Options are a great thing to have in the NFL draft, and the Los Angeles Rams will have plenty in 2026. With a loaded roster and two first-round picks, there are a number of different ways the Rams can go in Round 1 next April.
While packaging the picks to trade up is one possibility, as is moving back to accumulate more selections, ESPN’s Field Yates has the Rams standing pat and selecting one player on each side of the ball.
With the Falcons’ pick, which is sitting at No. 9 overall, Yates has the Rams selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. He’s unquestionably the top safety in the draft and one of the best prospects at the position in the last several years, projecting as a future All-Pro on defense.
The Rams have good depth at safety with Kamren Curl, Kamren Kinchens, Quentin Lake, Jaylen McCollough and even Josh Wallace, but Curl and Lake are pending free agents and Downs is a potential star on the back end.
The Rams are in rare territory as a strong Super Bowl contender with a potential top-10 pick in April — thanks to the Falcons. While they have the option to make another move with the pick, they could use it here on one of the best safety prospects in recent memory. Downs is a versatile, tone-setting defender who has the chance to be the first safety picked in the top 10 since Jamal Adams went No. 6 to the Jets in 2017. Downs has played in an NFL scheme at Ohio State for much of his college career; he can handle coverage deep in the middle of the field and be a menacing force in the box. Los Angeles has a ton of young talent up front on its defense, but it might lose players on the back end this offseason. Safety Kam Curl is a free agent in March.
With their own pick at No. 31, the Rams take a shot on a quarterback from the SEC. Yates projects them to select Alabama signal caller Ty Simpson, whose stock has slipped significantly in the last month or so.
He’s a candidate to return to Alabama and play another year, but if he declares, he’ll be a fringe first-round prospect. The Rams would be a perfect landing spot if Matthew Stafford plans to play another year, giving him a chance to sit and learn for a season before being called upon.
Let’s start by acknowledging that Simpson is no lock to declare for the draft (just 13 starts over his career) and his recent play has been concerning. However, his performances early in the season were strong enough to keep him in the first-round conversation in the right circumstances. This would be exactly that. Since Matthew Stafford is still playing at an MVP level and under contract next season, the Rams would likely not need Simpson to play at all in 2026. That would give him time to develop — and there’s perhaps no better quarterback tutor in the game than coach Sean McVay.
Simpson has nifty in-pocket movement, the ability to be an accurate passer and a strong arm when he can set his platform. Given their extra first-round pick, the Rams can afford to take a chance on their quarterback of the future.
Cornerback, outside linebacker and offensive tackle are a few other positions the Rams could address in the draft, but as of now, there are no hugely pressing needs on this roster. Free agency can/will change that, of course, but Les Snead and Sean McVay have constructed a team that’s capable of contending for the next several years.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2026 mock draft: Rams land top safety, Alabama QB in ESPN’s projection
