While the 2025 NFL season is set to get started, the college season is already underway, which means teams have already started their scouting for the 2026 NFL draft.

The Los Angeles Rams are in an interesting place with two first-round picks. They could keep both, trade both to accrue more assets or bundle them together to move up and take a player they covet — or perhaps a quarterback heir to Matthew Stafford’s job.

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The Rams will have some big needs heading into the draft next year unless something dramatically changes on their roster between now and April. L.A. absolutely needs help at cornerback and should also check out the offensive line and quarterback in 2026. The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez considered these needs for his mock draft, but picked Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano with the No. 12 pick (from the Atlanta Falcons) and the Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen with the No. 24 pick.

The Los Angeles Rams have faced offensive line issues that have needed addressing for several years. With this selection, they add Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano, an athletic tackle who excels in both pass protection and the run game. Fano’s skill set should allow him to thrive in the Sean McVay offense.

The Los Angeles Rams have done a solid job adding young talent to their defensive front with players like Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Jared Verse, and Braden Fiske. With this pick, they address the second level of the defense by selecting Georgia linebacker CJ Allen. Allen is a physical, downhill thumper with sideline-to-sideline range.

For all of those wondering why the Rams didn’t go quarterback, Sanchez had four going off the board before pick No. 12 (Garrett Nussmeier, LaNorris Sellers, Cade Klubnik and Drew Allar) and didn’t include Arch Manning.

This would be a solid haul for L.A. regardless of what they do at quarterback. A team can never have too many linemen, and Fano is another great addition to an already stout unit.

Allen would be a deviation from the Rams’ norm, though, considering the team rarely values linebackers in the first round. He tallied 76 combined tackles and one interception in 2023 and had four solo tackles in the Bulldogs’ Week 1 win over Marshall. The Rams might be better served with a secondary player or receiver here, but Allen would certainly fortify the defensive front for years to come if he panned out.

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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2026 mock draft: Rams take odd approach with their two first-round picks