3 bold but plausible predictions Rams fans would love to see come true

The Los Angeles Rams have sky-high hopes this season. As if the offseason wasn't special enough, franchise legend Aaron Donald has officially unretired. Hallelujah. 

It's easy to predict who will make the headlines. Matthew Stafford. Myles Garrett. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Trent McDuffie. Donald. And others. It's a star-studded group. 

Spoiler alert, Donald is featured in the following predictions, but not everyone who shapes this season for the better will be of the All-Pro or Hall of Fame variety. That fact is reflected in the two other entries below.

Aaron Donald will equal or exceed his last season's sacks total

Donald retired after 2023 coming off another All-Pro, Pro-Bowl-worthy season. As he did every year of his career, he earned a PFF grade of at least 90. Add eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss. 

Is it realistic to expect that much from him after over two-and-a-half years removed from his final snap, at the age of 35? There are reasons it very well could be. 

One, Donald will have more help than he ever has on the defensive front. Not only was Garrett's arrival the catalyst for Donald's return, he'll also have Byron Young, Kobie Turner, and Poona Ford. 

Plus, the secondary has gone from a weakness to a strength; with improved coverage, quarterbacks will have to hold onto the ball longer, giving Donald a better chance to get home. 

Offensive lines can't well afford to double-team Donald with Garrett charging off the edge. His life will be so much easier than it ever was in the past. Even if his role is somewhat limited and he doesn't debut until Week 2, he can definitely get there. 

Warren McClendon will be even better this season

McClendon has met with his share of skeptics even within the fanbase. He only has 15 career starts and was forced into the role last season when Rob Havenstein got hurt. 

Still, McClendon was outstanding as the Rams' starting right tackle, and not in a small sample size, either. He logged 667 snaps in his 10 starts, allowing the fourth-lowest pressure rate, 3.1 percent, of at the position. PFF charged McClendon with only one penalty and one quarterback hit allowed, while ranking him seventh among qualified tackles with an overall grade of 83.5. 

The Rams have questions on the left side with Alaric Jackson facing a possible suspension, but the right side is in good hands with McClendon. The only unfortunate thing is that, entering the final year of his rookie deal, he could play himself out of LA's price range next offseason with all the other extensions coming due.

Rams will have a third 500-yard pass-catcher

This could be more of a stretch. Tight end Colby Parkinson finished third on the team last season with 408 receiving yards. Among wideouts, Xavier Smith came in fourth with 303. The Rams managed just fine by feeding the ball to tight ends and relying on Nacua plus Adams to do the heavy lifting. They'll likely repeat that formula this season.

Still, the elite receiver duo up top may have some help from down below. Actually, the best bet to reach the 500-yard mark might be tight end Terrance Ferguson, expected to have a much larger role this season after averaging 21 yards per catch in an inconsistent rookie season. All signs point to a breakout. 

In the receiver room, Konata Mumpfield is likewise poised for a sophomore leap. Is this the year Jordan Whittington puts it together? Tutu Atwell, who accumulated 562 receiving yards with the Rams in 2024, is back. A rookie splash from CJ Daniels? Well, probably not to that degree. The realistic answer is that none of them will come overly close. 

Essentially this is a bet on Ferguson and/or Parkinson, and a bold one at that. Taken as a whole, though, this pass-catching group has considerably more upside than last season's supporting cast.

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