Rams Could Target Position Other Than WR in Round 1 of NFL Draft

For weeks, the Los Angeles Rams have been linked to drafting a wide receiver in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.

More often than not, draft experts have mocked USC's Makai Lemon to the Rams with the 13th overall pick.

ESPN's Matt Miller also believes Lemon will be the pick, as he has the Biletnikoff award winner landing in Los Angeles to team up with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams in his final mock draft.

"The chatter around the Rams trading up in Round 1 to grab one of the top receivers has grown louder," Miller wrote. “If that isn’t possible, or if the board falls this way, I expect the Rams to stay local and pick Lemon. Could the Rams consider drafting quarterback Ty Simpson (Alabama) here or even after trading down? I was told Los Angeles sees this as a Super Bowl year and plans to use this draft accordingly. ‘They want impact guys, more like what they did in ’24,' a rival GM said."

But if the Rams want to throw a curveball, they could look at another position that is equally as important: edge-rusher.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that some think the Rams could go off script and look at one of the top edge-rushers at pick No. 13.

"Lemon going to the Rams has been a heavy link for a while," Fowler stated. "‘They love him,' a source said. But one GM believes the Rams will look at pass-rusher somewhere early in the draft because of rising contract costs for veteran rushers.

"(Byron Young is a 2027 free agent and Jared Verse enters his third season.) If Los Angeles selects a receiver outside of Day 1, Germie Bernard (Alabama) is a player it has spent time on."

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 3:33 PM.