IV - The Rams must invest more dramatically in wide receivers
After drafting Louisville wide receiver Tutu Atwell with the 57th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the team has been contented to carry the position with little draft investment. The team did sink a Round 5 pick into BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua in the 2023 NFL Draft. And the team did sink a Round 6 pick into Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington in the 2024 NFL Draft.
But two draft picks in three seasons is pretty light in terms of investing draft capital.
Still, the team draft two wide receiver in 2017, one wide receiver in 2020, and three wide receivers in 2021. Only WR Cooper Kupp and Tutu Atwell remain on the Rams roster. Unfortunately, Atwell's contract expires at the end of the 2024 NFL season, and the team has shown little indication that he will be re-signed. So the team's entire draft investment under HC Sean McVay is summed up by Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Jordan Whittington.
I'm not knocking the team's ability to find diamonds on Day 3 of the draft. I'm merely pointing out that the team needs to consider the plight of losing three veteran wide receivers this offseason to expiring contracts, and adjust accordingly. From where I stand, that entails drafting at least two wide receivers this year, and selecting at least one no later than Round 4.
The Rams hit it out of the ballpark in 2023 when they found Puka Nacua in Round 5. The team does not yet know what they have in soon-to-be second year wide receiver Jordan Whittington. Whittington flashed tremendous upside when he was given the chance to play.
I think the Rams will turn to receivers in this draft, and that infusion of young passionate talent will help to reform a new-and-improved offense in 2025
III - The Rams need a QB succession plan, now
The LA Rams have two quarterbacks under contract for 2025. The starter is without a doubt Matthew Stafford. The only other quarterback on the Rams roster in third-year quarterback Steton Bennett. While I am higher on Bennett's upside than almost anyone else I know, the team needs to take a long hard look at their quarterback succession plan.
Until now, the team has managed to patchwork the backup quarterback position with successive out-of-favor veterans: Baker Mayfield, Carson Wentz, and Jimmy Garoppolo. While that satisfied the need to have a go-to guy if and when the team needed to rest Stafford, it's merely rented a throwing arm with one-year deals.
With Stafford publicly acknowledging that he needed time to decide whether or not he would return to the NFL, the team no longer has the luxury of putting off this incredibly important step. And I am not the only one who thinks that it's time for the Rams to up the backup quarterback position this offseason:
Happy Matthew is coming back. And also expect the πs to address their back up QB position (the #2 & #3) with a future prospect(s) to learn from one of the best ever!
β JimEverett.eth (@Jim_Everett) January 30, 2025
The team does not need top-tier quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. There are plenty of talented quarterbacks who, for one reason or another, are not ready for a plug-and-play scenario. The Rams can select a quarterback, sit him on the bench for a year to learn from Stafford and the team's coaching staff, and target the 2026 NFL season for his push for playing time.
While you may disagree, I expect Bennett to have grown into the team's backup quarterback role for 2025. If he is up to the challenge, then the team need only worry about getting a rookie quarterback on the roster for 2026 and as a just-in-case emergency option if Stafford is injured in 2025. The time is now. The 2025 NFL Draft has plenty of talented quarterbacks with high upside.
It's time to check that box.