Rams 53-man roster projection after OTAs

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The Los Angeles Rams wrapped up their offseason program on Monday after Sean McVay canceled this week's mandatory minicamp, breaking for summer a few days earlier than expected. He must feel good about the work his players and coaches got in this spring, though he has acknowledged multiple times that there's still a long way to go before the team is ready for Week 1.

Now that OTAs are in the books, it's a good time to project the Rams' 53-man roster for the upcoming season. Injuries and any future additions could alter this, but for now, the Rams' roster is coming into focus as one of the best in football.

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As is the case every year, there will be some difficult decisions to make come August. It's never easy trimming the roster down to 53 players, especially with a team as deep and loaded as the Rams are. Here's our best guess as to what the Rams' initial roster could look like this fall.

Quarterback (3)

  1. Matthew Stafford
  2. Stetson Bennett
  3. Ty Simpson

The Rams have kept three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster in each of the last two years with Stafford, Bennett and Jimmy Garoppolo. It's not out of the question that they'll do so again in 2026 after drafting Ty Simpson.

There's also a chance the Rams will see Bennett as expendable after taking Simpson and cut ties or trade the fourth-year quarterback, either via trade or release.

Either way, Stafford and Simpson are going to be on the roster. It's just a matter of how confident the coaching staff is in Simpson being a potential starter if Stafford gets hurt.

Running back (4)

  1. Kyren Williams
  2. Blake Corum
  3. Ronnie Rivers
  4. Jarquez Hunter

Williams and Corum are probably the only locks at running back. Rivers was re-signed and is a valuable veteran, but he's not certain to make the team unless he performs well enough in practice. Hunter is a second-year back who was just drafted in the fourth round in 2025, but he was a healthy scratch for most of last year.

The Rams will have to keep at least three backs on the roster for depth and special teams purposes, making the battle between Rivers and Hunter one to watch in camp.

Wide receiver (6)

  1. Puka Nacua
  2. Davante Adams
  3. Jordan Whittington
  4. Konata Mumpfield
  5. Xavier Smith
  6. CJ Daniels

This position group feels pretty straightforward. It's hard to see any of the top four receivers getting cut, and given the wide-open nature of WR3, the Rams would be wise to keep at least six receivers on the active roster.

Any one of Whittington, Mumpfield, Smith or Daniels could emerge as the best No. 3 wide receiver option for Los Angeles, as the team cycled through players in that role most of last season. Daniels is the sleeper as a rookie sixth-round pick.

Tight end (5)

  1. Colby Parkinson
  2. Tyler Higbee
  3. Terrance Ferguson
  4. Davis Allen
  5. Max Klare

When you use 13 personnel as much as the Rams do, tight end depth is a necessity. All five are capable of playing meaningful snaps for Los Angeles, including the promising rookie Klare. Ferguson has the highest upside of the bunch and showed flashes of being a real playmaker last season, so he could get even more opportunities this year in the slot and as a traditional tight end.

Ferguson could be the Rams' WR3 despite being a tight end.

Offensive line (9)

  1. LT Alaric Jackson
  2. LG Steve Avila
  3. C Coleman Shelton
  4. RG Kevin Dotson
  5. RT Warren McClendon Jr.
  6. OT David Quessenberry
  7. G/C Beaux Limmer
  8. G/C Justin Dedich
  9. G/T Keagen Trost

It's unclear what's going to happen with Jackson after his recent arrest, which could cause him to be suspended at some point. That makes Quessenberry and Trost even more important, potentially thrusting one of them into a starting role at either right tackle or left.

Limmer and Dedich are quality backups on the interior, though Dylan McMahon could sneak onto the 53-man roster again, too.

Defensive line (6)

  1. DT Kobie Turner
  2. NT Poona Ford
  3. DL Tyler Davis
  4. DE Braden Fiske
  5. NT Tim Keenan III
  6. DL Ty Hamilton

The top five defensive linemen all have a very good chance of making the team, so long as Keenan performs in camp and emerges as a valuable backup at nose tackle. Hamilton is the wild card.

He was extremely quiet as a rookie in 2025 and could be on the roster bubble this season, even after the Rams traded up (and gave away a 2026 draft pick) to land him last year. The Rams could use some depth behind their top four defensive linemen.

Outside linebacker (4)

  1. Myles Garrett
  2. Byron Young
  3. Josaiah Stewart
  4. Desjuan Johnson

Garrett, Young and Stewart are going to be the top three edge rushers for Los Angeles, but the Rams can't afford to go into the season with only three outside linebackers. That's where Johnson comes in as the fourth option. He was great down the stretch in that role and should get even better now that he's further removed from the transition from defensive line to outside linebacker.

Keir Thomas would likely be the next man up, unless the Rams like the recently signed Tomon Fox enough to keep him on the 53.

Inside linebacker (4)

  1. Nate Landman
  2. Omar Speights
  3. Shaun Dolac
  4. Grant Stuard

Stuard is seen more as a special teams contributor than a defender, but Sean McVay said himself that he thinks Stuard will find a way to help on defense, too. He and Dolac will compete for playing time as the third linebackers, assuming Speights holds onto his spot as the No. 2 guy next to Landman. That's not a certainty, though.

Cornerback (5)

  1. Trent McDuffie
  2. Jaylen Watson
  3. Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
  4. Josh Wallace
  5. Al'zillion Hamilton

McDuffie and Watson make up the Rams' new-look cornerback group, which is admittedly lacking depth behind them. Forbes will be back as the No. 3 corner, but after that, it's wide open. Wallace has excellent versatility as a safety-corner hybrid, and Hamilton is someone to watch as an undrafted rookie.

Cornerback is a good position for an undrafted player to emerge at because of the lack of depth, so the door is open for Hamilton to step in.

Safety (4)

  1. Quentin Lake
  2. Kam Curl
  3. Kamren Kinchens
  4. Jaylen McCollough

This is one of the strongest groups on the roster, even though it only goes four deep. Lake can play nickel or safety, while Curl and Kinchens are outstanding starters on the back end. McCollough can help fill the lack of range at linebacker in passing situations thanks to his size and athleticism, making him valuable on third down.

Special teams (3)

  1. K Harrison Mevis
  2. P Ethan Evans
  3. LS Joe Cardona

Cardona replaces Jake McQuaide at long snapper, with Mevis and Evans returning as the kicker and punter, respectively. There shouldn't be any changes here between now and the start of the season.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: LA Rams 53-man roster projection after 2026 OTAs

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