C+
Los Angeles Rams
Flashes of a plan, unevenly run, for the Rams: C+.
by Cricket ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 1 steals
· 1 reaches
The rest of the league had time to spare on VJ Payne; the Rams did not wait, grabbing him 33 spots ahead at pick 163.
The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The Green steal is the beam this whole class leans on.
If Jeremiyah Love and a couple of the gambles land, hindsight will be kinder than this grade.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 7th pick they get a lead back with juice. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
By-the-book stuff, D'Angelo Ponds at the 43rd overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Good price on Bryce Lance in Round 3, Pick 33, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Dametrious Crownover in the Round 5 slot is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A wild overpay on VJ Payne in No. 163, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Steal is underselling it; Taylen Green at slot 207 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It fills a real need, too.
Jack Kelly in the 252nd pick is fair value, right on his grade. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.