Draft grades are all the rage each year. Everyone wants to know how each team did in the draft, whether it's in terms of the overall class or with a specific pick.
In actuality, grades don't mean much immediately after the draft, but it's still fun to evaluate and score picks made by the Los Angeles Rams.
This year was a somewhat bizarre draft for the Rams, being that it was so small (five players) and so offense-heavy (four of the five). For a team in win-now mode, using its top two picks on players who are more likely to contribute in the future is puzzling. But the Rams like the five guys they got, and they hope each one can eventually have an impact on the team.
Below are our individual pick grades for each of the Rams' five selections this week.
The biggest surprise of the first round was, without a doubt, this pick. The Rams shocked everyone by taking Simpson at No. 13, passing on players such as Makai Lemon, Rueben Bain Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq at that spot.
Ignoring the player and only looking at the position, it’s easy to see why the Rams did what they did. Matthew Stafford is 38, taking it year by year and could retire after the 2026 season. Jimmy Garoppolo is weighing retirement right now and so the Rams had no succession plan. Take a QB before you need one.
However, Simpson is undersized, only played one season as a starter in college and was consistently good for only half the year. That’s where the concerns about this pick come into play. But Simpson couldn’t have landed in a better situation with Sean McVay and Stafford.
The Rams were linked to Kenyon Sadiq before the draft so it’s not surprising that they added another tight end. However, it’s still an already-deep position on the roster and it’s hard to see how Klare will help the Rams in 2026.
Like Simpson, this pick was about the future instead of the present. Klare has a lot of potential, especially as a pass-catching tight end, but he’s going to be buried on the depth chart initially, playing behind Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson and David Allen.
That being said, Parkinson and Allen are in the final year of their contracts, and Higbee is year to year with retirement.
The Rams love versatility on the offensive line and Trost brings plenty of that. He played tackle and guard in college, and Sean McVay says he thinks the Missouri standout could play all five positions up front if needed.
The third round might've been a little bit early for Trost, but it was at the end of the round and the Rams needed someone who could fill potential voids at either guard or tackle in the event that Steve Avila, Kevin Dotson or Warren McClendon Jr. aren't re-signed before their contracts expire.
Trost was an All-American right tackle last season and allowed just one sack. His arms aren't as long as many of the top tackles but he plays hard and brings physicality to any position he lines up at.
The Rams waited until Day 3 to address what was arguably their biggest need, selecting Daniels after trading up 10 spots to get him. Daniels is a perfect type of receiver for the Rams, bringing a physicality and toughness to the position despite being an average athlete.
He's strong at the catch point and is excellent when in contested situations, often coming down with the ball despite being in heavy traffic with defenders all over him. He'll push Konata Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington for snaps right away, potentially getting a chance to even be the Rams' No. 3 receiver behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
It was smart of Los Angeles to be aggressive in trading up for a receiver, even at the cost of two seventh-round picks. Daniels has a good chance to earn a roster spot as a rookie in L.A.
With their last pick of the draft, the Rams added to the defense, which was viewed as the weak link of the team last year. Keenan is a huge prospect at 327 pounds, looking like your typical run-stuffing 1-technique at nose tackle.
The Rams lack size outside of Poona Ford, so Keenan brings plenty of that to the defensive line. He's a quality backup to have in the middle of the line, particularly on early downs when teams are more likely to be running it.
He'll have to earn his spot on the team initially, especially if the Rams plan to go light on the D-line, but he has some upside as a seventh-round pick. It wasn't a pressing need by any means, but it was good to see the Rams add competition to a spot that was lacking it last year.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams draft grades: Grading every pick by LA in 2026 draft