker. Louis can offer a lot here with coverage skills as a former high school safety who played the “star” position in Pittsburgh’s scheme.
Round 3, No. 100 (via trade with Jaguars): LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
The idea behind adding a fourth-rounder was to create an extra Day 2 pick with a follow-up trade. In this one, I sent No. 137 in the fourth round and No. 207 in the sixth, as well as a 2027 fifth-rounder, to Jacksonville to move up.
The backup quarterback role is the most underrated need on the Rams’ roster. With Jimmy Garoppolo still deciding on his future and a few good options available to sign elsewhere, the Rams address the need with a college arm who is experienced at a high level.
Round 7, No. 232: Buffalo LB Red Murdock
After waiting four rounds to pick again, the focus shifts to depth and special teams. Murdock fits both of those pretty well. Over the past two college seasons, he has more tackles than any player with 298, and his 17 career forced fumbles set an all-time FBS record.
Round 7, No. 251: Arkansas OG Fernando Carmona
Carmona comes in with 49 career starts, including last year when he moved from left tackle to left guard and was an All-SEC selection. His lack of range makes him a better fit at left guard long term, but his ability to bump out to left tackle can also help when McClendon leaves in a year and the swing tackle role opens back up.
Round 7, No. 252: Houston CB Latrell McCutchin Sr.
McCutchin is similar in size to [Emmanuel] Forbes at 6-foot-2, 191 pounds. And he similarly needs to add bulk to his frame, which can happen in a backup role. But he should play on special teams after blocking a field goal and an extra point in college and racking up a high number of punt coverage reps.
Despite all the trades, this is a pretty manageable draft for the Rams. They don’t make any grandiose moves for big-name players in the first round, but they make enough small moves to secure players at positions of need while not giving up too much in the process.
A lot of these players have been linked to the Rams recently, too, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that L.A. stacks these prospects for a class that will need to help them win now and also plan for the future.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: New 7-round mock draft from Rams insider includes multiple trades
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
