The Los Angeles Rams are in no rush to draft Matthew Stafford's successor, but a new mock draft has the team taking a swing at a 2026 prospect.
The Los Angeles Rams are sorted in the quarterback department for at least the 2026 season, but beyond that remains a mystery. While general manager Les Snead has stated that the team is in no rush to find Matthew Stafford's successor, they could still take a swing at a 2026 prospect.
Drafting Alabama's Ty Simpson in the first round would not be the smartest use of the Rams' No. 13 overall pick, but a new mock draft has them choosing a signal caller in the second round: Penn State's Drew Allar.
Simpson continues to be mocked throughout the first and into the second round, but the Rams may not be high enough to take a swing at him. In fact, in ESPN's Matt Miller's full seven-round mock draft, Simpson goes to the New York Jets at No. 33 overall to kick off the start of the second round.
The Rams do not pick until No. 61 overall, but Miller sees this as the time where they make a move to select Allar.
"Matthew Stafford was last season's MVP, but he's also 38 years old. The Rams could take a swing on Allar's traits and potential to develop him for a season and hope to tap into his high-end arm talent," Miller wrote.
There is some value in the Rams taking a quarterback, whether that is Simpson or Allar. Both possess some traits that can be brought up slowly, as they would not have a chance to start in 2026 — barring an unforeseen situation where Stafford goes down.
Allar finished his time with Penn State with 7,402 yards, 61 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He has far more film on tape than Simpson, but he did suffer a season-ending ankle injury in 2025 that may be cause for concern.
In 2024, Allar finished his season with 3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also posted a 66.5 completion percentage.
The issue with Allar is his inability to show up in big moments, which is something that he would not have to worry about at the start of his NFL career. However, without taking the field and testing that at the professional level, the Rams would be trusting that he can rise to the occasion.
Allar's ball placement is also a bit wonky at times, but that is a trait that can be worked on. He would have the benefit of learning under one of the best quarterbacks in the league, which could go a long way in his development.
Taking Allar in the second round might sound a bit early as well, but the Rams do have the benefit of not having some steep needs. Any young talent brought in will be trained up and utilized in the future, which includes if they choose to take a quarterback like Allar.