With another week of the NFL concluded, we are inching closer to the end of the 2025 regular season, putting us closer to the 2026 draft.
The Los Angeles Rams will have two picks in the draft thanks to a trade with the Atlanta Falcons, which saw LA trade out of the first in the 2025 draft and receive the Falcons’ first-round selection in the next draft.
The season is now in the final weeks, where each game will decide the playoff picture. The Rams are currently in first place in the NFC and are tied for the second-best record in the NFL.
Having two first-round picks benefits the Rams and allows the team to select a key player for the future of the franchise.
Replacing Matthew Stafford With First-Round Pick
GettyThe Rams are predicted to select the success of Matthew Stafford in a 2026 NFL mock draft
Matthew Stafford is holding strong in his 17th season in the NFL at the age of 37. He is playing like an MVP candidate and has the Rams as a Super Bowl candidate.
While Stafford is performing well, Los Angeles can’t expect him to continue playing for another five years.
Pro Football Focus’s Max Chadwick predicts the Rams will select LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier with their second selection in the first round of his 2026 NFL mock draft at the 31st spot.
“[Los Angeles] could start planning for life after Matthew Stafford, who will be nearing 38 despite playing at an MVP level,” Chadwick wrote. “While 2025 was a disappointing season for Nussmeier, his 85.9 PFF grade over the past two years suggests he has the talent to be a strong long-term fit in Sean McVay’s offense, especially if given a year or two to develop behind a veteran.”
In the season for LSU, Nussmeier has thrown for 1,927 passing yards and 12 touchdowns for the Tigers. He has also thrown for 5 interceptions.
The previous collegiate season for the quarterback saw him play at his best. In the 2024 season, Nussmeier threw for 4,052 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes.
LSU also released head coach Brian Kelly in the 2025 season, which may have impeded the players’ ability to play at their best. But in a steady environment with Sean McVay, Nussmeier could develop and become a top quarterback in the league.
Other Options At Quarterback
GettyJimmy Garoppolo is in his second season as a member of the Los Angeles Rams
While taking a younger option who could develop into the next potential franchise QB for the Rams, Los Angeles may already have the next quarterback who will replace Matthew Stafford if he decides to call it quits.
The Rams have Jimmy Garoppolo as the second option at the quarterback spot and could be the next player to replace Matthew Stafford.
Garoppolo was previously a starting quarterback for other teams in the league and even made the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers back in the 2019-20 season.
Sean McVay has previously expressed that he believes Jimmy G is a starting quarterback in this league and is grateful to have him as the backup to Stafford.
It will still be some time before the Rams know when Matthew Stafford will call it a career, but the Rams front office and coaching staff will have a hard choice on who will replace the Super Bowl winner.
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