WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams are through the first wave of free agency, and the picture of their draft needs, ammunition and strategy has changed considerably.

When the first version of this big board came out right after the NFL Scouting Combine, defensive backs littered the list, and the Rams had multiple bites at the first round with two picks. Now, as far as the first round is concerned, it’s hard to fit a defensive back on the list — and the Rams are down to one selection.

That’s thanks to a blockbuster trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie that sent the No. 29 pick and three more selections over the next two drafts to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Rams then double-dipped into Chiefs cornerbacks by signing Jaylen Watson to a three-year deal to start opposite McDuffie. And they completed the starting secondary picture by bringing strong safety Kam Curl back on a three-year deal.

The Rams still own the No. 13 pick, which will be the highest selection for the franchise since taking Jared Goff No. 1 in 2016.

So, this big board will focus on first-round options, but those can come by sitting at No. 13, trading up or trading back.

Here’s how the options are looking with the draft a month away:

Tier 1: Trade-up territory

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: The hype and intrigue are getting strong on the top running back in this year’s draft, and it’s becoming a mystery as to where he will fall as teams weigh positional value against pure talent, the short term versus the long term.

The Rams are in a unique spot: They already have a top-five run game with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, but they are no strangers to seeking upgrades. And Love’s home run abilities mixed with third-down skills could be that after posting back-to-back seasons with at least 1,100 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns and 6.9 yards per carry.

As I laid out in this week’s mailbag, it’s just a tricky luxury option for the Rams given how much they value Williams as a pass protector for 38-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford, and even a great rookie like Love will be a downgrade in that area. It would also create a logjam that would necessitate trading Williams or Corum, not to mention a likely trade-up.

Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State: One aggressive upgrade option that is a cleaner fit on paper is Styles. After adding McDuffie and Watson at outside cornerback, the Rams’ defense feels just about set, except that it could use something more in pass defense from the linebacker spot.

Styles projects great here, as he produced in a three-down variety at Ohio State with nine pass deflections to go with nine sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss for one of the nation’s top defenses. He backed that production up at the combine, where he posted a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at 244 pounds.

The Rams haven’t valued linebackers highly under general manager Les Snead, though they made an exception by extending Nate Landman in November. I think they’d be into a cost-controlled impact player like this one, but the cost of trading up would have to be reasonable given more pressing needs at other positions.

Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State: This is the more pressing need. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams offer a dynamite wide receiver duo, but coach Sean McVay wants to remain flexible with strong three-receiver sets to balance out the tight end usage, and he wasn’t comfortable doing it last season with Tutu Atwell. This choice calls for a more rounded player, but also for one who has the potential to replace Adams as a perimeter go-to receiver in a year.

Tate produced well but not off the charts at Ohio State, where he topped 700 yards in each of the past two seasons and scored nine touchdowns last year. But he was also playing sidekick to the phenom that is Jeremiah Smith. At 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Tate profiles as a future No. 1 option but could find a great home in Los Angeles as a No. 2 to Nacua starting in 2027.

Tier 2: Swings at No. 13

Makai Lemon, WR, USC: Lemon is being talked about as the clear No. 2 receiver in draft season at the moment, and unlike Tate, he could become available without a trade up. The Rams could keep Lemon in Los Angeles and develop him in that No. 3 role in Year 1, which can expand in Year 2, and he can provide instant value given his strong blocking to address the deficiency that kept Atwell off the field when the Rams did play in 11 personnel.

Lemon broke out with 1,156 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns last season to take the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college football. Unlike Tate, he has served as the No. 1 receiver in an offense before.

Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia: A year ago, it looked like the Rams were headed for a first-round offensive tackle to replace an aging Rob Havenstein. He indeed retired this offseason, but Los Angeles found a promising replacement in 2023 fifth-rounder Warren McClendon Jr., who is also entering a contract year.

So drafting a tackle high this year would be about chasing a higher ceiling on a rookie-contract clock. Freeling could be that kind of player as a pass protector with a giant wingspan at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds. Then he can be that in a run game, primarily a zone approach, where his movement skills impress. He needs to develop some mass, but he could be a long-term answer at right tackle — or eventually left tackle.

Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami: If the Rams are interested in leveling up at tackle, they will look into Mauigoa, who made 42 career starts at Miami as a mauler for one of the most physical offenses that finished in the national championship game.

If he’s the second tackle selected in this draft, that could be a justification for the Rams to make an upgrade and bump McClendon to a swing tackle role they also need to fill.

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State: At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with experience in different alignments, he checks several boxes in the receiving game. He showed that upside with 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, and 711 yards and nine total touchdowns in nine games last year.

Tyson dealt with a few injuries that cost him a few games and might have affected his run blocking, which will be a real focus for this position. The injury history appears to be the main factor holding him back from a top-10 selection, so this pick involves some risk but could pay off big.

Spencer Fano, OT, Utah: As the Rams scout tackles for potential upgrades, they’ll be looking for players who can play on the right side. That’s what Fano did for Utah the past two seasons. Some see him as more of a guard or center at the next level due to his 32 1/8-inch arms, so this evaluation comes down to whether the Rams think he can add bulk and keep him on the right side.

Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon: This is a fascinating one to try to rank for the Rams. Like with running back, tight end is a position that feels deep and settled at the moment. Los Angeles just drafted Terrance Ferguson out of the same school as its top draft pick a year ago. But as the Rams are leaning into playing three tight ends at a time, it could be intriguing to find a true game-breaker at the position.

That could be Sadiq, who just posted a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, the fastest speed for a tight end since at least 2003. Oh, and he’s 241 pounds. Sadiq broke out last season with 51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns, and he looks in profile like one of the mismatch tight ends who dominate the NFL.

If the Rams were willing to live as more of a two-tight-end receiving game rather than two-wide receiver going forward, Sadiq could be an upgrade worth chasing — provided Los Angeles can find other avenues to fill its more pressing needs.

Kenyon Sadiq’s speed from the tight end position would add value to the Rams’ passing attack. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Tier 3: Trade-back targets

Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama: The Rams don’t need a quarterback right now, thanks to rostering the league’s MVP in Stafford, but they will before long. Stafford announced that he’s coming back for an 18th season at age 38, but the realistic window could shrink soon. If Los Angeles is going to try the stash route with a quarterback for McVay and new assistant head coach Kliff Kingsbury to develop, Simpson has potential.

He essentially carried the Crimson Tide to the second round of the College Football Playoff with 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. He started just one season in college, so he needs seasoning. His traits aren’t elite, but he offers a good mix. He could start by replacing Jimmy Garoppolo as Stafford’s backup, then wait for his time while learning in the lab.

Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame: As the Rams scout wide receiver prospects, Fields could stand out as a solid, classic boundary option with just a lower ceiling than Tate, Lemon or Tyson.

At 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, he could eventually take over for the classic outside role Adams runs. He had at least 630 receiving yards and five touchdowns in each of his final three college seasons between Virginia and Notre Dame.

Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana: Another wide receiver who will stand out is Cooper, who showed a little of everything in Indiana’s explosion to the top of college football these past two seasons. In 2024, he led the nation with 21.2 yards per catch. That number dropped to 13.6 this past season, but Cooper nearly cracked 1,000 yards and scored 13 receiving touchdowns en route to winning a national championship.

He’s a strong YAC specialist who also had 97 yards and two touchdowns rushing on just five carries over the past two years, and he could offer a fraction of what Nacua does in easier matchups on the opposite side of the field.

Blake Miller, OT, Clemson: A tackle who fits a little in between the profiles of Mauigoa and Freeling. Miller brings a lot of experience with 54 career starts, and it shows in a balanced game that doesn’t quite pop as a pass protector the way Mauigoa’s does.

But at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, he moves well in space and can fit the different run schemes the Rams like to deploy. Los Angeles will tap into offensive linemen somewhere in this draft with contracts coming due, and a second pick in the first round could be a reasonable spot for the right one.