Los Angeles Rams right tackle Warren McClendon held down the right side of the line in a major way in 2025.
The Los Angeles Rams found a solid right tackle option in Warren McLendon Jr. Following the injury to Rob Havenstein, the young lineman took over and showed his dominance in 2025.
On top of being the No. 7-ranked tackle on Pro Football Focus, McLendon also has one stat that showed just how good he was. Per Sports Info Solutions, the young lineman comes in third in blown block average, at just 2.1 percent.
Essentially, McLendon only missed his blocking assignment 2.1 percent out of his 667 snaps at right tackle. That is a very small amount, and only Washington Commanders' Laremy Tunsil (2.0 percent) and Detroit Lions' Penei Sewell (1.7 percent) were better.
There is no denying that the Rams had one of the best blocking units in the NFL, and that was solidified when McClendon locked down the right tackle spot. Havenstein was injured and has since retired from the NFL.
Considering Havenstein's football exit, it will be interesting to see how the Rams will approach adding depth. The team currently sits at the No. 13 overall pick in the draft, and the belief is they may choose to trade back to acquire more draft capital.
Then again, they could stand pat and take one of the top linemen to ensure they have more than enough to protect Matthew Stafford in 2026. Stafford may or may not play past next season, but he is returning to help lead the team back into a playoff run.
The Rams could choose to strengthen their line and prepare for the future by potentially landing Miami's Francis Mauigoa, Penn State's Vega Ioane, or Utah's Spencer Fano. Any one of the three would be a huge pickup to start building for the future.
Los Angeles is heading back into an all-in type of situation, but they could run into some contract issues with Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Byron Young, and Kobie Turner all needing to be extended in the near future. The team will need to address this by getting young where they can.
Additionally, the line has also dealt with injuries before, such as to Avila and Kevin Dotson. There needs to be some strong second and third-tier players that can step in at a moment's notice.
The Rams did re-sign David Quessenberry, but more depth is always needed. The 2024 season should be a steep lesson in this, as almost every starter was injured and Los Angeles started the season 1-4.
The 2025 season was much better, but that does not mean that injuries cannot happen. As said, protecting Stafford is the main goal for the Rams, and adding more linemen can accomplish that.
McClendon is part of the top 10 unit, but adding some more youth for the other aging linemen might be the best course of action.