Recent Rams draft pick is as good as gone if Aaron Donald returns

The possibility of Aaron Donald's return to the Los Angeles Rams is gaining steam by the day. Adding Donald to a pass rush that already includes Myles Garrett, Byron Young, and Kobie Turner would be the cherry on top of a rambunctious Rams offseason. 

It wouldn't be merely a symbolic addition, either. Doubt Donald at your own peril. At age 35, two seasons removed from retirement, he may not be his prime self, but you had better believe he's still got it.

Making room for Donald on the roster would, of course, require a concurrent subtraction. Unfortunately for 2025 fifth-rounder Ty Hamilton, a defensive tackle out of Ohio State, he is an obvious cut candidate in the case of Donald's return.

Rams won't have room for Hamilton if Donald returns

Ty Hamilton did not give the Rams much production as a rookie, but then, he never had much of a chance to. The defensive line is well-equipped with Turner and Braden Fiske as the ends and nose tackle Poona Ford in the middle. Tyler Davis, a 2024 sixth-round pick who can line up anywhere on the defensive front, is the first man off the bench. 

In such a setting, a rookie Day 3 pick would be hard-pressed to garner more than the 138 snaps Hamilton did in 2025. He was unable to capitalize on his limited opportunities, making 11 tackles en route to a dismal PFF grade of 29.9.

Hamilton was already going to have to fight for a roster spot this season, and with the arrival of Tim Keenan III in the draft, his chances only shrank. While Keenan, a 232nd overall pick out of Alabama, is unlikely to play a larger role than Hamilton did last season, as a pure nose tackle he has a clear function on the team. That could give him the edge over Hamilton in any training-camp competition.

All of the above does not even account for Donald. The Rams would almost certainly look to cut from the defensive line to make room. In that scenario, not only does Hamilton figure as the first to go, it's a decent bet that Keenan would be relegated to the practice squad. Unless the Rams decided to roster six defensive tackles, instead of five, that seems like the most plausible outcome. 

When push comes to shove, Hamilton may have one way and one way only to make the cut. That is via a trade most likely involving either Davis or Fiske. Although Fiske lacks the former's versatility - he is strictly a defensive end in a 3-4 front - his promise and draft stock as the 39th pick two years ago would make the Rams foolish to part ways with him. 

Instead, the most natural trade scenario would involve Davis, and then only if Hamilton outplays him during training camp and/or the preseason. Unlikely. With a Donald comeback appearing more concrete by the day, the writing is already on the wall for Hamilton.

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