
The Los Angeles Rams opted not to use the NFL Draft for the 2026 season despite their all-in strategy, focusing instead on future planning. They made significant trades and signings to strengthen their roster without adding draft picks.
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Why Rams didn't use NFL Draft for 2026 season despite all-in plans originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Rams came into the 2026 NFL offseason with a very clear goal of going all-in for the 2026 NFL season.
As the offseason began, they traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and signed Jaylen Watson in free agency to complete their CB room. And later in the offseason, the 2026 NFL Draft could've been used to help their team go all-in.
But the Rams didn't use the draft for their 2026 plans, seemingly drafting with the future in mind instead. Why did the Rams pass on adding help for 2026? ESPN's Dan Graziano revealed the reason why, and it's a simple one from the Rams' perspective.
"Because they believed they didn't need to?" Graziano writes. "Seriously, the reasons the 2025 Rams fell short of the Super Bowl isn't that they had some devastating deficiency. It's that they lost two out of three to the ."
The Rams chose to prioritize future planning over immediate needs, opting not to add draft picks for the 2026 season.
The Rams traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and signed Jaylen Watson in free agency to enhance their cornerback position.
ESPN's Dan Graziano reported on the Rams' decision to forgo the NFL Draft in favor of a long-term strategy.


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While the Rams could've used the 2026 NFL Draft to help them in the short-term, the Rams believe that they were very close to a Super Bowl with the same roster last year.
They fell to the Seahawks in two out of three games, and if they won the game with the freak two-point play, or they won the NFC Championship, they might've been holding up the Lombardi at season's end.
And it's not like the Rams didn't address their top need, as the McDuffie trade and Watson signing resolved their biggest need at CB with two great additions.
They also didn't lose anyone too important over the offseason. So, with a fairly complete roster, the Rams drafted Ty Simpson to be a long-term Matthew Stafford replacement, and Max Klare as a depth tight end for now, but a starter as soon as 2027.
Last year, the Rams were potentially one unlucky bounce from winning the Super Bowl. The only big changes they needed to make were already addressed by the time of the NFL Draft.
Sure, they could've drafted someone like Ruben Bain Jr., Makai Lemon, or an offensive lineman at No. 13 overall. But the Rams feel confident in their roster, and instead used the draft to plan for the future.
They could've gotten more help for 2026. But the Rams elected to prepare for the future, believing their roster is good enough to win the Super Bowl. Which, to their credit, it is. But that doesn't mean fans won't feel frustrated and ask questions about this approach.