The 2025 NFL season is drawing to a close, which means the Los Angeles Rams will soon know where one of their two first-round picks will land. With the Atlanta Falcons eliminated from playoff contention, the 2026 pick L.A. acquired in the draft day trade this year will be finalized once the Falcons play their final game and the non-playoff team draft order is set.
Right now, that’s the No. 11 overall pick. The Rams’ own first-round pick won’t be known until after L.A.’s season ends, though, which will either be when they’re eliminated from the playoffs or if they win the Super Bowl. That pick is currently at No. 28.
Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness made his picks for the first round with less than six months to go before the 2026 draft and gave the Rams a cornerback and receiver: LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 11 and Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion.
On Delane:
The Rams have several potential avenues at this pick, but the prospect of finding a true shutdown cornerback is tempting. Delane was fantastic in 2025, earning an 89.1 PFF grade in man coverage and allowing a catch on just 37.1% of the passes thrown into his coverage.
On Concepcion:
This is another potential landing spot for Alabama’s Ty Simpson, but he is now off the board. With that in mind, the Rams choose to bolster a top-heavy receiving corps. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are the team’s only wide receivers with more than 25 targets this season.
Concepcion earned a 77.8 PFF receiving grade versus man coverage and caught 61.5% of the contested targets thrown his way this season.
Both moves are win-now and forward-looking picks for L.A.
Delane gives the Rams a potential No. 1 cornerback, or at the very least a serviceable starter alongside whomever the team brings back. Emmanuel Forbes is still under contract, but Cobie Durant and Akhello Witherspoon are impending free agents and Darious Williams will be 33 with a year left on his deal in 2026.
Delane has eight career interceptions and 27 career defended passes, including an SEC-leading 11 in 2025. Concepcion, meanwhile, caught 61 receptions for 919 yards and an SEC-leading nine touchdowns this season. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder Concepcion finished his college career with 2,218 receiving yards on 185 receptions and 25 touchdowns.
Concepcion would form a formidable trio with Nacua and Adams in 2026, which would be super helpful for Matthew Stafford or whichever quarterback is under center next year. Tutu Atwell has proven to be ineffective as a contributor, while Konata Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington are still raw and developing players who are inconsistent targets.
The Rams don’t need much in 2026, but these two picks would shore up clear positions of need where depth is concerned.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams go CB, WR in new 2026 NFL mock draft
Reporting by Tyler Greenawalt, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
