The Los Angeles Rams currently have four picks in the first three rounds: All three of their own as well as the Atlanta Falcons’ first-round pick.
General manager Les Snead and Sean McVay can go in a number of different ways with these selections. The Rams don’t have any critical needs at the moment, but the team will need to start thinking about its long-term future with Matthew Stafford and, likely, receiver Davante Adams. The Rams’ defense is sound upfront, but lacks star power in the secondary.
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Those are exactly the areas that AtoZ Sports draft expert Travis May went in his three-round mock draft ahead of Week 17. May picked USC receiver Makai Lemon with the Falcons’ No. 11 pick before taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the Rams’ own No. 28 pick. Obviously, these numbers are subject to chance with two weeks and the entire postseason left to be played, but the sentiment stands as to where May thinks the Rams should look in the 2026 draft.
The Rams already have a strong wide receiver duo in Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, but Adams is 33 years old now. Makai Lemon is quite different than Adams, but they’re both target vacuums. Lemon racked up 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns this past year for USC primarily playing from the slot, but he plays strong enough to win outside as well. Lemon has the proven production metrics, the ball-tracking, route running, and everything else that the Rams will want in a game-changing wide receiver talent.
…Ty Simpson has looked like a ridiculous first round prospect this season when he’s played his best. When he was on his midseason hot streak Simpson looked like a true field general, commanding the offense pre-snap, making sharp, accurate decisions and throws all day. Yes, he finished the regular season with a few rough outings, which will likely hurt his draft stock just a bit. However, his 71% completion rate and seven touchdowns in the intermediate middle portion of the field (a tough throw to consistently make) is reminiscent of an early-career Matthew Stafford. The Rams hope Simpson is their long-term replacement at quarterback here.
In the second and third rounds, May went all defense. He took Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad in the late second round, then Arizona safety Genesis Smith in the third.
Muhammad has been a ballhawk in his three seasons at Texas. He corralled two interceptions this year and three total in his career, with 16 total defended passes. Muhammad added 76 solo tackles in 41 games, too. He would immediately push for a big role in the defense, and could be starter if some combination of Cobie Durant, Akhello Witherspoon and Darious Williams leave.
Similarly, Smith is great at tracking the football. He has 14 defended passes and five interceptions in 37 games. Smith is also a great tackler with 87 solo tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and 164 combined tackles during his career at Arizona. He’s also forced three fumbles. Kam Curl and Quentin Lake are impending free agents, meaning the Rams might have a role for Smith early in his career if neither is retained.
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There’s a long way to go before the Rams need to think about the draft, and who knows what free agency will look like for L.A. But this is a solid roadmap if Snead and McVay want to continue to build a solid foundation for the franchise.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2026 NFL mock draft: Rams go offense early, defense late