The Los Angeles Rams will assemble their draft board by including players who will almost certainly be out of reach for them in Round 1. That means Travis Hunter and Cam Ward will be on their board, even if there’s no chance either player falls in the first round.
There will be other players who probably won’t be available late in the first but the Rams would most likely sprint to the podium if any of these six prospects hasn’t been picked yet when Los Angeles goes on the clock. These players should be considered dream targets for the Rams in the first round, either by falling to No. 26 or by trading up for them.
From a standout tight end to two offensive tackles and a couple of cornerbacks, these are ideal prospects for the Rams in Round 1.
TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
There’s at least a chance Loveland will fall to the Rams at No. 26, but his stock seems to be rising the closer we get to the draft. He’s unanimously viewed as a top-two tight end in the class and some might seem him as TE1 over Tyler Warren.
Loveland is an athletic tight end who can make plays from an inline alignment or split out in the slot. The Rams have been searching for a young tight end to feature in their offense after attempting to trade up for Dalton Kincaid and Brock Bowers, but they could get lucky and steal Loveland at 26.
If he were to fall that far, he’s someone they’d probably run to the podium for.
CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
Barron is a perfect prospect for Los Angeles with his inside-outside versatility. He can cover the slot and line up as a boundary corner against No. 1 receivers, excelling in both roles at Texas during his college career. He’s big, physical and will give whatever defensive coordinator lands him plenty of options in the secondary.
With the versatility of Quentin Lake and Cobie Durant, Barron could play either outside or slide into the slot in certain packages. If the Rams like him outside, they could keep Lake in the slot. If they like Barron in the slot, it would allow Lake to be a more traditional safety alongside Kam Kinchens and Kam Curl.
ESPN gives Barron less than a 10% chance of being available at No. 26.
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks surprised a lot of people last month when he had McMillan falling into the Rams’ lap at No. 26 in his mock draft. It’s highly unlikely to happen, but it’s not impossible. Some teams might have concerns about his straight-line speed and prefer someone like Matthew Golden.
McMillan is widely viewed as WR1 in this class with his size and catch radius but because he’s so different than Golden, Luther Burden III and Emeka Egbuka, teams may pass him up. The Rams shouldn’t if he falls that far.
He’d be a great X receiver to learn from Davante Adams, giving Matthew Stafford a big target on the outside. Adams and Puka Nacua can both play in the slot, so there wouldn’t be much trouble finding snaps for McMillan right away.
OT Armand Membou, Missouri
Membou would immediately solve the Rams’ long-term questions at right tackle. He wouldn’t be asked to start from Day 1 with Rob Havenstein entrenched at right tackle, but he’d be a fantastic replacement in 2026. He’d hold down that spot for a decade to come, entering the draft as one of the best tackle prospects available.
The problem is, he’s highly unlikely to be available for the Rams in Round 1. They’d have to trade up for him, which they shouldn’t be opposed to. At a premier position like tackle, Membou should be high on their board.
CB Will Johnson, Michigan
![10. Jaguars [PROJECTED TRADE with Bears] – CB Will Johnson, Michigan](https://media.zenfs.com/en/los_angeles_rams_wire_usa_today_sports_articles_716/210705f3ae8f09e7a53395d0e64db41a)
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Johnson is still on the board when the Rams pick, even with the questions surrounding his health – and possible concerns about his speed after not running a 40 this year. He could be someone the Rams consider trading up for, though, if he falls far enough to get within their reach.
This time of year, prospects can tend to get overanalyzed and analysts (and perhaps teams) might overthink them. Johnson could be one of those players. He’s an outstanding prospect, though, coming in at 6-foot-2 with excellent coverage ability and ball skills; he had nine interceptions in the last three years.
The Rams could use a lockdown cornerback like him on defense so if he falls out of the top 10, he might be a name to watch.
OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
Banks isn’t a true right tackle like Membou, but countless college left tackles have made the switch to right tackle in the pros. Banks should be able to make that transition if the Rams draft him (and want him to) because he’s outstanding in pass protection and has the athleticism to excel out there.
Some are projecting him to be a guard at the next level, which would provide the Rams with depth on the interior before taking over at right tackle in 2026, but they should be looking at him as a tackle prospect. He allowed just four sacks in the last three years and only four total QB hits in that same span, earning a pass-blocking grade of 89.9 last season, per PFF.
Again, he probably won’t fall all the way to 26, but that’s what makes him a dream prospect.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2025 NFL draft: 6 dream prospects for the Rams in Round 1
The Los Angeles Rams will assemble their draft board by including players who will almost certainly be out of reach for them in Round 1. That means Travis Hunter and Cam Ward will be on their board, even if there’s no chance either player falls in the first round.
There will be other players who probably won’t be available late in the first but the Rams would most likely sprint to the podium if any of these six prospects hasn’t been picked yet when Los Angeles goes on the clock. These players should be considered dream targets for the Rams in the first round, either by falling to No. 26 or by trading up for them.
From a standout tight end to two offensive tackles and a couple of cornerbacks, these are ideal prospects for the Rams in Round 1.
TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
There’s at least a chance Loveland will fall to the Rams at No. 26, but his stock seems to be rising the closer we get to the draft. He’s unanimously viewed as a top-two tight end in the class and some might seem him as TE1 over Tyler Warren.
Loveland is an athletic tight end who can make plays from an inline alignment or split out in the slot. The Rams have been searching for a young tight end to feature in their offense after attempting to trade up for Dalton Kincaid and Brock Bowers, but they could get lucky and steal Loveland at 26.
If he were to fall that far, he’s someone they’d probably run to the podium for.
CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
Barron is a perfect prospect for Los Angeles with his inside-outside versatility. He can cover the slot and line up as a boundary corner against No. 1 receivers, excelling in both roles at Texas during his college career. He’s big, physical and will give whatever defensive coordinator lands him plenty of options in the secondary.
With the versatility of Quentin Lake and Cobie Durant, Barron could play either outside or slide into the slot in certain packages. If the Rams like him outside, they could keep Lake in the slot. If they like Barron in the slot, it would allow Lake to be a more traditional safety alongside Kam Kinchens and Kam Curl.
ESPN gives Barron less than a 10% chance of being available at No. 26.
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks surprised a lot of people last month when he had McMillan falling into the Rams’ lap at No. 26 in his mock draft. It’s highly unlikely to happen, but it’s not impossible. Some teams might have concerns about his straight-line speed and prefer someone like Matthew Golden.
McMillan is widely viewed as WR1 in this class with his size and catch radius but because he’s so different than Golden, Luther Burden III and Emeka Egbuka, teams may pass him up. The Rams shouldn’t if he falls that far.
He’d be a great X receiver to learn from Davante Adams, giving Matthew Stafford a big target on the outside. Adams and Puka Nacua can both play in the slot, so there wouldn’t be much trouble finding snaps for McMillan right away.
OT Armand Membou, Missouri
Membou would immediately solve the Rams’ long-term questions at right tackle. He wouldn’t be asked to start from Day 1 with Rob Havenstein entrenched at right tackle, but he’d be a fantastic replacement in 2026. He’d hold down that spot for a decade to come, entering the draft as one of the best tackle prospects available.
The problem is, he’s highly unlikely to be available for the Rams in Round 1. They’d have to trade up for him, which they shouldn’t be opposed to. At a premier position like tackle, Membou should be high on their board.
CB Will Johnson, Michigan
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Johnson is still on the board when the Rams pick, even with the questions surrounding his health – and possible concerns about his speed after not running a 40 this year. He could be someone the Rams consider trading up for, though, if he falls far enough to get within their reach.
This time of year, prospects can tend to get overanalyzed and analysts (and perhaps teams) might overthink them. Johnson could be one of those players. He’s an outstanding prospect, though, coming in at 6-foot-2 with excellent coverage ability and ball skills; he had nine interceptions in the last three years.
The Rams could use a lockdown cornerback like him on defense so if he falls out of the top 10, he might be a name to watch.
OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
Banks isn’t a true right tackle like Membou, but countless college left tackles have made the switch to right tackle in the pros. Banks should be able to make that transition if the Rams draft him (and want him to) because he’s outstanding in pass protection and has the athleticism to excel out there.
Some are projecting him to be a guard at the next level, which would provide the Rams with depth on the interior before taking over at right tackle in 2026, but they should be looking at him as a tackle prospect. He allowed just four sacks in the last three years and only four total QB hits in that same span, earning a pass-blocking grade of 89.9 last season, per PFF.
Again, he probably won’t fall all the way to 26, but that’s what makes him a dream prospect.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2025 NFL draft: 6 dream prospects for the Rams in Round 1
