Arch Manning and other top rookie QBs on the Rams radar for the 2026 NFL Draft

It's far too early to gauge when the Los Angeles Rams' projected 10 draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft will fall, but one thing is certain. The Rams have never had this much draft ammunition since the team hired HC Sean McVay in 2017. While that is plenty to be excited about, it only gets better from here.

Breaking down the three day event in terms of the number of picks, we have:

Day 1
2 Round 1 picks
Day 2
1 Round 2 pick
1 Round 3 pick
Day 3
2 Round 5 picks
2 Round 6 picks
2 Round 7 picks

While 10 picks may seem like plenty of ammunition, the team has a knack for spending picks quickly if they deem a rookie prospect worth trading up for. In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Rams entered the event armed with eight draft picks. And after the first day of the event, the team had abstained from making any selections, but had traded back to gain an additional pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, plus a Round 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Still, those nine draft picks resulted in just six rookie selections.

The Rams did not follow the scripts laid out by NFL draft analysts. The team was expected to select a cornerback, a quarterback, and an offensive tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft. The team did not address any of those positions. That may seem confusing to fans who identify ideal fits for this team, but the Rams always seem to be three or four moves ahead of other NFL teams. It could very likely be that the team merely deferred selecting rookie cornerbacks, quarterbacks, or offensive tackles until the 2026 NFL Draft.

While we will investigate cornerback and offensive tackle prospects in future articles, it's time to peer into the crystal ball and scry what the future may hold for the Rams chances of selecting a rookie franchise quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft:

Quarterback prospects are definitely on the menu in the 2026 NFL Draft

There is an entire season of college football to be played, so it's very likely that the frontrunners who position themselves for an early selection in the upcoming draft have yet to be identified. After all, at this time a year ago, Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders was a front-runner at quarterback for the rookie class of 2025, and he fell all the way to Round 5.

Still, it's never too early to project top-rated quarterbacks. There are two reasons for this. First, early identification gives every fan the option to follow their favorite rookie quarterback prospects' progress and performances throughout their final collegiate season, and have a deep understanding of which prospects may fit the Rams offense.

A second reason for early detection is to arm readers with independent information, arming anyone who wishes to do so with enough information to be professionally skeptical when the myriad of draft profiles start appearing after the new year rolls around.

So, who should Rams fans place on their radar? Pro Football Focus had its list ready to go nearly two months ago. They nominate these 10 rookie quarterback prospects to track through their 2025 NCAA football seasons:

But there are other Top 10 rookie quarterback lists. Fox Sports NFL draft analyst Joel Klatt has generated his own list of Top 10 quarterbacks.

There are many other lists that either have been generated, or will be published, before the 2026 NFL Draft arrives.