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The Rams had a limited draft class on Day 3, making strategic trades to select a wide receiver. They used three of their four picks to move up, raising questions about the risk involved in their selections.
Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Jamari Sharpe (22) tackles Miami Hurricanes wide receiver CJ Daniels (7) in the third quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.ââThe Rams entered Day 3 of the draft with a meager class and no capital in the fourth or fifth rounds.
Los Angeles held four total picks on Saturday, three of them in the seventh, and used three of those selections to trade up for a wide receiver who carries a surprising amount of risk. When a team already thin on draft ammo chooses to consolidate it into two prospects, the logic behind the fits has to be airtight. In examining the two, only one appears to have a path towards landing on the roster based on scheme fit.
Round 6, Pick 197: CJ Daniels, WR, Miami
Trading three picks to move up ten spots in the late sixth round is a steep price for any prospect, let alone a 24-year-old receiver who doesnât address clear roster priorities.
The Rams selected CJ Daniels, a wide receiver from Miami, with their sixth-round pick.
The Rams traded up to consolidate their limited draft capital and select a wide receiver despite the associated risks.
The Rams entered Day 3 with no fourth or fifth-round picks and a small draft class, limiting their options.
CJ Daniels' fit on the Rams' roster is uncertain, as only one of their two drafted prospects appears to align well with the team's scheme.
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Miami wideout CJ Daniels (WO18) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Miami wideout CJ Daniels (WO18) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Rams already have Puka Nacua as the top target, and Davante Adams is signed through 2025, with another year of control beyond that. Behind them, the room gets thin quicklyâTutu Atwell departed in free agency, and Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith and Tru Edwards have yet to carve out reliable roles.
There is room on the roster for a physical, possession-style receiver who can win in the red zone, and thatâs the one genuine area where Danielsâ scouting report and tape align with a need.
Daniels is a nuanced route runner with a feel for late separation and a track record of winning contested catches.
At LSU and Miami, he consistently used his body to shield defenders, showed crafty tempo changes, and displayed reliable hands in traffic. That skill set could theoretically give Matthew Stafford a big slot or a boundary target on money downs, especially inside the twenty. The problem is everything else. Daniels struggles badly against press coverage, lacks the burst to separate vertically, and offers nothing after the catch. He wonât run away from anyone. Heâs also missed time with injuries in three separate college seasons and has never produced a 100-yard receiving game, even after stepping up from Liberty to Power-5 competition.
What makes the fit shaky isnât just the trade cost; itâs the lack of special-teams value. The Rams have consistently asked their depth receivers to contribute on coverage units, and Daniels has no background there. When youâre a late-round wideout with athletic limitations and no fourth-down role, making the roster becomes an uphill fight. Heâll be competing with younger, faster players who can run down kicks. Unless he dominates in red-zone drills this summer, he profiles as a practice squad candidate rather than a lock to stick on a team that already has defined top-two targets and a head coach who values versatility.
Round 7, Pick 232: Tim Keenan III, DT, Alabama
This pick makes far more sense within the framework of what the Rams want to be defensively. Los Angeles needed to add girth, heft and reliability to a run defense that has been inconsistent inside. Last year's free-agent signing of Poona Ford provided Los Angeles with a short, powerful nose tackle who plays with leverage and anchors against double-teams.
Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Tim Keenan III (96) celebrates after blocking a punt during a first-round College Football Playoff game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family â Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. Alabama won 34-24.
© BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Tim Keenan III (96) celebrates after blocking a punt during a first-round College Football Playoff game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family â Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. Alabama won 34-24.
Keenan is essentially a developmental understudy cut from the same cloth. Heâs built like a fire hydrant, carries natural play strength, and understands how to reset the line of scrimmage by beating centers to the punch with quick hands.
His 2024 tape at Alabama showed a player who could hold the point, work laterally in short areas, and stay square while absorbing combo blocks. Those are traits that fit the Ramsâ 3-4 base front, where a zero-technique or shaded nose has to keep linebackers clean, and force runs to bounce.
Keenan wonât be a pass-rush threatâhis arm length is below average, he struggles to shed in time, and he lacks the burst to collapse the pocketâbut thatâs not why he was drafted. Behind Ford, Kobie Turner, and Braden Fiske, the depth chart needed a true early-down run plugger who can chew up snaps without being a liability. The captaincy at Alabama also points to the kind of mature, low-maintenance personality the Rams typically value in later rounds.
The main concerns here are weight management and his production dipping in 2025. If he reports to camp heavy or out of shape, his already limited range will suffer even more. But as a seventh-round flyer, the bet is easy to understand. He has a defined role in the scheme, the Rams have a clear need for that role as a rotational piece, and he wonât be asked to do things he canât do.
The Bottom Line
Two picks is a tiny draft cohort to evaluate, and the aggressive trade for Daniels risks wasting three darts for a player who doesnât fix a weak spot or add special teams value. Keenan is a cleaner fit who fills a vacancy behind Ford and gives the defensive line coach a true nose to develop. The Rams came into the weekend needing to hit on niche contributors with limited ammo. One pick feels like a direct scheme match with clear roster logic. The other is a curious reach that could look like a miss before the preseason ends.