Making the Case: Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson has been linked heavily to the Los Angeles Rams, and for good reason
The Los Angeles Rams have been connected to Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Does he make sense for the Rams?
The Los Angeles Rams haven’t hidden their interest in a wide receiver in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Given their interest in other wide receivers throughout the draft and free agency, their pick at No. 13 has been linked to numerous wide receivers.
Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson has been one of the most popular mock draft links ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Does that pairing make a lot of sense? Should the Rams draft Jordyn Tyson in the first round?
I’m kickstarting a series of “Making the Case” articles for all of the top prospects connected to the Rams. I will link each article to each other as this series develops.
The case for Jordyn Tyson with the Los Angeles Rams
If the Rams are going to take a wide receiver in the first round, that player should be the long-term Davante Adams replacement, in my opinion. Role-wise, that’s a primarily on-ball X receiver. For the Rams, that player is a vertical threat they can trust to win against man coverage. Adams saw press coverage on over 50% of his snaps on-ball last season.
Jordyn Tyson is a superb route runner. In my opinion, I think he has the ability to be the best route runner in this wide receiver class. He’s snappy through his routes, he has top-notch awareness against zone coverage, and when he was healthy, simply created easy separation no matter who he squared off against. Tyson can do damage after the catch in the open field. Truly, he’s one of the only receivers in this class I think could “house” a slant route on any given play.
He has the profile to be an effective on-ball X receiver at the NFL level. All of his traits tell me he can get to that point in his career, albeit with further seasoning to work on his releases against press coverage.
The case against Jordyn Tyson with the Los Angeles Rams
Much of the concerns for Tyson with the Rams have nothing to do with the player. However, it is worth noting that several teams are evidently concerned by a lack of toughness with Tyson. While we don’t know what that entails necessarily, it’s worth bringing up, as that’s not really a culture fit with the Rams if true. Additionally, I do worry about his maxed-out frame handling physical press coverage at the NFL level.
The biggest concern by far with Tyson is the lack of durability. Tyson has missed multiple games in each of his four college seasons. A hamstring has nagged him all of this year, including during the draft process. He hurt his ankle in the spring of 2025 right after breaking his collarbone at the end of 2024. Additionally, he tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL in his left knee in 2022.
There’s essentially no guarantee he will ever manage a full season with the Rams. Puka Nacua had multiple injuries in college as well, and he’s managed to stay healthy for a full season just once in his career. That’s a major risk for the Rams to consider here.
Verdict
I go back and forth on this one for the Rams. From a purely on-field perspective, Tyson is a no-brainer. He can rotate in with Adams in 12 and 13-personnel at X, and when the Rams go to 11, he can play all across the formation and allow Sean McVay to get creative with him, Nacua, and Adams. Early on, he can learn from one of the best receivers and route runners in the game in Adams.
However, if he is the long-term plan opposite of Nacua, the injuries would worry me. That’s a major risk of both of your starting receivers potentially missing time every season. Is that type of injury history worth gambling on with the 13th overall pick? I don’t think I’d be comfortable with that if I was in the GM chair here.
I’d be able to stomach it better if they traded back from No. 13 and still decided to take the gamble. At 13, I think it’s too much of a gamble for a pick they have to get right.
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