Draft Winners & Losers: Did Rams come away with new starting linebacker?

Rams draft Ole Miss LB Chris Paul, Jr. in fifth round to compete for starting role

The 2025 NFL Draft class is in the books for the Los Angeles Rams. Les Snead made six picks and you can find live updates on undrafted free agents here.

At first glance, there are several Rams who emerged from the draft as big winners from a job security perspective. There are also some players whose status is now clouded into 2025 and beyond. Let’s take a look at the “Winners & Losers” from the weekend:

Winners

Les Snead, GM

One of the biggest questions heading into the weekend was when the Rams planned to future-proof the quarterback position for life after Matthew Stafford. There was not a single inkling of the team drafting a quarterback. Snead did acquire the Atlanta Falcons’ first round pick next year, and you can see the vision coming together in how that pick can be package in acquiring either a veteran or rookie QB in 2026.

It’s easier than done to thread the needle from one era to the next, though Snead seems to be getting away with it somehow. If the Rams can seamlessly transition from Stafford to the next franchise QB and maintain the overall health of the roster, the front office in Los Angeles deserves a ton of credit.

Rob Havenstein, RT

The Rams didn’t draft a tackle despite Havenstein’s contract set to expire after this season. He’s now a prime candidate for an extension if the team sees him as the plan at right tackle for the foreseeable future. There probably isn’t a single person on the team who benefitted from the draft results more.

Cobie Durant, CB

Darious Williams, CB

Ahkello Witherspoon, CB

It seems the Rams are content at corner and are looking to enter the season with a lot of veteran options. Derion Kendrick and Emmanuel Forbes also belong on this list, but currently they are penciled behind Durant Williams, and Witherspoon on the depth chart. An early draft pick would have disrupted this pecking order, though all of the above individuals will have an opportunity to earn playing time in training camp and over the course of the season.

Losers

Troy Reeder, MLB

Nate Landman, MLB

Omar Speights, MLB

It was smart of the Rams to re-sign Reeder prior to the draft to lock in a floor at off-ball linebacker. It’s also too early to write off Landman or Speights as potential starters in 2025, though the favorite right now should be fifth round pick Chris Paul, Jr. from Ole Miss. Paul already figures to be the best athlete and pass coverage specialist amongst this position group. Landman and Speights could be important special teams contributors.

Kyren Williams, RB

Blake Corum, RB

After drafting Jarquez Hunter from Auburn in the fourth round, it seems like an objectively bad idea to commit a long-term contract extension to Williams—though it remains to be seen leading up to training camp whether the Rams feel the same way. It’s possible that LA views Hunter’s ceiling as a complimentary back and that he’ll be the lightning to Williams’ thunder this year and into the future.

It’s tough to find an avenue to playing time for Corum, and that was true for his rookie season as well. Corum effectively becomes the third back on the depth chart and likely won’t see the field much unless Williams misses extended time due to injury.

Tyler Higbee, TE

Higbee’s job for 2025 is likely not in jeopardy. His contract expires after this season and the Rams drafted Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson with their first pick in the second round who figures to be the long-term starter. Unless the Rams shift their personnel usage to deploy 12 personnel more often, Ferguson might not have much of a role this season outside of the red zone. His 6-5 frame will be a welcome addition for a team that has struggled inside the 20-yard lines in recent years.

Still, Higbee was drafted in the Rams’ first draft class after their relocation to Los Angeles, and this could reasonably be his last season with the team.