Uncertainty is the theme of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The only foregone conclusion is the Las Vegas Raiders taking quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick; everything after that is still up in the air — even just one day out — and the Los Angeles Rams are no exception.
The Rams were originally armed with two first-round picks for what would’ve been the first time since the team was in St. Louis. However, GM Les Snead opened free agency with a splash by trading No. 29 to Kansas City for top cornerback Trent McDuffie and promptly signing him to a four-year, $124 million contract extension.
There is no shortage of possibilities for what the Rams might do with the 13th pick. They could add depth to the wide receiver room and start planning for a post-Davante Adams future, or they could look to the offensive line in the wake of stalwart right tackle Rob Havenstein’s retirement. What LA will actually end up doing depends on how the board unfolds in front of them — and don’t rule out the possibility of a trade. Snead alluded to as much on Wednesday.
“I think you’re happy at 13, but those options are always on the table,” Snead said, via USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon. “Whether you move up, whether you move down because at the end of the day, you have to have 13 players that you’d take. Within those 13, there may be some that you appreciate more than the others. That’s when you have to make that decision to move up.
“Then if some of the ones you appreciate more go, that’s when you’d make the decision to trade back, collect more picks in the draft and then go from there. It’s hard to say right now. This is probably that time. These next few days when teams really start… Here’s what I can’t say, a lot of times if you’re trying to move up, a team may say, ‘Yes, we’re willing to move back, but we have to see who’s on the clock first.’ It’s usually case by case and happens on the clock based on what happens in front of you.”
On the eve of the NFL draft, here is what the experts think the Rams will do with the No. 13 overall pick:
2026 Rams mock draft roundup
No. 13 (from Atlanta)
USA TODAY Sports: WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
ESPN: WR Makai Lemon, USC
The Athletic: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State (Projected trade up to No. 6)
NFL.com: OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia
CBS Sports: WR Makai Lemon, USC
USA TODAY Sports: “(Cooper’s) the kind of win-now player – coming off the Hoosiers’ national championship run – the Rams seem likely to target in a clear win-now season that could be league MVP Matthew Stafford’s last. The shifty, sure-handed Cooper can do extensive damage from the slot, which would allow Puka Nacua and Davante Adams to do more of their damage outside.” — Nate Davis
ESPN: “Adams turns 34 late in the 2026 season and is in the last year of his deal, and the receiver depth falls off dramatically after those two standouts. Besides, the Rams are again in win-now mode with quarterback Matthew Stafford on a year-to-year status at this point.
“General manager Les Snead has never shied away from going for it, and adding a tough-as-nails competitor with sure hands out of the slot could put this offense over the top in the team’s quest for another Super Bowl.” — Mel Kiper Jr.
NFL.com: “We’ve all been mocking receivers here throughout the pre-draft process, but the reality is that Les Snead and Sean McVay typically find wideouts later in the draft. It’s much tougher to obtain a starting-caliber tackle beyond Round 1, and longtime RT Rob Havenstein retired in February.” — Lance Zierlein
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rams mock draft picks for first round ahead of 2026 NFL Draft