Rams 7-Round NFL Mock Draft: How the Trent McDuffie trade shakes things up for Los Angeles

The Trent McDuffie trade opens up the board for the Rams to attack the 2026 NFL Draft in multiple ways.

AJ Schulte — College Football Trending News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) looks on before the game against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium.
Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

What the Los Angeles Rams will do in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft is anyone’s guess. To general manager Les Snead’s credit, the Rams are remarkable at running a tight ship with very little leaks, and their philosophy changes every offseason, making it impossible to be really confident in just what they will do.

However, with the Trent McDuffie trade, the board for the Rams becomes wide open. The Rams will officially have just six draft picks, but they are projected to have two seventh-round compensatory selections, giving them eight total picks if those projections hold once comp picks are announced.

Los Angeles Rams Post-Combine 7-round mock draft

Round 1, Pick 13: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

With the McDuffie trade, I fully expect the Rams’ approach at 13 will be a best player available approach. While I am confident they will make a trade at some point during the first three rounds, Sadiq might be too valuable to pass up here, especially with TE-needy teams like the Baltimore Ravens or Tampa Bay Buccaneers picking right after them.

Deploying Sadiq and Terrance Ferguson alongside Davante Adams and Puka Nacua to simulate 11 personnel with 12/13 personnel players would be a mismatch nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators and would breathe new life into the Rams’ offense. Sign me all the way up.

Round 2, Pick 61: Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State

The options for the Rams here could be endless, but while we’re retooling the offense, let’s get someone in to eventually step in to replace Davante Adams on the outside. Both Adams and Nacua missed time in 2025, and the Rams missed their size on the outside, particularly Adams’ presence in the red zone.

Hurst is a big-bodied natural X receiver with intriguing athleticism and surprising refinement as a small-school wide receiver. He has the natural tools to carve out a George Pickens-like career, and playing under Davante Adams alongside Puka Nacua would be a fantastic step for his development. The Rams could use his size and vertical ability on the offense.

Round 3, Pick 93: Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State

If the Rams haven’t traded back for additional picks by this point, I would expect them to try and do so here. However, since I’m not doing trades in this mock, we’ll just roll with it. I was tempted to slot the Rams a linebacker here, but they’ve not made the position a priority at all recently, so I’m opting to double-dip at cornerback.

Igbinosun is a tall, traitsy cornerback who has been battle-tested and experienced across his four seasons as a consistent player. The Rams could desperately use his size and athleticism to boost their secondary on the perimeter after fielding a unit that was both too small and too slow throughout their last two seasons.

Round 6, Pick 210: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU

If the Rams do select a linebacker, call me intrigued by Elarms-Orr. He isn’t a particularly large linebacker at just 6’1, 233 pounds, but he is a terrific coverage ‘backer and has the speed to roam sideline-to-sideline. The Rams desperately need to boost their team speed at the second level, and I’m tired of watching their linebackers get picked on in coverage.

Round 7, Pick 231: Quintayvious Hutchins, EDGE, Boston College

The Rams have three established contributors at EDGE in Jared Verse, Byron Young, and Josaiah Stewart but the depth behind those three might be wiped out this offseason with Nick Hampton and Keir Thomas being RFAs.

Hutchins is an undersized rusher who plays bigger than his size and wins with his quickness and bend. He should be a solid role player and special team contributor for the team.

Round 7, Pick 250: Skyler Thomas, S, Oregon State

Kamren Curl is likely departing in free agency, leaving just two safeties on the roster (and really only one true safety in Kam Kinchens). They have to fill out the depth of the room to replenish Curl’s departure. Thomas is a big-bodied safety with great length and flashed at the Senior Bowl with some intriguing coverage chops and has the size to handle man coverage duties on tight ends.

Related Articles