The 2025 NFL Draft is around the corner and for the second straight year, the Los Angeles Rams actually have a pick in the first round at No. 26 overall.
It remains to be seen which direction the Rams will go with that pick, and taking a quarterback is certainly possible. The Rams brought back Matthew Stafford for another year, as well as Jimmy Garoppolo to back him up.
Stafford is 37 years old though, so there’s no denying that the end of his career is nearing. With that being the case, the Rams have reportedly spent some time with Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart in the pre-draft process, per Adam Schefter of ESPN:
Sources: Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart visited today with the Cleveland Browns, and will next fly to Las Vegas to visit the Raiders, sources tell me and @FieldYates.
Dart also has spent “considerable time” during this interview process with the Giants, Saints and Rams. pic.twitter.com/M6rY1SLGkl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 8, 2025
Dart is projected to go late in the first round or early in the second, which is right where the Rams are expected to pick at 26.
Les Snead recently spoke to reporters and while taking a quarterback in the first round is unlikely, he definitely did not rule it out, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic:
“Usually another team who gets into that more serious level usually drafts that player earlier than we [would],” Snead said. “If a team really thinks that player is their next QB, it’s not like they’re going, ‘Hey, let’s wait till the middle of the second round. Let’s do it now.’
“If the right guy fell to No. 26, and maybe he’s the right guy for another team, they might want to move into the first round [and] draft that guy. So maybe that is better for the Rams than picking that ‘right’ guy. That’s how to honestly answer that question. And then to be honest about the dishonesty, if we were really looking at a QB at No. 26, we would probably say an answer like that.”
Ideally the Rams will add a win-now piece in the first round as they look to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025. If a quarterback like Dart falls to them at 26 though, then addressing the most important position for after Stafford retires may be in their best interest.
Returning to Rams was top priority for Tutu Atwell
One of the Rams’ offseason moves was re-signing Tutu Atwell to a one-year contract, and he explained why returning to L.A. was his top priority.
“It feels great, man. Them giving me this contract means everything, because they believed in me and they see what I did in the past years,” Atwell said Tuesday. “But always just did my part when my number was called and made the most of the opportunities that I had. I appreciate them, and just ready and looking forward to this season.”
