Rams 2026 Offseason: Team Needs, Pending FAs, Draft Picks & More

Los Angeles Rams

Projected Cap Space: $40.8 million

Draft Picks: 10

  • 1st (No. 13, ATL)
  • 1st (No. 29)
  • 2nd (No. 61)
  • 3rd (No. 93)
  • 5th (No. 167)
  • 6th (No. 205, HOU)
  • 6th (No. 208)
  • 7th (No. 232, BAL)
  • 7th (No. 250, comp)
  • 7th (No. 256, comp)

Notable Free Agents: 

Top Three Needs

1 – Cornerback

Cornerback is this team’s biggest need for multiple reasons. Not only was it the Rams’ weakest position last year, but three of their five rotational corners are pending free agents. Any of Durant, Witherspoon and McCreary could be retained for relatively little, but Los Angeles will also want to pursue upgrades if they can.

Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Darious Williams are still under contract, but Forbes got benched in the NFC Championship Game and struggled in several of the Rams’ losses this year. As a whole, this Rams cornerback group let the team down in some big moments, and that room has to get better if Los Angeles is to win it all next year.

If one of LSU CB Mansoor Delane, Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy, or Ohio State S Caleb Downs (more on safety in a moment) is on the board at No. 13, expect the Rams to sprint the card in. It’s a position they could use multiple picks on in this draft. They also need to add bodies to the room and could re-sign one or two of the above players — Durant in particular is probably the strongest candidate to be retained.

2 – Safety

With Curl set to hit free agency, the Rams need another starter. Kamren Kinchens mans the other safety spot, and while Quentin Lake is ostensibly a safety, he spends most of his time in the slot.

The Rams don’t have a ton of free agents to sign, but they do have a lot of extensions to prioritize and Curl may find a stronger market elsewhere. In that scenario, the Rams would need to either sign a new starter in free agency or address it in the draft. Some free agent options include Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nick Cross, P.J. Locke, Geno Stone, Bryan Cook, Coby Bryant, Jabrill Peppers and others. It’s a long list, which illustrates how they might be able to get Curl back at a reasonable number. 

But with their second first-round pick at No. 29, the Rams are in prime position to take an elite safety in the draft, such as Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman or Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. That would provide a higher-ceiling and longer-term solution, but it would require sinking one of their top draft assets into a non-premium position.

3 – Offensive Line Depth

The Rams have a pretty complete roster and there aren’t any other glaring weaknesses that need addressing. But with the retirement of Havenstein, some additional depth along the offensive line is warranted in Los Angeles.

Former fifth-round RT Warren McClendon Jr. stepped up big time in Havenstein’s absence and was PFF’s 17th-ranked offensive tackle in 2025. The Rams are confident in him and despite outside noise that they need to prioritize a tackle, they don’t feel the same.

With a strong starting five and a quality backup center, the Rams are set there. But this draft has plenty of options along the interior and at the tackle spots, and it would make sense for Los Angeles to spend a pick or two on Day 3 addressing some offensive line depth and adding developmental guys for the future — much like they did a few years ago with McClendon.

One Big Question

Can the Rams capitalize on this Super Bowl window and go all the way this year?

This is really all that matters for the Rams in 2026. Los Angeles was a two-point conversion stop away from hosting the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game instead of going to Seattle, and QB Matthew Stafford announced his return during his MVP acceptance speech.

The Rams opened as co-favorites with the Seahawks to win the next Super Bowl. They have to get better in the secondary, but otherwise, this team has everything it needs right now to win a title. Stafford’s playing it year by year at this point and there’s no guarantee he’ll be back in 2027.

Plus, with looming extensions for young stars like WR Puka Nacua, ED Byron Young, ED Jared Verse, DT Kobie Turner, DT Braden Fiske and Kinchens, this roster is about to get a lot more expensive. The Rams have the cap space to make it work this year and they’ll add some talent in the draft, but this is setting up to be the best shot at making another run they’ll likely have for years.

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