Mock draft season is here, and there are plenty of new versions done before teams select their first-round players on April 23. That said, a new mock draft has the Los Angeles Rams find Matthew Stafford's successor and satisfy a major roster need.

Stafford surprised the Rams and the NFL world when he announced his return for his 18th season after winning the league MVP. With his return in 2026, this does give the team a bit more time to think about his successor. 

While general manager Les Snead could go after a prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, the consensus is that the prospects in 2027 will be more NFL-ready. That does not mean there will not be some gems found in this year's draft.

While the Rams will need to find that successor, the team also has a deep need at the cornerback position. Roger McCreary, Derion Kendrick, and Akhello Witherspoon are pending free agents, and McCreary and Witherspoon suffered significant injuries that impacted their ability to play a full season.

Team captain and All-Pro safety Quentin Lake also missed multiple games, which led to the Rams posting a fourth-worst 276.0 passing yards given up on average. 

That said, a new mock draft from PFF's Gordon McGuiness has the Rams scoring a huge player in Mansoor Delane.

"This draft falls perfectly for the Rams, who have the top player at their biggest position of need sitting right in front of them. Delane earned an elite 90.7 PFF coverage grade and allowed a catch on just 40.0% of the passes thrown into his coverage in 2025," McGuiness wrote.

Delane is a plug-and-play cornerback who is considered to be the best in the draft. While he may be picked far before the No. 13 overall selection, him falling to the Rams would be perfect.

With the possibility that all three named cornerbacks walk in free agency, the Rams would get a young replacement in Delane.

Despite the secondary being a major concern, the Rams also need to find that Stafford successor. McGuiness believes that it will be in the form of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is believed to be a first-round prospect, but his lack of starts is a concern. In his lone season running the Alabama offense, he produced 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 64.5 completion percentage.

While his starting season was impressive, the lack of tape on Simpson could be a major factor in what team wants to take a chance on him. The Rams could be that team due to Simpson potentially sitting behind Stafford for longer than the 2026 season.

At No. 29, McGuiness makes his case for the Rams to take Simpson. 

"With Matthew Stafford announcing that he will return for the 2026 NFL season, the Rams have the opportunity to draft a quarterback and let them sit for at least a season. Simpson earned an 83.1 PFF overall grade in his lone season as a starter. Allowing him to learn from Stafford could unlock his NFL potential," McGuiness wrote.

The only reason this could be a good idea is the ability to learn from Stafford. Should the plan be that he plays through the 2027 season, Simpson would get the massive benefit of learning from the league's best.