Rams' 2026 rookies must escape Tutu Atwell syndrome fans know all too well

The Los Angeles Rams' 2026 draftees should read up on the cautionary tale of Tutu Atwell, the 2021 second-round receiver who never quite found his footing with the franchise. His Rams career ended this offseason when he signed a one-year deal with Miami.

Despite high hopes as a rookie speedster, he barely touched the field. After a frustrating few years of ups and downs, he vanished from the rotation in 2025.

The Atwell experiment failed partly because he never had a clear role on the roster. Was he a deep-shot specialist or a regular member of the rotation? Head coach Sean McVay never figured out how to use him. 

Keep in mind that he was veteran DeSean Jackson's padawan. Jackson only lasted a few months in Los Angeles. When DJax left, Atwell's fate was sealed.

Due in part to the Rams' future-focused approach, several members of the Rams' 2026 draft class find themselves in a similar scenario as rookies. It will be up to them to escape Atwell's curse.

Gauging 2026 Rams draft class may prove difficult this season

In particular, tight end Max Klare joins a crowded depth chart as the Horns' second selection, the 61st overall, of the draft. He'll have his opportunities to beat out Davis Allen, and perhaps even to challenge Terrance Ferguson's status as the No. 1 tight end of the future. 

But there's also a world where he spends his rookie year mostly watching from the sidelines. Drafting Klare was all about next season, when Allen and Colby Parkinson will be free agents. This season, he could have trouble finding his rhythm, which could impact his development down the road. 

Similarly, the Rams have a lot riding on the future development of Ty Simpson. In contrast to Klare's circumstances, he should benefit from sitting out for a season or two under Matthew Stafford. After all, he only had a year of college experience as a starter. Watch and learn. That doesn't mean he's not already under pressure to show signs of elite upside given the controversy surrounding his first-round selection.

CJ Daniels, LA's sixth-round selection, has a clearer opportunity in front of him than Atwell did. If he doesn't take advantage of it, though, waiting that long to draft a receiver will age poorly.

It's a bit harder to see a major opportunity for defensive tackle Tim Keenan III. The seventh-round pick is a pure nose tackle, but his path is blocked by Poona Ford. Keenan is a rotational investment, to be sure; the Rams aren't expecting him to become a starter.

But given the potential lack of immediate payoff from other picks in this class, fans will want to see something from someone in the 2026 batch of rookies. 

The one pick that actually makes perfect sense based on positional fit and the value of the selection is offensive tackle Keagen Trost, a third-round steal. With Alaric Jackson Jr. and Warren McClendon already on the roster, taking a sure-fire starter early didn't make sense.

The rotation does need a swing tackle, however, and that's exactly the role Trost can fill as a late Day 2 pick, even if he doesn't crack the starting crew. 

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