Feb. 10, 2026, 4:03 a.m. PT

The quarterback position is an intriguing spot to look at when evaluating the future of the Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Stafford is returning for the 2026 NFL season, but there’s no guarantee he plays beyond that, so the Rams could undoubtedly consider looking at this year’s class of signal-callers in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Aside from Fernando Mendoza — who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick — there doesn’t seem to be a consensus No. 2 quarterback available in the draft. Along with Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier is a name that has been mentioned frequently as a polarizing prospect among draft analysts.

With the Rams having plenty of picks at their disposal, let’s take a look at Nussmeier’s college production and draft projection to determine if he’d be a solid fit in Los Angeles.

Background/college production

Following three years as a backup at LSU, Garrett Nussmeier started his final two seasons, and his tape was much better in 2024 compared to 2025. Nussmeier completed 64.2% of his passes for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 2024, while he finished with only 1,927 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions this past season.

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An abdominal injury notably limited Nussmier throughout the 2025 campaign, forcing him to miss games for the Tigers to end the year. That being said, Nussmeier was invited and participated in the Senior Bowl, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler named the LSU quarterback as his biggest winner at the position during Senior Bowl week.

How he fits the Rams

Similar to Simpson, Nussmeier doesn’t possess the prototypical size of an NFL quarterback. Although Nussmier doesn’t have elite arm talent, he does excel at progressing through his reads and throwing with anticipation.

While Sean McVay and Les Snead could want a bit more mobility out of their next signal-caller once Stafford decides to retire, Nussmeier can command an offense as a pocket-style quarterback, playing on time and within the structure of the scheme. Nussmeier may not be a perfect fit for what the Rams are looking for in a future franchise quarterback, but if they are looking to add to the position on Day 2 or early Day 3 of the draft, then Nussmeier could be a name to watch.

Draft projection

At the moment, most mock drafts have Nussmeier being selected on Day 2 of the draft, though interest-level from teams could change depending on his testing. Given that the Rams have a late first-round pick opens the door to them potentially having multiple second-round picks if they trade back, and they have their own third-round pick if they want to address quarterback before Day 3.

It seems highly unlikely the Rams are going to prioritize a quarterback in the first round, but they have plenty of opportunities to take a quarterback with eight picks currently spanning from the second to the seventh round. With Los Angeles not having a fourth-round pick at this point, they’d likely either need to select Nussmeier in the second or third round if they grow fond of the LSU quarterback — unless he falls.