The Los Angeles Rams are sitting at No. 13 with their offensive line intact. Alaric Jackson is locked in at left tackle, Warren McClendon started full-time in 2025, and Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson anchor the interior. There is no immediate hole.
That is exactly why the Rams could end up taking an offensive tackle anyway. According to Ian Rapoport, if one of the top three tackles in the class falls to 13, the Rams could take him even without a starting spot available — because the value at a premium position would be too strong to pass up.
Rapoport’s reasoning is about the next 10 years, not this season
Rapoport’s logic is straightforward. If a top-tier tackle is still on the board at 13, the Rams do not have to think about whether he starts in 2026. They think about what the offensive line looks like in 2027 and beyond.
McClendon has one full year as a starter and is approaching a contract decision window. Avila is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Dotson is also nearing the end of his current contract. The depth behind the starters is thin.
The Rams do not need help today. They need answers for the near future, and drafting a year early at offensive tackle is how good teams avoid scrambling a year late.
Three specific prospects could force the decision if they slide to 13
This scenario is not hypothetical. It depends on specific players falling. Francis Mauigoa out of Miami is a plug-and-play power tackle. Spencer Fano from Utah is a versatile, high-floor starter. Monroe Freeling from Georgia has developmental upside with elite physical traits.
All three are viewed as top-tier offensive line prospects, and all have been connected to the Rams in pre-draft projections. If even one of them is available at 13, the Rams become the pivot point of the draft.
First-round offensive linemen have one of the highest hit rates in the draft
Offensive tackle is one of the few positions teams will take earlier than need dictates because the historical success rate justifies it. First-round offensive linemen are among the most predictable and stable investments in the draft. They develop quickly, they start early, and they protect the most valuable asset on the roster.
That is why taking a tackle without an immediate need is not overdrafting. It is future-proofing. The Rams are in a rare position where they can make a selection based entirely on long-term value rather than short-term necessity, and offensive tackle is the position where that approach has the strongest track record.
If the Rams take a tackle at 13 it reshapes the board for everyone picking behind them
This is not just a Rams decision. It affects the entire back half of the first round. Teams in the 15 to 25 range suddenly lose access to one of the top tackles in the class. Franchises like the Eagles or Ravens who may need offensive line help could be forced to trade up. Other teams will have to pivot positions entirely.
That is how runs start in the draft. One team takes a player at a position nobody expected, and every team behind them has to recalculate.
The Rams are not desperate. They do not have a hole to fill. That is what makes them dangerous at 13. They can sit back, wait to see who falls, and take the best long-term player on the board without worrying about whether he starts tomorrow. If that player is an offensive tackle, the Rams will take him — and force everyone else to adjust.
