Rams Should Still Draft Qb Even If Stafford Has Long-term Plans To Play

For a third consecutive draft, the Los Angeles Rams are once again considered to be in the market for a quarterback. In 2024, the Rams were consistently linked to Bo Nix and last year, there was some speculation that the Rams may draft Jaxson Dart at the end of the first round. Instead, the Rams once again passed on the position entirely.

With that said, this year feels different. This doesn’t mean that the Rams are going to take Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick. However, whether it’s waiting out Kirk Cousins or seeing what options are available in the draft, the Rams have not addressed the backup quarterback position.

Earlier this week during the NFL league meetings, Rams coach Sean McVay spoke at length about Matthew Stafford and his future. Said McVay,

“He’s earned the right to be able to do it on his terms, and I think he still loves playing. He’s obviously playing at an incredible clip, so that was big…He’s gonna be able to play as long as he’s able to, whether that’s one, two more, who knows, he might be one of those guys that plays late into his 40s and I wouldn’t have a problem with that…Eventually we are not gonna have the luxury of having him as our guy, and that’s a super important position.”

Eventually, the Rams will have to figure out the quarterback position after Stafford. With the Rams’ quarterback coming off of an MVP season, it makes it even more difficult to think about that possibility. Winning MVP at 37 years old can make it easy to think that Stafford may have 3-4 years left in him rather than 1-2. It makes the end seem much farther away than in reality.

No matter what Stafford’s plans are, that shouldn’t dissuade the Rams from taking a quarterback. There’s no doubt that the quarterback position holds the most value in the draft. If the player hits, a team gets a starter on a cheap contract at the most expensive position. In the case that a starter is already in place, that player can sometimes be flipped for more draft capital. Outside of quarterbacks drafted in the first two rounds, if that player busts, it’s not that much different than a player at another position busting as hit rates decline further down the draft.

Ever since McVay took over in 2017, the Rams haven’t necessarily been in the business of drafting and developing quarterbacks. Sean Mannion was drafted pre-McVay and John Wolford was essentially a second quarterback coach. Since then, the Rams have opted for experienced backups such as Brett Rypien and Jimmy Garoppolo. When the Rams drafted Stetson Bennett, the idea was to develop him into a long-term backup, but there seems to be some hesitancy to do that as Bennett heads into his fourth season.

Throughout his time in Philadelphia and Kansas City, head coach Andy Reid has operated with the philosophy of acquiring young quarterback talent frequently. If not drafting a quarterback every year, he has done so every other year to develop behind the starter.

In two of Reid’s first three drafts with the Chiefs, he selected quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Kevin Hogan in the fifth-round. When Reid was with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid drafted a quarterback at least once every three years. This resulted in drafting players such as Kevin Kolb, Andy Hall, and Mike Kafka. Since drafting Patrick Mahomes, that has been less of the case with Reid. However, the Chiefs did trade for Justin Fields this offseason.

Many of those quarterbacks didn’t work out for Reid, but he did get a solid trade haul for Kevin Kolb following a solid run of five starts in 2010. The New England Patriots also followed this philosophy under Bill Belichick, getting good trade capital for Matt Cassel and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Last season, the San Francisco 49ers took a chance on Mac Jones. After playing well, teams have called the 49ers for Jones, but the asking price has been astronomical. It’s unclear exactly what San Francisco’s asking price might be, but some have speculated that he could net the 49ers a second-round draft pick.

The same can be said about the Eagles and Tanner McKee. McKee has limited starting experience and the Eagles are have asked for as much as a second-round pick. The Eagles drafted McKee in the sixth round. What if the Green Bay Packers had opted to trade Malik Willis following the 2024 season? Willis had a good run of games in 2024 and just signed a contract averaging $22.5 million with the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

At worst, a quarterback drafted on Day 3 becomes a wasted fifth-round pick. However, this can be said about most fifth-round picks. At best, the return for that player becomes a higher draft pick.

Even if the Rams don’t take Simpson, this might be the perfect quarterback class to try and flip for that kind of value. Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik, and Drew Allar were all seen as potential first-round picks a year ago. If a team is able to develop one of them to hit that potential, there is a possibility for a solid return.

In the case of Klubnik and Allar, both are seen as Day 3 picks. With Allar specifically, he has the traits worth betting on and trying to develop. He has the arm strength, size, and athleticism that can translate into a starting-level quarterback. Luke Altmyer also has some upside given how experienced he is.

If Stafford continues to play at a high clip for four years, that’s great for the Rams. Either Allar is developed as a potential starter or bridge quarterback, or he shows enoug or he shows enough in limited experience to be flipped for a Day 2 draft pick.

This quarterback class may not be as strong as initially thought, but that doesn’t mean that the Rams shouldn’t take one. Even if that player isn’t in the first round, this is a class with enough upside late that it could be a move that pays off in the long run.