The NFL Draft is arguably more about drafting for the future that it is about the now. Of course, it’s nice to draft players that can contribute immediately. However, if the Los Angeles Rams and other teams are looking to fill immediate needs in the draft, that says a lot about current roster construction. Those should mostly be filled by experienced players in free agency and players that the team has developed.

Over the past few years, general manager Les Snead has taken the approach of drafting needs for the next season. While there are some immediate needs on the roster, Snead may look to draft from a wide lens as well and look to fill needs for next year. Below is a general look at the Rams depth chart and when contracts expire to give us a look and where those needs might be on the roster.

Quarterback

• Matthew Stafford – Signed Through 2026
• Jimmy Garoppolo – Signed Through 2024
• Stetson Bennett – Signed Through 2026

The quarterback position really comes down to what the Rams think about Stetson Bennett. It’s true that he played well in his preseason debut last year. At the same time, it wasn’t very pretty after that and he was away from the team his entire rookie season. Garoppolo is signed for just one year.

While it might not make sense to draft a quarterback early, taking one late on day two or more likely on day three is an option. The Rams could bring in a fourth quarterback and have them compete with Bennett as the third quarterback on the roster. That player could then learn behind Garoppolo who understands the system as the team’s future backup quarterback.

Running Back

• Kyren Williams – Signed Through 2025
• Ronnie Rivers – RFA After 2024
• Zach Evans – Signed Through 2026

With Kyren Williams signed through the next two seasons, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to draft a running back on day two this year to become the potential starter. The Rams also have Rivers and Evans who they drafted last year. That’s not terrible depth.

Still, adding one more body to the rotation on day three wouldn’t be a bad idea. If Williams goes down with an injury, this is a position the Rams are thin at behind him. Rivers is a restricted free agent after this season, meaning he is likely back again in 2025. Still, adding one more player behind him could be in the cards.

Wide Receiver

• Cooper Kupp – Signed Through 2026
• Puka Nacua – Signed Through 2026
• Demarcus Robinson – Signed Through 2024
• TuTu Atwell – Signed Through 2024
• Ben Skowronek – Signed Through 2024

This is something that I’ve brought up a few times, but after this year, the Rams are really thin at the wide receiver position. If Kupp doesn’t have a healthy season, it’s in the realm of possibility that Nacua is the only wide receiver contractually on the roster.

Due to the lack of future depth at the wide receiver position, the Rams could draft a wide receiver early as well as add another player later on in the draft. This would give them a player that could compete with Robinsion as the third wide receiver in the rotation as well as a depth player later in the draft. Wide receiver is very much a need on this roster and much of that has to do with how the contracts are set up. They need a future at the position and the best way to do that is through the draft.

Tight End

• Tyler Higbee – Signed Through 2025
• Colby Parkinson – Signed Through 2026
• Davis Allen – Signed Through 2026
• Hunter Long – Signed Through 2024

It doesn’t seem likely that the Rams would add a fifth tight end to this group unless they don’t foresee Long sticking on the roster. It would make sense to add a player next year with Higbee on the final year of his deal. However, this will be the anticipated four tight ends on the roster this season.

Offensive Line

• LT Alaric Jackson – Signed Through 2024
• LG Jonah Jackson – Signed Through 2026
• C Steve Avila – Signed Through 2026
• RG Kevin Dotson – Signed Through 2026
• RT – Rob Havenstein – Signed Through 2025
• OL Joe Noteboom – Signed Through 2024
• OL Warren McClendon – Signed Through 2026
• OL AJ Arcuri – Signed Through 2025

For the most part, the Rams seems set on the offensive line. Many of their players are signed through 2025 or 2026. However, there is an obvious hole at left tackle. There are a few ways that the team can approach that spot. They can draft a starting caliber player and then use Jackson as depth this year or they can give Jackson his one-year prove it deal and draft a mid-round developmental piece to potentially take over next year instead. Given that the Rams have a short-term window with Stafford, taking an elite level left tackle could be the way to go here.

When it comes to other spots on the offensive line, the Rams are in good shape. They could use some interior depth, especially at center behind Avila. Right now, Avila is the only capable center on the roster. Noteboom provides some guard depth along with McClendon. This is also where moving Jackson to a swing tackle spot makes sense as well. At right tackle, Rob Havenstein is getting older but the Rams shouldn’t need to look for his potential replacement until next year.

Defensive Line

• Kobie Turner – Signed Through 2026
• Bobby Brown – Signed Through 2024
• Desjuan Johnson – Signed Through 2026
• Larrell Murchison – Signed Through 2024

The defensive line is night and day from the offensive side of the ball. Following Aaron Donald’s retirement, this is a position that looks bleak. Brown and Murchison are signed only through this year. Turner is the only player with some production while Desjuan Johnson was one of the team’s final pick in the draft last year.

This is a position where it makes a lot of sense to take a Byron Murphy if he’s there at 19. The Rams will also likely double dip at the position whether that’s at 19 and then again on day two or once on day two and then again on day three. The Rams need a pass rusher next to Turner to complement him and then a player that specializes against the run would be helpful as well.

EDGE

• Byron Young – Signed Through 2026
• Nick Hampton – Signed Through 2026
• Ochaun Mathis – Signed Through 2026
• Michael Hoecht – Signed Through 2024

After drafting three edge rushers last season, it makes some sense that the Rams would let those players continue to develop. It’s a reason they likely won’t double dip at the position and may only address the top of the depth chart at this spot. There’s also a scenario where the Rams roll with Hoecht and Young again and have Hampton and Mathis rotate more than they did last year.

With that said, the Rams will probably still draft an edge player. At the very least, they’ll need a player to replace Hoecht when his contract expires next year. It really comes down to whether or not the Rams want that player to be elite caliber or if they trust a player in the second or third round to develop.

Linebacker

• Ernest Jones – Signed Through 2024
• Jake Hummel – RFA After 2024
• Christian Rozeboom – Signed Through 2024

The Rams currently have exactly zero linebackers on the roster following this season. In the case that Jones has a good year, they could bring him back on an extension, but linebacker isn’t a position that the Rams typically invest in from a cap standpoint. Bobby Wagner was the exception.

At this position, it makes a lot of sense to draft a player on day three and then it the team will also bring in several undrafted free agents for the summer to see what they can bring to the table. That would give the Rams some depth for this season and then a potential starter, depending on how a draft pick at that spot develops. Again, the Rams haven’t necessarily invested at linebacker in the past. Adding a linebacker towards the end of the first round or even in the second round is probably off the table, especially in a weak class.

Cornerback

• Darious Williams – Signed Through 2026
• Tre White – Signed Through 2024
• Cobie Durant – Signed Through 2025
• Derion Kendrick – Signed Through 2025
• Tre Tomlinson – Signed Through 2026

With the signings of Darious Williams and Tre White, it puts a band-aid on the Rams cornerback problem. They have two starters that they can trust to play right away and aren’t forced into drafting a cornerback or two within the first three rounds. With that said, the Rams will very likely still be drafting a cornerback.

White only signed a one-year contract and both Kendrick and Durant will expire after next season. The way that the cornerback depth chart currently shakes out, the Rams may not draft a cornerback at 19, but taking a player they can onboard this year in rounds two or three as well as a player on day three as depth is a logical solution. Again, the need here isn’t imminent, but there is a need at this spot. Adding a player here in the second or third round could happen.

Safety

• Quentin Lake – Signed Through 2025
• Russ Yeast – Signed Through 2025
• Jason Taylor II – Signed Through 2026
• Kam Curl – Signed Through 2025

The Rams don’t have an imminent need at safety. They three players with starting experience and a fourth that they just drafted last year. It may not be a bad idea to draft a safety in the later stages of the draft. With that said, three players are on expiring contracts next year. Adding a player or two at that point may be the better move.