In the last 14 NFL drafts, the Rams have used their top pick on an offensive player 12 times. The results have varied from the extremely productive – think Todd Gurley, Jared Goff and Steve Avila – to the disappointing – Tutu Atwell and Gerald Everett – to the to-be-determined, namely, last year’s second-round pick Terrance Ferguson.
Despite the range of results, the team-building principle has stayed true, focusing premium resources on trying to improve the offensive side of the ball.
But in a year in which the organization is signaling its eagerness to go all-in in pursuit of a second Super Bowl title in five years, it might be a defensive player that could make the biggest impact on this iteration of the Rams with the 13th overall pick in Thursday’s first round.
No. 13 is a valuable pick in any year, but this isn’t the same type of draft class as in 2024, the last time the Rams had a top-20 selection. While there might be some value in later rounds at the positions, there isn’t a deep group of elite quarterbacks, receivers or offensive linemen. Each position has players projected as future starters, but not as true game changers.
READ: Should Rams target offense with 13th overall pick in NFL draft?
Where there is some elite value, however, is on the defensive side of the ball, and at positions where the Rams could use some reinforcements.
There are two truly elite cornerbacks in this class in LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy. Delane is known for being elite in man coverage, with the physicality to play press and quickness to keep up with receivers on deeper routes. McCoy is known for his long arms and ball skills, as well as his physicality.
Then at linebacker is Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, who runs a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds. A former safety, Styles quickly caught on at line-of-scrimmage diagnostics, and he brought his hard-hitting style to the defensive front.
And finally there is Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, known for his ability to play up in the box and make disruptive plays in the run game. If he played a more premium position, he might be a top-three prospect in this draft class.
Of the three positions, linebacker is the one where the Rams could use some Day 1 production, someone who could push Omar Speights for the starting job in training camp. Cornerback and safety would be more of a luxury after the moves to bring in corners Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson and extend safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl. But Downs, Delane and McCoy would be tough to turn down if available.
But that’s only if they were available at No. 13. And that’s kind of the rub for the Rams if they are considering adding more on defense in the first round. All four of these prospects are largely projected to go in the top 12 of the NFL draft, which would mean the Rams would need to trade up to guarantee they acquire any of them.
And that’s an expensive prospect, at minimum costing a future second-round selection and potentially more depending on how high up they tried to move up. That would be a tough pill for the Rams to swallow, especially after trading away four picks including next year’s third-round selection for McDuffie last month.
So most likely, the Rams will be at the mercy of the draft board on Thursday if they want to upgrade their defense. But if the Rams wanted someone with No. 13 who could come in and make an immediate impact, it might need to come on that side of the ball.