The Los Angeles Rams have pretty clear needs six months ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. They’ll need to upgrade their cornerback room with someone, and also likely establish a true succession plan at quarterback for Matthew Stafford. The 37-year-old is playing at an elite level, but L.A. can’t rely on that type of production forever.
Fortunately, the Rams have two first-round picks in 2026 courtesy of their 2025 draft-day trade with the Atlanta Falcons. Right now, that pick looks like it’ll be between Nos. 10 and 20 depending on how the Falcons finish the year.
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson made his picks in a new mock draft for the start of October and, unsurprisingly, picked a cornerback and quarterback for L.A. Wilson picked LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane with the Falcons’ No. 12 pick, who’s been mocked to the Rams before, and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 24 pick.
A savvy, instinctive CB who excels in both off-coverage and press-man schemes, Mansoor Delane is consistently in the WR’s back pocket on intermediate and vertical routes. He has a good understanding of route combinations, will drive on balls in front of him and is a reliable tackler in space.
Ty Simpson is a big-armed pocket passer who plays with composure and outstanding mental processing both before and after the snap. He plays with an aggressive confidence and excels at navigating muddy pockets, throwing accurately to all three levels and ripping tight-window throws with anticipation. Simpson is athletic enough to buy time with his legs to extend plays and move the sticks.
The interesting element of these picks is that only Delane would be an immediate starter for L.A. The rangy 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback joins a long list of quality LSU secondary players to enter the NFL and would takeover at the CB1 spot regardless of what the Rams do with their current room of players, most of whom are on expiring deals.
Simpson is the strangest pick, though, given he hasn’t really been talked about as a first-round player yet. He’s the fourth quarterback of five in Wilson’s mock, after Oregon’s Dante Moore, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and USC’s Jayden Maiava went in the top 15 picks.
The Alabama gunslinger has been incredibly effective in 2025. He’s completed 70.3% of his passes for 1,478 yards, 13 touchdowns and just one interception in his first year as the starter for the Crimson Tide. Simpson has also rushed for 86 yards and two scores.
Now, one-year college starters aren’t always the best NFL prospects, but Simpson has been at Alabama for four years and likely would sit for at least one season behind Stafford if the Rams drafted him. That’s the best-case scenario for a player like Simpson that could be NFL-ready but needs more NFL experience.
We still have six months to go before the draft, though, so a lot can change.
