I understand the excitement surrounding the Los Angeles Rams having the 13th pick in this month’s NFL Draft. It’s LA’s highest selection since they took Jared Goff first overall in 2016. The team has been fortunate to win a lot of games in recent years and thanks to the Atlanta Falcons they have returned to the top half of the draft order.
But as positive as it is that the Rams are drafting early on Thursday night, we still aren’t talking enough about who the team should target in later rounds.
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Who makes the shortlist for LA in the second?
15 targets within the range of #61
NFL consensus boards are a recent invention and are imperative to predicting draft outcomes and measuring whether teams reach or find bargains. Let’s take 15 players around the Rams’ pick at 61st overall according to NFL Mock Draft Database and then further analyze the most intriguing options.
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51 – Chris Brazzell, WR, Tennessee
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52 – Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
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53 – Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
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54 – Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
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55 – D’angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
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56 – Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
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57 – AJ Haulcy, DB, LSU
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58 – Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan
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59 – Keionte Scott, CB, Miami
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60 – Keith Abney, CB, Arizona State
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61 – Keylan Rutledge, iOL, Georgia Tech
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62 – Josiah Trotter, MLB, Missouri
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63 – Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
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64 – Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa
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65 – Domonique Orange, DL, Iowa State
Wide receiver
The current NFL consensus tells us the Rams are intent on finding a pass catcher with their first round pick. The board may not necessarily fall that way if both of Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon are selected in the top 12. There also figures to be ample talent available in the second round. Are the Rams willing to be patient in order to find more of a bargain one round later?
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The talent pool at receiver is like picking your favorite flavor of ice cream. There’s something out there for everyone. In the names listed above, you have the option of the 6-51 198 lbs. Brazzell or Branch at 5-10, 177 lbs. Each obviously would bring a much different skillset to Los Angeles.
The name that shines the brightest to me is Chris Bell. Bell suffered an ACL injury in November and may not be available at the start of the 2026 season. He’s somewhat of a slant merchant. He’s most effective in the underneath passing game and then does his best work running after the catch. Bell is one of the most impressive players in the draft class in this regard and is built like a running back similar to Deebo Samuel. Can Bell develop into more of a vertical receiving threat?
EDGE
The Rams found a gem in Josaiah Stewart in the third round last year. Could they go back to the well a year later and select his Michigan teammate in Derrick Moore? LA will soon need to pay Byron Young or make a decision for him to possibly play elsewhere. You can never have too many EDGE rushers nor futureproof in excess.
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Gabe Jacas is a personal favorite of mine. I doubt he will make it to the Rams at #61 but we can dream. Would another power rusher overlap too much with Jared Verse?
Offensive line
Gennings Dunker has the best hair of the entire draft class. Los Angeles has one year left on RT Warren McClendon’s deal. Would they want to draft his replacement a year early instead of paying two tackles on long-term deals? We haven’t seen the Rams draft a tackle in the second round since Joe Noteboom.
Secondary
We know the Rams have rebuilt their cornerback room; however, there is simply more work to be done from a pure numbers perspective. The only current players on the roster at this position are Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Emmanuel Forbes, Cam Lampkin, Alex Johnson, and Josh Wallace. It’s a matter of when not if the Rams decide to draft a corner.
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