The Los Angeles Rams pre-draft meetings could be a sign of defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s next defensive evolution
The Los Angeles Rams are evidently in search of unlocking their secondary next season through the 2026 NFL Draft.
Yesterday, news broke about several pre-draft meetings the Los Angeles Rams had held ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Rams had met with several of the top defensive back prospects, helping paint a picture of their future draft plans.
There’s a trend beginning to emerge of their pre-draft meetings at defensive back: All of them have positional versatility. San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson has inside/outside cornerback ability. Meanwhile, Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes and Miami’s Keionte Scott have nickel/safety versatility.
This is an intriguing trend to note. The Rams already have their nickel in Quentin Lake. What could it mean? To me, it seems like Chris Shula could be taking the next step in the Rams’ defensive evolution.
How the Los Angeles Rams can evolve their defense in the 2026 NFL Draft
When the Rams added Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, I wrote about how those moves (and their coaching switches) pointed to a shift towards more press coverage in the future. On top of that, the Rams are evidently exploring getting even more creative on their defense.
The Rams’ targeting of that versatility tells me they want to get more interchangeable next season.
Take, for example, Stukes and Scott. Both of those players can play nickel, dime, or safety. That kind of positional versatility would allow the Rams to move Lake and Kam Curl around the formation. Imagine if Kam Curl could move into the box more often and replace a linebacker on passing downs.
In the playoffs, the Rams utilized Curl as a moveable weapon to great success. However, they didn’t have the personnel to continue doing so without compromising some part of their defense. Now, however, the Rams can solve their biggest woes defensively simply by getting faster at the second level.
After all, it’s not the first time the Rams have targeted players in these molds. Lamarcus Joyner, Mark Barron, Cory Littleton, and Taylor Rapp have been key parts of the Rams’ defenses over the years as versatile players.
If it were just one player, we could probably dismiss this as little more than a muse. With multiple visits (alongside LB/S Kyle Louis), this feels like too much of a trend to ignore.
The Rams were serious about fixing their defense in the offseason. With all of these changes, it’s safe to say they aren’t messing around. Now, they have to see their vision fulfilled, no matter what it takes.
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