Which WR excites you the most for the Rams?

[WestCoastRam]

48%!!!? Didn't realize this. He'd be damn near off my board. Change my mind!

View: https://x.com/HaydenWinks/status/2027025349486498143


Interesting... for me the question will be not if he's worth taking but where. Some of these issues make me only comfortable taking him later than pick 13 (and that's if his medicals look okay to us) and then he may be gone before we pick again.

 

[HitStick]

Potentially yes, but we saw last year that McVay is not fond of utilizing rookie TE's in year one. I'm not sure how much Sadiq will help us in 2026, whereas a guy like Lemon/Tyson/Tate might.

True…but I wonder how much of that was McVays tendencies or how much of it was Ferg not transitioning as quickly. The reports of McVay trying to trade up for Bowers and Loveland makes me think that he’d be willing to play a true weapon earlier. I think Ferg is going to be good, but he’s not the game changer Sadiq can be

 

[Merlin]

I don't think it makes sense to prioritize slot, whether it's a smaller option like Lemon or a bigger weapon like Sadiq. Either would look nice in our offense but we have slot options and Puka poised to own it. Having a backup for if Puka gets hurt would be nice, but do you need to draft that at the top? I'd say no. Look where we got both Kupp and Puka.

So with Puka owning the slot in 2026, what they need is an outside the hash addition to round out the pass game weapons. And if that addition is big framed with great hands and catch radius, it magnifies Stafford's strengths.

For 13 if there is an elite option that falls to us, or even near us where the Rams can trade up for him, so be it. But if not then take Boston and watch this offense fucking torch opponents every week. Because Boston even as a rook is going to destroy CB3 types he draws in this offense and Stafford will feed his ass in redzone and 4 minute and any other time he wants to stretch it wide and deep.

 

[WestCoastRam]

I don't think it makes sense to prioritize slot, whether it's a smaller option like Lemon or a bigger weapon like Sadiq. Either would look nice in our offense but we have slot options and Puka poised to own it. Having a backup for if Puka gets hurt would be nice, but do you need to draft that at the top? I'd say no. Look where we got both Kupp and Puka.

So with Puka owning the slot in 2026, what they need is an outside the hash addition to round out the pass game weapons. And if that addition is big framed with great hands and catch radius, it magnifies Stafford's strengths.

I tend to agree with this, Puka runs the majority of his routes from slot but many from Z too. A slot-ish receiver isn't ideal for our needs but certainly doesn't preclude us from taking an exceptional talent (especially if the guy has slot/Z flex like Puka).

It's part of the reason I'm just torn on a guy like Caleb Downs if he was there. He basically is best at STAR and playing him deep would be a waste of his talents but we just paid Lake for that role. Of course, he looks amazing and there's a world where you take Downs and move Lake to safety full time (not his ideal spot) or move Lake (is that even possible with his contract?).

Glut or talent at a position shouldn't preclude you from taking someone great (hello Aaron Donald! - we were set at DT already) but it's a factor to weigh in everything.

 

[Merlin]

I tend to agree with this, Puka runs the majority of his routes from slot but many from Z too. A slot-ish receiver isn't ideal for our needs but certainly doesn't preclude us from taking an exceptional talent (especially if the guy has slot/Z flex like Puka).

It's part of the reason I'm just torn on a guy like Caleb Downs if he was there. He basically is best at STAR and playing him deep would be a waste of his talents but we just paid Lake for that role. Of course, he looks amazing and there's a world where you take Downs and move Lake to safety full time (not his ideal spot) or move Lake (is that even possible with his contract?).

Glut or talent at a position shouldn't preclude you from taking someone great (hello Aaron Donald! - we were set at DT already) but it's a factor to weigh in everything.

Overall I think the guy up top the Rams are going to want is Styles. He's the guy who plugs in and adds badly needed speed to our second level, improves coverage with his drops, and can play every snap. He's the piece that would be worth a move up because we probably have a completely different defense with him in the middle of it.

And this is a really nice ILB class. I like a lot of them, more than I usually do. But none of them are the total package he is.

Downs as you mention runs into issues with Lake and who's in what role. Now maybe the Rams want one of them for that other role who knows. But in terms of projecting likelihood yeah it seems like Downs is not the one they're going to covet. Nothing against Downs there either. He's a hell of a player just not the guy they'd jump for.

To jump for a player I think he has to have a clear role for this team.

Our needs should change after FA, or so I would hope. But for right now they are CB > Edge > Swing OT > WR3 > iOL > Safety. Roughly speaking and that's assuming most of our pending FAs leave.

So translating that to the early going, Delane is a top need with value, either of the projected OTs would be if the Rams like them, but are any of them worth jumping for? Probably not. The Edges are loaded of course and a big need if Young leaves in FA, but the depth of the class is so great that you'd have to really be hot for one of them to jump. So possible they jump for an Edge.

And I know someone will say well ILB is not a need. And it's not, in terms of being a position the Rams avoid paying, and have never drafted high under this regime. But great players always have the ability to change that equation.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Overall I think the guy up top the Rams are going to want is Styles. He's the guy who plugs in and adds badly needed speed to our second level, improves coverage with his drops, and can play every snap. He's the piece that would be worth a move up because we probably have a completely different defense with him in the middle of it.

And this is a really nice ILB class. I like a lot of them, more than I usually do. But none of them are the total package he is.

Downs as you mention runs into issues with Lake and who's in what role. Now maybe the Rams want one of them for that other role who knows. But in terms of projecting likelihood yeah it seems like Downs is not the one they're going to covet. Nothing against Downs there either. He's a hell of a player just not the guy they'd jump for.

To jump for a player I think he has to have a clear role for this team.

Our needs should change after FA, or so I would hope. But for right now they are CB > Edge > Swing OT > WR3 > iOL > Safety. Roughly speaking and that's assuming most of our pending FAs leave.

So translating that to the early going, Delane is a top need with value, either of the projected OTs would be if the Rams like them, but are any of them worth jumping for? Probably not. The Edges are loaded of course and a big need if Young leaves in FA, but the depth of the class is so great that you'd have to really be hot for one of them to jump. So possible they jump for an Edge.

And I know someone will say well ILB is not a need. And it's not, in terms of being a position the Rams avoid paying, and have never drafted high under this regime. But great players always have the ability to change that equation.

I think we most likely will not go after an ILB high due to how we value the position and the investment we made in Landman but sometimes the skill and specialness of the player supersedes that.

Don't think it's likely but Styles might just be that good. Especially if he's "positionless" as they say. You continue to play dime at league high but he takes over dime-backer role of McCollogh and supercharges that alignment while also making our 3-4 more stout.

Just hard to fathom spending that much draft capital on a guy who if he hits, you're also looking to pay out big on the next contract in a position group that does not lend itself to the top end of sustainable team builds when large cap space is attributed to them.

 

[Merlin]

Just hard to fathom spending that much draft capital on a guy who if he hits, you're also looking to pay out big on the next contract in a position group that does not lend itself to the top end of sustainable team builds when large cap space is attributed to them.

This completely overlooks the impact of a great player.

Also Styles isn't positionless. Not sure where you're getting that.

Reese is the guy who seems to think he's an Edge rusher, but what he doesn't realize is you don't get taken at the top of the pile for versatility.