Rams' young core ranked top-5 heading into 2026

It's hard to categorize the Los Angeles Rams as a "young" team when the face of their franchise is 38-year-old Matthew Stafford and the roster is one of the oldest in the NFL. But behind the veteran leaders, the Rams quietly have one of the best young cores of players in the league.

At least, that's what Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox thinks. He ranked all 32 teams by their roster's "age, upside, and production of key players, the positional value of young stars, roster construction, results, and franchise trajectory." The Rams came in at No. 5, led by Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Jared Verse and Trent McDuffie.

Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead deserves a ton of credit for turning an older 2021 championship roster into a revitalized unit littered with youthful stars in only a few years.

The Rams employ one of the league's older quarterbacks in reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. However, they also feature young centerpieces at almost every other position group. That's because Los Angeles has managed to hit on both high draft picks like Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, and late-round gems like Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams.

This offseason, L.A. added another young staple by trading for cornerback Trent McDuffie.

The Rams might have the NFL's most complete roster with Stafford behind center, but they're unlikely to completely fall off if this proves to be the 38-year-old's final season. If rookie first-round pick Ty Simpson proves to be a suitable heir to Stafford, L.A. has the supporting talent to just keep on contending.

The combination of veteran experience and youthful exuberance is the hallmark of a great team. And it helps, too, that the young players got a lot of experience quickly in their careers — both in the regular season and the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' young core ranked top-5 heading into 2026