Max Klare will keep Rams a step ahead of uncertainties Les Snead saw miles away

As the Los Angeles Rams neared the 2026 NFL Draft, analysts expected last season's top offense to select another immediate playmaker. Not just anyone, though. If the team failed to draft Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq or USC receiver Makai Lemon, the draft would be deemed a failure.

The Rams failed to draft either player.

They did draft Ohio State tight end Max Klare, who boasts both high-level talent and a robust college resume. Thus far, the move has generated little applause, but that could be because the strategy behind the pick is difficult to understand - even for Rams fans.

Assuming the Rams had a predetermined plan for how to use and develop the former Buckeye - and general manager Les Snead tends to have such specifics in mind - the question becomes: Why Klare? Why now, with four capable tight ends already on the roster? Here are some observations:

Max Klare is Rams' do-it-all insurance policy

1. Colby Parkinson is FIGMO

In the military, there is a commonly known waiver known as FIGMO. The term translates as 'Forget It, Got My Orders." It's the status of service members who receive orders to move to a new duty station. In essence, they are no longer held to the same accountability for work assignments or daily responsibilities as they anticipate a change of scenery.

That's an accurate representation of Parkinson's circumstances despite delivering above and beyond expectations in 2025. He is in the last season of his current contract, with younger, cheaper players nipping at his heels. He is no longer the hungry veteran trying to showcase what he can do.

Now he is atop the pecking order. Next offseason, Parkinson will be too expensive for the Rams' liking. His departure in free agency will likely be best for both sides.

2. Terrance Ferguson did not deliver

Ferguson did not live up to lofty expectations as a rookie, but those within the organization remain hopeful. That said, Snead let his drafting do the talking. Selecting Klare with the team's second pick this year suggests the Rams are unwilling to rubber-stamp a similarly disappointing outcome for Ferguson in 2026.

Klare adds instant competition for playing time. Better still, he arrives with a strong portfolio of Big Ten experience with Ohio State and Purdue. He is a blue-collar option at a position that put its chips into a white-collar prospect last season in Ferguson.

3. Tyler Higbee still trying to get healthy

The length of time Higbee has required to recover from a postseason injury two years ago is concerning. It's also the reality of an aging veteran in the NFL. Higbee played 10 games last season, starting eight. In 366 snaps, he produced 25 catches for 281 yards and three scores.

Even as a high-powered unit, the 2025 Rams left yards, first downs, and touchdowns on the field. Adding Klare to the mix could squeeze more from the offense in 2026, whether or not the veteran tight end leads the charge.

4. Davis Allen is more blocker than receiver

Allen, a fifth-round pick in 2023, is the fourth tight end on the roster. Ironically enough, the Rams took him two spots ahead of wide receiver Puka Nacua. While Nacua immediately hit his stride, Allen's career has taken a far less heralded track.

Allen has not been a disappointment. Rather, he has been inconsistent. He hauled in 10 of 11 targets as a rookie, just six of 13 in his second season, then secured 24 of 33 targets in a career-best 2025 campaign.

In three seasons, however, he has generated only 342 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He has proven to be a solid blocker, but he isn't a primary target in the passing game.

Klare is only a rookie scrapping for reps in a crowded room, but he checks multiple boxes for a team that has found success with tight ends. In adding Klare, Snead keeps the Rams ahead of the curve with both Parkinson and Allen on expiring contracts.

As always, thanks for reading.

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