The time has arrived to directly address the prevailing question surrounding the Los Angeles Rams’ long-term quarterback strategy: When will the team finally invest in drafting a successor to their veteran signal-caller, Matthew Stafford? While the Rams could potentially defer this decision for another year or two, several factors suggest that the issue warrants careful consideration sooner rather than later.
Notably, the Rams and Stafford have navigated complex contract negotiations in each of the past two off-seasons to reach mutually acceptable terms. Furthermore, Stafford’s current age of 37 has seemingly led to an agreement on what appears to be a succession of essentially one-year contracts, underscoring the finite window of his remaining playing career. This reality naturally prompts the organization to contemplate the future of their quarterback position beyond Stafford’s tenure.
ESPN’s Ben Solak addressed this question in a recent article pairing 2025 NFL Draft Class quarterbacks with NFL teams. For the Rams, he waited until the 6th round, slotting in former Notre Dame signal caller Riley Leonard in with pick 190
Round 6, No. 190: Los Angeles Rams, Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
“Just three picks after his national championship opponent [Will Howard] leaves the board, here comes Leonard. Like Howard, Leonard is experienced with 37 starts over three years at Duke and one season with the Fighting Irish. Like Howard, Leonard has good mobility — in fact, he’s a better runner than Howard, and his best NFL usage would almost certainly involve some designed QB runs. Leonard also has good size, though he’s a bit gangly at 6-4 and would do well to add some bulk.”
“His biggest issue is shot selection. He’s solid before the snap and can open throwing lanes with his eyes, but he doesn’t like to hang in the pocket looking for downfield throws; he’d rather tuck and run. In a class with guys like Milroe and Ward, it’s actually Leonard’s 10.6% scramble rate that leads the pack. There’s nothing too bad about that — he’s great on the hoof — but he can rob his offense of deep shots in the process.
Only 11% of Leonard’s pass attempts this season went 20-plus air yards, which ranked 125th among 158 qualifying passers. When pressured, he’s quick to his checkdown, but not in a good way; he’s simply too cautious and unwilling to test downfield coverage unless the window is clearly open.”
Solak is convinced that a year in the Sean McVay ecosystem will whip Leonard into shape.
“With time in Los Angeles’ offense, Leonard could be coaxed into ripping more throws to the intermediate level of the field, where he has plenty of arm talent to reach. The Rams aren’t in need of a starter in 2025 after Matthew Stafford agreed to a restructured deal. But if the Rams continually update Stafford’s deal on a year-to-year basis, they must invest in a developmental quarterback behind Stafford and veteran backup Jimmy Garoppolo. Leonard represents a low-cost swing that does not preclude the Rams from investing more seriously in the position in the 2026 draft.”
He would also like the Rams to address this position earlier, but feels that the Rams hamstrung themselves last year by trading up for Braden Fiske
I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rams take an earlier swing on a passer than this. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the draft for developmental QBs, especially when your second-round pick belongs to the Panthers as a result of last year’s trade up for Braden Fiske.
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