- Myles Garrett transforms the defense: The Rams added the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year to an already talented defensive front.
- Win-now roster with future planning: Los Angeles paired blockbuster veteran acquisitions with first-round quarterback Ty Simpson.
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Quarterback Matthew Stafford took home NFL MVP honors in 2025, but the Los Angeles Rams fell one win short of the Super Bowl with a road loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. They responded by making multiple blockbuster trades this offseason, giving themselves arguably the most talented roster in the NFL heading into 2026.
Here is our 2026 preview of the Los Angeles Rams.
Key Free Agency/Trade Additions
| Position | Player | 2025 PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|
| EDGE | Myles Garrett | 92.7 |
| LB | Grant Stuard | N/A |
| CB | Jaylen Watson | 74.1 |
| CB | Trent McDuffie | 75.6 |
The addition of Myles Garrett in a trade with the Cleveland Browns sent shockwaves through the NFL. By acquiring the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and the league's single-season sack record holder, the Rams landed their best pass-rusher since Aaron Donald. Garrett has earned a PFF pass-rush grade above 90.0 in seven consecutive seasons and now joins a team that should consistently put him in advantageous pass-rushing situations while protecting late leads.
That was the second major trade the Rams made on defense this offseason, following their acquisition of cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs. McDuffie has earned a PFF coverage grade of at least 74.0 in each of his first four NFL seasons. He can play both outside and in the slot, and he has missed just nine tackles over the past two seasons.
2026 NFL Draft Class
| Position | Player | 2025 PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Ty Simpson | 83.1 |
| TE | Max Klare | 69.3 |
| OT | Keagen Trost | 92.0 |
| WR | CJ Daniels | 73.3 |
| DI | Tim Keenan III | 71.5 |
With the rest of the Rams' offseason focused on winning now, using the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on quarterback Ty Simpson was a move toward the future. In his lone season as Alabama's starter, Simpson earned an 83.1 PFF grade and posted a 6.0% big-time throw rate. Now, he gets the chance to develop behind the reigning NFL MVP before taking over as the Rams' starter.
Offensive tackle Keagen Trost is another intriguing developmental prospect. Trost led all FBS tackles in PFF grade last season at 92.0. He allowed just seven pressures on 432 pass-blocking snaps and also led all FBS tackles with a 91.4 PFF run-blocking grade.
Reasons for optimism
This is an absolutely loaded roster. At quarterback, the Rams have Matthew Stafford, who led the NFL with a 93.7 PFF passing grade last season. At wide receiver, they have Puka Nacua, who led the league with 3.57 yards per route run across the regular season and playoffs in 2025.
The talent extends to the defensive side of the ball. The Rams return seven of the eight defenders who earned PFF grades above 70.0 while playing at least 450 snaps last season, then added Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett to that group. While they traded away Jared Verse, Byron Young more than proved he can carry the load off the edge, earning an 81.2 PFF pass-rush grade and generating 74 pressures. On the interior, Kobie Turner added an 83.9 PFF pass-rush grade and 69 pressures of his own.
Reason for pessimism
Starting left tackle Alaric Jackson could face a suspension for violating the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy. If that suspension is significant, David Quessenberry is currently in line to replace him. Quessenberry enjoyed a strong season with the Tennessee Titans in 2021, earning a 79.2 PFF grade, but he hasn't earned a grade above 65.0 since. He also hasn't played more than 400 snaps in a season since then. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the prospect of losing its starting left tackle for an extended stretch is a significant concern.
Breakout Candidate
Kobie Turner is set to hit free agency after the season, and if the first three years of his career are any indication, he's about to earn a massive payday. He has earned PFF pass-rush grades above 80.0 in two of his first three seasons while generating 181 pressures, including 50 sacks and quarterback hits, on 1,654 pass-rushing snaps. With opposing offenses now likely to devote extra attention to Myles Garrett off the edge, Turner could see even more favorable one-on-one opportunities as a pass-rusher.
Key roster battles
We know Puka Nacua is one of the best wide receivers in football, and pairing him with a veteran like Davante Adams gives the Rams one of the league's top receiving duos. Last season, they were the only wide receivers on the roster to see more than 30 targets, finishing with 200 and 135, respectively.
Colby Parkinson is likely to remain the team's top receiving tight end, but the depth chart behind him is less settled. Tyler Higbee filled that role last season, drawing 40 targets, but rookie Terrance Ferguson finished just nine behind him. Training camp will give Ferguson the chance to overtake Higbee and claim the No. 2 job.
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