The Los Angeles Rams’ path to finding their next great quarterback lacked any sense of clarity until they traded back with the Atlanta Falcons to the second round, landing a second 2026 first-round draft pick along the way. Getting two first-rounders enabled them to package those picks to make a trade for a disgruntled QB in the league, perhaps like Joe Burrow. Or they could use those picks and trade up to take one in the draft.
According to Matt Miller of ESPN, the Rams won’t take either option. Miller has the Rams waiting until the 27th pick in the draft to take Penn State’s Drew Allar.
“With Matthew Stafford entering his age-37 season, this would be a good spot for the Rams to pick his eventual successor. Allar is a big-armed quarterback with good mobility for his size (6-foot-5, 238 pounds), but he hasn’t quite put it all together. He has the arm to make any throw and can escape crowded pockets, but goes through cold stretches where his decision-making and accuracy drop off. His development in 2024, in which he increased his completion percentage from 59.9% to 66.5%, is encouraging and suggests that more improvement is on the way.”
Los Angeles Rams Wait To Take QB In New Mock Draft

Support Our Fight To End Fall Weddings
But how about that other first-rounder, the one acquired from the Falcons? In Miller’s opinion, the Rams should use it on an offensive lineman. In his hypothetical scenario, the Rams wind up with the ninth overall pick in the first round and take Alabama tackle, Kadyn Proctor
“With two first-rounders in the 2026 draft, the Rams have plenty of flexibility. Proctor would already be one of the NFL’s strongest players upon entering the league, as the 6-foot-7, 370-pounder plays with physicality and a mean streak that is impossible for defenders to handle when he’s locked in. But Proctor isn’t always on his A-game and can run hot and cold. The Rams are looking for an heir apparent to Rob Havenstein at right tackle, and Proctor has more potential than any lineman in this class … if he can improve his consistency.”
While it is true that the Rams will need a Rob Havenstein successor, the more pressing need is at quarterback. Not only does Stafford’s age come into question, but he is essentially playing on a one-year contract, as his current deal, signed this spring, has front-loaded guaranteed in 2025 and none in 2026.
When negotiating that contract, it seemed that they were content letting Stafford walk and slotting in future Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers, with a cheap one-year deal. Rodger’s was even offering LA a discounted price than what he settled for with the Steelers.
Between picks 9 and 27, two other quarterbacks came off the board: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU, to the Colts at 11, LaNorris Sellers to the Steelers at 16. Miller had only one QB selected before nine, with the Browns taking Cade Klubnik with the first pick in the draft.
Nailing the transition away from Stafford to the next quarterback is and should be the only priority considered when using this extra first-round pick that serendipitously landed in the Rams’ lap; any other plan would be a dereliction of all that is true in the football world.
Subscribe to LAFB Network’s Los Angeles Rams YouTube Channel