The real Rams-worthy QB prospect that everyone has overlooked

The Los Angeles Rams should not allow their proximity to competing in Super Bowl LX to distract them from adding a rookie quarterback to enhance the team's depth and address the lack of succession planning for the most important position on the Rams roster. While the team has patched the road for 2025 with veteran QBs Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Stetson Bennett, the front office is not fooling themselves.

The Rams have both Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo on short-duration contracts. And while I fear the contribution of Bennett is severely underestimated, even I cannot see the Rams handing the reins of this offense over to him until he earns that shot. To do so, he will need to deliver far more touchdown passes than interceptions, an area that he has yet to demonstrate in two NFL seasons of preseason games.

The Rams are stuck between a rock and a hard place when approaching the 2025 NFL Draft. Unless the Rams invest enough draft currency into a rookie quarterback, they face the likelihood of carrying a perennial backup quarterback on the bench for the entirety of his NFL career. But if the team invests too heavily into the position, how can the team justify benching a highly regarded rookie on the bench for the next year or two? And wouldn't it make far more sense to add a plug-and-play rookie to the roster to aid the team in competing for another Lombardi Trophy?

We uncovered a sleeper quarterback who could be an ideal addition to the Rams roster in Max Brosmer, thanks to the tip from former Ramblin Fan contributor John 'Draft' Vogel. In that article, we found a promising young quarterback who has the upside to be a special NFL starter, but not requiring more than a Day 3 pick investment.

Well, the latest article by ESPN's Ben Solak reveals another under-the-radar rookie QB prospect who fits the Rams roster needs. He projects Notre Dame rookie QB Riley Leonard as a fit to the Rams in Round 6 of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 190th overall pick. Since the Rams are already investing in developmental players at that part of the draft, the investment is the right price. But can Leonard be anything more than a training camp quarterback? I think so. Here's why:

Riley Leonard is a statuesque 6-foot-4, 216-pound quarterback who looks every bit of the part of NFL starter. He played three seasons for Duke, and his final college season with Notre Dame, so he brings a full body of competitive college football to the NFL.

He was a Senior Bowl standout, a prerequisite to landing on the Rams radar. And yes, his week of Senior Bowl practices created plenty of buzz:

In his senior season, Riley Leonard threw 269 of 403 passes for 2,861 yards, 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. That is enough to warrant NFL consideration. But when you layer in his 184 rushes for 906 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, he launches his offensive potential to the next level.

While passing on his 40-yard dash at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Leonard had been clocked at 4.52 seconds in the 40 in the past. FYI, that is faster than any of four running backs on the Rams roster, so he is an immediate threat to run and pass in any NFL offense:

• Kyren Williams - 4.65 seconds 40-yard dash
• Blake Corum - 4.53 seconds 40-yard dash
• Ronnie Rivers - 4.57 seconds 40-yard dash
• Cody Schrader - 4.61 seconds 40-yard dash.

A dual-threat quarterback who stands 6-foot-4 is quite the find. But what about his arm? He completed 62 of 66 passes on his pro day, and showed tremendous arm strength combined with solid accuracy.

Leonard is a physically gifted athlete who got by in college football with grit and speed. He falls to the Rams in Round 6 because he is raw, a quarterback who needs to clean up his mechanics. For many teams, that compels them to look elsewhere. But Leonard's upside and need for coaching makes him a solid candidate to be added to the Rams roster.

No perfect quarterback, or anyone close to perfect, falls to Round 6. But Leonard has the football passion that the Rams front office loves to see. And Leonard has plenty of reasons to get an offensive coordinator excited. He is not a plug-and-play rookie. He needs to muscle up in the gym. He needs to refine his mechanics on the practice field.

The Rams coaching staff was constructed to coach up a quarterback like Riley Leonard. And putting him in the same room as Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Stetson Bennett could be the best environment to optimize Leonard's NFL potential.

Finding a starting quarterback in Round 6 of the 2025 NFL Draft is a longshot. But Rams GM Les Snead has beaten the odds before. And the upside of Riley Leonard makes it worth the risk.

As always, thanks for reading.

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