NFL Draft Analyst: Don’t sleep on this player for the Rams in first round

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah says not to sleep on TE Mason Taylor to the Rams

The NFL Draft is less than a week away and it won’t be long before we find out exactly what the Los Angeles Rams and other teams are going to do. However, before all that take place, NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah held a media conference call on Friday to answer questions before next week’s draft.

When it comes to what the Rams will do at 26, there are several directions that Les Snead could go. This is a team that sured up several positions in free agency. While there are still spots where they can upgrade on the roster, this also isn’t a team that has any real dire needs. In other words, they won’t be forced to target a specific positions. Certain positions could have priority, but the free agency period will allow them to go best player available. Here are some notable takeaways from Jeremiah’s media availability.

Don’t Sleep on Mason Taylor at 26

If Colston Loveland is available at 26, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rams take him. Sean McVay has wanted a receiving tight end in the last two drafts and Tyler Higbee is on the final year of his deal. However, it’s very possible that Loveland isn’t available at 26 and gets selected inside the top-20. In that case, Jeremiah said not to sleep on Mason Taylor from LSU.

“I wouldn’t sleep on a guy like Mason Taylor if that was someone that they really loved and were comfortable with. They could go that route as a tight end…Mason Taylor to me is an emerging player in that everybody is comfortable with him. He’s a safe player. He’s rock solid. He had a nice week at the Senior Bowl…He’s one of those guys when you are talking to teams, if you got wiped out, who would be your guy? If we get wiped out, we would just take Mason Taylor. He’s going to start the next eight, ten years. Just a steady, solid player. I think he goes in the back half at one. At worst, he goes early two.”

Taylor is a player that I mocked to the Rams in my most recent mock draft and would be a great fit in Sean McVay’s offense. While the 26th overall pick may seem high, if the Rams like the fit, it would be hard to argue with it. Taylor brings many of the same things from a receiving perspective as Loveland, but just not as polished.

Jalen Milroe is the Lottery Ticket in This Draft

There has been a lot of talk about the Rams potentially being interested in Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. There are a lot of things to like when it comes to Milroe’s upside as an athlete. However, he also has a lot of concerns when it comes to the quarterback’s primary responsibility of throwing the football. Said Jeremiah,

“He is an elite, elite, elite runner. In terms of the things to work on with him, he’s not consistently connected between his eyes and his feet. That impacts his accuracy. The decision-making, that comes with playing, that comes with learning. I do think he needs time. I do think he requires patience. Talking to teams, though, if you were to use the word — the phrase with him that’s used more than any other of all the quarterbacks in this draft, that’s the lottery ticket. If you want to just take a lottery ticket that you could hit huge on if it all works out and all comes together, he’s got the highest upside of anybody in this draft, and that goes all the way up to Cam Ward at No. 1. But he is a long way from getting there.”

The thing with Milroe and the interest in the 2025 quarterback class is that it’s like taking a kid shopping. There is a shiny new toy on the shelf and the kid has to have it. However, it’s very likely that shiny new toy is simply very average even though it seems like it could be a good replacement for the old on.

While the question was in regards to the Pittsburgh Steelers and contemplating a quarterback over defensive tackle or another position, Jeremiah’s answer was also very relevant to the Rams at 26.

“I would just say if you have conviction on one of those quarterbacks, if you have a lot of love in the building for Jaxson Dart, if you have conviction, take the quarterback.”

It really comes down to conviction and how much the Rams like these quarterbacks. If Sean McVay is in love with a Jaxson Dart or Jalen Milroe, as much as it may not seem like the right decision, it would be hard to argue with it. Even if the 2026 quarterback class is supposed to be better, if McVay sees one of these players as the future, that will be his decision.

Harold Fannin Jr. is a ‘Tight End Darling’

We’re back on to the tight ends and this time talking about Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. This was actually the question that I asked Jeremiah as there seems to be a lot of division when it comes to Fannin. He’s someone that entered the process with a lot of buzz, but didn’t impress at all along the way. His Senior Bowl was lackluster and he only ran a 4.71 at the Combine. Still, given his on-field speed and ability to separate, he could be an option for the Rams. Said Jeremiah,

“There’s teams that have Fannin over Taylor. He’s a tight end darling…The take, the consensus, was that Harold Fannin was the coaching favorite of the tight end coaches. They all really liked him. He’s a really good player. I think he’s going to go in the second round when it’s all said and done. Maybe the middle to the back portion of the second round. When you go up against Penn State and do what he did and then you show against Texas A&M when you are running away from everybody. It looks a little different watching him run. He ran 4.71. He didn’t blow it out, but he’s faster than you think, and he just has a knack for getting open, separating, and it’s kind of a different looking kind of a waddle that he uses as a runner. He covers ground. He can make people miss. He’s just excellent with the ball in his hands.”

Fannin may not be available at 90, but if the Rams trade back from 26 and end up in the middle of the second round, he will be a possibility. It does seem as though the Rams at some point in the draft could take a tight end and Fannin is a solid fit.

There May Not Be An Immediate ‘Big-Time Impact’ Player at 26

While the question was about the Detroit Lions at 28, the Rams are sitting there at 26 and the answer seems relevant. For the second consecutive year, the Rams have a first round pick. When fans think about first-round selections, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that the player should be able to come in and make an immediate impact. That’s especially the case considering the impact that Jared Verse had last year. The fact of the matter is, that caliber of player may not exist in this draft.

“Look, there are so many intriguing options and good players there, but in terms of the stamp of immediate big-time impact, it’s hard to do that at that portion of the draft in this draft.”

Jeremiah noted that there are a lot of really intriguing options and good players in that portion of the draft, naming James Pearce Jr. and Donovan Ezeiruaku. However, this could be a draft where getting a rotational starter that develops into a full-time player is considered a win.