Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams made one of the biggest moves of the draft when they traded down in the first round. It wasn’t just that the Rams traded back, but it was also the fact that it gave them a future first-round pick.
That extra first-round pick gives the Rams a lot of flexibility heading into the 2026 draft. Not only does it allow them to find their successor to Matthew Stafford, but it also allows them to trade for an immediate star if that’s something that they choose to do. It allows the Rams to keep building along this path of ‘win now, but don’t sacrifice the future’. The Rams are able to keep one foot in each timeline.
With an extra first-round pick, there will be a lot of eyes on the 2026 quarterback class. Here are the names that the Rams should be watching.
Any list is going to start with Arch Manning. That has partly to do with his last name and also Les Snead’s connection to Texas. Snead was seen talking with Manning during Texas’ Pro Day this past season. However, there is still an element of ‘wait and see’ with Manning. The fact of the matter is, up to this point, he’s only started two games. Manning is 2-0 in those games, but they came against ULM and Mississippi State. He threw two touchdowns and two interceptions against ULM, but went 26-for-31 with 325 yards and two touchdowns against Mississippi State.
Right now, we only have a two game sample with Manning. It’s also possible that he goes back to school. Both Peyton and Eli Manning played four years at Tennessee and Ole Miss. They could both persuade Arch to go back to school and continue to develop. It’s possible that he doesn’t come out until 2027 or even 2028. The arm talent is there, but his processing and anticipatory throws need to develop.
As it stands, LaNorris Sellers should be the top quarterback of the 2026 draft class. This is the player that the Rams should want. Sellers brings the mobility and athleticism of a modern quarterback, but he also has the pocket mobility to move around between the tackles and avoid defenders. He is simply one of the hardest quarterbacks to sack. On top of that, he has the ability to create the explosive plays out of structure and has the football IQ to process defensive coverages pre and post-snap.
Sellers only has one year as a starter and will look to continue developing this season. He needs to add some more touch on some of his passes and just get more experience. With a good season at South Carolina, Sellers could skyrocket himself into the number one overall pick. For the Rams’ sake, they will hope that he does enough to remain a first-round selection, but not enough to draw comparisons to Patrick Mahomes.
Allar made the...
