Former Ramblin Fan draft specialist gives optimistic take on Rams Day 3 QB options

Perhaps one of the more difficult tasks for fans of the Los Angeles Rams is piecing together infrequent clues to form an image of the annual draft event. The Rams front office is filled with professionals with significant expertise in identifying and selecting some of the best rookie prospects who actually fit their team and plans. That's not to say that every rookie selection is an immediate hit. However, this team has done an outstanding job of finding starters and key rotational players in recent years

So the dilemma of identifying a proper successor to veteran starting quarterback Matthew Stafford is quite the puzzler this year. The more I try to learn about this year's draft class at the quarterback position, the more I decide that I do not know. If I were to stick with historic trends, I would guesstimate that only Cam Ward (first overall pick) and Shedeur Sanders (late Round 1 pick) are quarterbacks who are selected in Round 1.

The remaining quarterbacks are intriguing, but I just don't see the frenzied gushing over them as there was in the days leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft.

On the other hand, there are the other NFL rumors, misdirections, and narratives that are forming that tell a different tale. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, who I did not expect to hear his name mentioned until Day 2 of the draft at the earliest, accepted an invitation to attend the draft and sit in the Green Room awaiting his selection in Round 1. Oh, really? If Milroe is a Round 1 selection, then what of Mississippi QB Jaxson Dart, or Louisville QB Tyler Shough, who I see as more talented quarterbacks? .

Well, whenever in unfamiliar territory, it's always wise to take a guide. And this year's draft certainly qualifies as unfamiliar territory. So the best plan is to lean into the expertise of someone whose perspective is trustworthy and reliable. We had tapped the expertise of Hunter Haas in compiling a Rams 2023 NFL Draft Top 50 Big Board, and that was a solid reference guide. He did name Georgia QB Stetson Bennett, a most unlikely player who was selected by the Rams in that year's draft. His write-up included:

"(Stetson) Bennett has incredible football IQ, is mobile, can throw to any receiver anywhere on the field, and is a well-respected team leader. He makes excellent coverage reads, possesses a quick release, is innovative and can improvise, and is competitive to his last breath."

Hunter Haas

Unlike other draft moguls, Haas correctly perceived the fit of Bennett on the Rams roster.

So, if he was perceptive enough to link the Rams to the most recent quarterback selected in an NFL draft, why not check out his quarterback read for the 2025 NFL Draft? His take makes a lot of sense and aligns with how the quarterback rookies line up for me as well.

What does he say? Check out this news:

If Haas is accurate, the Rams needn't rush a quarterback selection in this year's draft. While I do not have the firm direct conversations with Rams GM Les Snead to confirm that hunch, it certainly feels more correct given what we know about this draft class. There has been much less buzz about quarterbacks in this draft, and more narratives about which team could get the most out of a rookie prospect.

More than five quarterbacks in the above list have been linked to the Rams for that very reason.

Yes, the Rams may miss out on an opportunity to develop a quarterback by waiting to select one on Day 3. I wouldn't worry about a plunge in talent if that happens. The Rams are almost certainly looking for a coachable quarterback to develop, and raw clay to sculpt is readily available in this draft. The biggest downside is how much time and coaching will be needed to upgrade a rookie to NFL-tier competitiveness.

Haas has just three quarterbacks graded in the first two days of the draft. That seems a bit conservative based on the willingness of NFL teams to take a chance on a rookie at the position. Even if that number doubles in the first three rounds, that still leaves plenty of talented rookies on the draft board for the Rams on Day 3.

I suspect that rumors of the Rams jumping to select a quarterback at the end of Round 1 has an element of luring another team to trade with the Rams or ahead of them to select a QB. The strategy is clever too, as either the price of the Rams' 26th overall pick will be optimized, or a non-quarterback rookie prospect who the Rams are interested in could fall to them.

As always, thanks you so much for reading.

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