The Los Angeles Rams have the 26th overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, and with it, a lot of different possibilities they could go with. They don't have a ton of team needs after free agency, but it's never a bad thing to load up on talent whenever they can.
They drafted in the first round for the first time in seven years last year, and it resulted in Jared Verse bringing the DROY award back to Los Angeles, something that hadn't been done since Aaron Donald. They're looking to not trade their pick away and instead establish a streak of impactful rookies being added to the team.
It's a possibility they may trade out of the first round entirely for more draft capital later down the line, but Tom Fornelli doesn't think so. Fornelli is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he published a mock draft that predicts that the Rams will select Colston Loveland.
"Colston Loveland isn't a Cooper Kupp replacement, but he is a tight end who could do some of the things Kupp used to do for the Rams offense", said Fornelli.
Loveland is entering the NFL draft from the University of Michigan and is coming off another successful year with the Michigan Wolverines. In 2024, he had 56 receptions for 582 yards and five touchdowns.
He was on the team with current Ram Blake Corum when they won the national championship; it'd be cool to see them reunite in the NFL. Beyond sentimental reasonings, the Rams' offense is missing a tight end with passing upside, and Loveland could provide that for them.
With the way free agency has gone, there's an even higher likelihood that the Rams can draft a tight end if they want to. It's something they should look into, as it may be the final piece in maximizing their passing attack.
They're already projected to have one of the best pass games in the NFL when they signed Davante Adams and retained Matthew Stafford with the team, Loveland would be another body for Stafford to target alongside Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell, who the team also resigned.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as NFL Mock Draft: Rams Take Star Pass-Catcher.