1 week Ago By Rams Wire
The Los Angeles Rams’ No. 26 pick can go a few different ways. The Rams could target a position of need, like cornerback or inside linebacker, independent of how the board looks, or L.
A. could take the best player available, independent of their needs.The other options are, of course, trading up or down the draft to either pinpoint their preferred prospect or accrue more capital for later in the draft.
NFL.com’s Rhett Lewis believes that the Rams will inevitably take the best player available at the No. 26 spot regardless of their actual need.
That’s why he selected Georgia safety Malaki Starks with the pick.“Starks did not impress with his testing numbers at the combine, but everything else in his draft profile screams future Pro Bowler,” Lewis wrote. “Safety doesn't feel like a screaming need for the Rams, but we're at the point where Starks' value is too good to pass up.
”Starks had an impressive career despite an unideal combine. The 6-foot-1, 197-pounder finished with 197 combined tackles, six interceptions and 17 defended passes in 43 games for the Bulldogs. His experience is helpful, insofar as it will help his early development.
The Rams wouldn’t need him to start right away with Kam Curl and Kamren Kinchens in line to start again, but Curl is on the final year of his contract and may not return to L.A. in 2026.
Starks is both a long-term and short-term play, and could be a coup for the Rams if he falls this far in the draft. However, L.A.
has other major concerns they may need to address with the No. 26 pick, especially if offensive linemen, linebackers or cornerbacks are still on the board.This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: New Rams mock draft predicts L.
A. takes a safety in Round 1.
