NFL Draft's most interesting teams: Will the Rams look at the present or future with 13th pick?

When your quarterback is 38 years old, you have to consider the future at that position. Even if your quarterback is the reigning NFL MVP.

The Los Angeles Rams are in an interesting position. They have the 13th pick of the NFL Draft, thanks to a smart trade last year with an Atlanta Falcons team desperate to move up. The Rams have arguably the best roster in the NFL, and are the current Super Bowl favorite. They also have a quarterback in Matthew Stafford who is a year-to-year proposition.

Advertisement

Watch Yahoo Sports Network

Stafford has considered retirement, but announced he’d be back for 2026 when he accepted his MVP award in February. Stafford is still playing at a very high level, but it won’t last forever. It might not even last through 2027.

The Rams are a smart organization, and their approach to this draft is worth watching.

Could the Rams take a QB early?

The real question with the Rams and the No. 13 pick surrounds Ty Simpson.

The quarterback class this year is an unusual one. There’s a clear No. 1 in Fernando Mendoza. After that, it seems like another one-man tier in Simpson, though others (like Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice) have LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier ranked higher. Perhaps we’ll find that the Rams or some other NFL team feels the same way. But the reports have been hotter on Simpson, with plenty of speculation that he could go higher in the first round than expected. If that’s true, he might not even be an option for the Rams at No. 13.

But let’s assume Simpson is available for the Rams. Given Simpson’s inexperience (15 college starts), he is the type of first-round pick who probably would benefit from sitting and learning. It could be especially helpful with the Rams, who have a tremendous offensive coach in Sean McVay and a probable future Hall of Famer at quarterback in Stafford. Whether Stafford plays another year or beyond that, there would be a seamless transition when he’s done. That’s every team’s dream. The Rams could take a quarterback later, but they don’t draft again until No. 61 and finding a future franchise quarterback there will be hard.

Advertisement

In some ways the 13th overall pick is a bonus for the Rams. They used their own first-round pick, and other picks, to land cornerback Trent McDuffie, filling a huge hole with a former All-Pro still in his prime. The Rams don’t have many glaring holes. The pick was a gift from the Falcons in a trade that Atlanta probably shouldn’t have made. It makes sense to use it on a pick with the future in mind, even if it’s on a player that might not see the field in 2026.

But it will will be hard to pass up on a player at No. 13 who could help the Rams win another Super Bowl.

Options if Rams look for help now

The Rams don’t have many weaknesses. However, offensive line depth is unsettled after the retirement of longtime starter Rob Havenstein. Maybe the Rams could use an impact player at off-ball linebacker, though they have never put a high priority on that position.

Advertisement

Maybe if the right fit presents itself, the Rams could fill a need. Otherwise, there are other luxury picks that could help right away. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is a physical marvel and the Rams have been leaning more on multiple tight end sets, so Sadiq and 2025 rookie (and Sadiq’s former Oregon teammate) Terrance Ferguson could play together. There are a few good receivers at the top of the draft, and while the Rams have two great receivers, there would be nothing wrong with a third, especially with Davante Adams about to turn 34 years old in December and Puka Nacua’s off-field issues. Going best player available is never a bad option. You never know when that player will help in a key spot.

The Rams would hate to look up in January, with Simpson not having logged any meaningful snaps behind Stafford, and think they were one player short from a Super Bowl.

Advertisement

That’s what makes the Rams’ draft decisions interesting. Drafting a quarterback for the future seems smart. So does taking a player to help win a championship now, and putting off the quarterback issue for another year. No other team finds itself in that situation for this draft.