The Los Angeles Rams already have their quarterback for the 2025 (and maybe 2026) season, but that hasn’t stopped analysts from predicting the team could look to the future under center soon.
ESPN’s Field Yates identified the Rams as his sleeper team to watch in the first two rounds who could draft a quarterback. Yates specifically pointed to Louisville’s Tyler Shough as a potential target.
“Yates: Los Angeles Rams. On one hand, Matthew Stafford is still playing at a very high level at 37, and the Rams don’t currently have a second-round pick. On the other, Stafford’s relationship with the organization is year-to-year at this point after his contract restructure, and it would be logical for Los Angeles to at least consider a quarterback somewhere on Day 2. Louisville’s Tyler Shough has similar traits to Stafford; he can throw from a variety of different angles and hit tight windows.”
This is an interesting idea, though I’m not convinced on the viability of it after general manager Les Snead spoke about chasing “special” while still having Stafford on the roster.
Shough will be a 26-years-old rookie whose best throws don’t mesh well with McVay’s offense, but he does have tools. However, by the time Stafford hangs it up, Shough could be 27 or 28 years old. For reference, Sam Darnold is 27 and Josh Allen is 28.
That idea doesn’t echo the Rams’ desire to find a quarterback who matches the timeline of the youth on their roster.
However, taking a quarterback in general does make some sense in a vacuum. Unfortunately, the 2025 NFL Draft class isn’t exactly teeming with quality options, as it’s one of the weakest quarterback drafts in recent memory.
Any quarterback the team drafts this year will be competing with Stetson Bennett for the QB3 spot on the roster, as the Rams already have Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo occupying the top two spots.
While it could (but not likely) solve a future need, reaching for a quarterback would eliminate the opportunity to improve the team at much more pressing spots. This is a difficult battle for Les Snead and co. to balance, but it feels obvious that passing on a quarterback is the right call this year.