Todd McShay has Rams taking Makai Lemon in new mock draft

Analysts are putting out their final mock drafts of 2026 with each passing day as we lead up to the big event next Thursday, including The Ringer’s Todd McShay. He released the fourth version of his first-round mock draft Wednesday and once again, he has the Rams taking a wide receiver.

However, after projecting Jordyn Tyson to land with Los Angeles in his third mock, he pivoted to Makai Lemon this time around. That’s because in his latest mock draft, Lemon falls to the Rams, whereas he went 11th to the Dolphins in mock No. 3.

Here’s what McShay wrote about the selection of Lemon for the Rams at No. 13 overall, saying he fits the team’s all-in strategy.

All chips are in on the Rams’ 2027 season, and Lemon is the best available prospect to support that plan. He may not have elite size or top-end speed for the position, but he’s built “Ram tough,” he’s as reliable as it gets at the catch point, and he consistently generates yards after the catch with excellent contact balance and body control.

It’s hard to truly go “all-in” in the NFL draft unless you’re trading away future picks to move up for one coveted player. Drafting Lemon doesn’t feel like an all-in move for Los Angeles, even as impactful as he might be as a rookie.

He’s primarily a slot receiver but in Sean McVay’s offense, receivers are asked to move all around the formation. Everyone seems to think it’s a good fit, and maybe it would be, but someone like Tyson – a true X-receiver on the outside – might be a better option, so long as the Rams can look past his injury history.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2026 NFL mock draft: Todd McShay has Rams taking Makai Lemon