The Los Angeles Rams went into the 2025 NFL Draft in a good place, needing to address just a few areas of need to address. A tight end succession plan. Check. An explosive running back to pair with Kyren Williams. Check. A linebacker to repair the hole left by Ernest Jones. Check.
But they left, perhaps, their biggest needs unchecked. The Rams did not add an offensive lineman or a cornerback in this draft.
While both are patched for this year, these two position groups need attention for the near future.
Los Angeles Rams Post-NFL Draft Roster Needs
Offensive Line
Concerning the offensive line, they will eventually need to find a replacement for Rob Havenstein. But there is a more pressing need for a versatile backup who can fill in if/when a piece of this line goes down with an injury. The majority of the offensive line missed time due to injury last season, especially in the early weeks of the season, and the team suffered as a result.
Matthew Stafford was among the Top 10 quarterbacks under the most pressure last season and was the third-most-hit quarterback in the league, according to Pro Football Reference. The result was a rib injury that obviously affected his touch on passes, especially deep balls, and further limited his mobility.
If the Rams expect to go on a deep playoff run, protecting Stafford is of paramount importance. Not only that, but getting the run blocking back to 2023 levels will ensure the offense is able to function. In 2023, Kyren Williams was provided 3.1 yards before contact on average. That was the second most behind only Christian McCaffrey. Last season, that was down to just 2.2 yards, or 20th among running backs.
Cornerback
The other position is the cornerback. The Rams didn’t invest one draft pick at the position.
The team opted to trade back to the second round, then with that pick went for a tight end in the second round. By the second round, the top-rated corners had come off the board. The Rams went for the best player available, an edge rusher — hardly a position of need. This means they have drafted just one cornerback over the last three drafts — Tre Tomlinson was selected in 2023 and is now a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
The Rams now have a precarious proposition heading into the 2025 season. They have two aging outside corners, the 32-year-old Darious Williams and the quickly aging Ahkello Witherspoon, on a one-year contract. At nickel corner, they have converted safety Quentin Lake. Lake, Cobie Durant, and Derion Kendrick are all in their final year of their rookie contract.
The position group is patched together for 2024, but faces an uncertain future without young, viable options on rookie contracts — a staple the Rams have relied on since moving on from Jalen Ramsey.
Beyond that, the Rams’ secondary struggled in coverage last year. They allowed the 6th most net yards per attempt, the second most yards after the catch, and the league’s worst Pro Football Focus coverage grade.
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