The Los Angeles Rams entered the offseason with a big question at the quarterback position and answered it by successfully keeping Matthew Stafford in the fold. Now the team's front office must shift their focus on surrounding their veteran signal caller with the talent required to make a run at another Super Bowl title.
The team wasn't blessed with a ton of cap space so they've been measured in free agency. Acquiring Poona Ford to be their starting nose tackle was a solid, but unspectacular move. The real needle-moving transaction was adding Davante Adams to the wide receiver room. He effectively replaces Cooper Kupp who was cut to save salary cap space. Adams will give the Rams' offense a significant upgrade on the outside.
Now the pressure is on GM Les Snead and his staff to follow the front office's free agency efforts with a solid draft class. The team has performed well in that regard over the last few years and they need to do it again in 2025. Here's how the first three rounds of the team's draft plan could play out in April.
Round 1 pick: Grey Zabel
Keeping Stafford upright is imperative for the Rams if they are going to make any sort of meaningful postseason run. That's why grabbing Grey Zabel with the No. 26 overall selection would be good business for Los Angeles.
The former North Dakota standout has been a big winner of the pre-draft process. He does not have the ideal length to play tackle at the pro level but he makes up for that deficiency with quick hands and good feet at the point of attack. Zabel will need to add strength to deal with power rushers at the pro level but he has the frame to do that with relative ease.
Some Rams fans might want their team to grab a player who is better prepared to play right away but Zabel has the upside to justify some patience. Even if he doesn't hold up at tackle he profiles as a high-quality guard. Los Angeles should give him the chance to stick on the perimeter as a rookie to see if they can extract the most value possible from their late first-round pick.
Round 3 pick: Jeffrey Bassa
The Rams do not currently have a second-round pick in this year's draft but they do head into the event with a pair of third-rounders to work with. They should give strong consideration to using one of those selections on a linebacker capable of adding some athleticism to their defense.
In sharp contrast to Zabel, Jeffrey Bassa's draft stock is on the decline after mediocre testing at the combine. Running a pedestrian 40-yard dash time of 4.63 did not do anything to impress scouts who wanted to see him profile as an above-average cover linebacker.
Expect Bassa to run better at his Pro Day at Oregon. He showed a nice ability to run with tight ends and running backs via single coverage in college. Bassa does enough to stop the run from his weakside linebacker spot but his coverage ability is what will get him paid at the pro level. Staying on the West Coast and landing Bassa would be a nice roll of the dice for the Rams in the third round.
Round 3 pick: Jacob Parrish
There's a solid case to be made that the Rams need to spend an earlier pick on the cornerback position but if they wait until Round 3 Jacob Parrish could give them great value. He's not the biggest corner in this year's draft class but he has excellent speed and loose hips that allow him to turn and cover receivers at a high level.
The drawback to Parrish as a prospect is that he might lack the size to be a reliable outside corner in the NFL. His height and arm length are both short of what a lot of teams want to deploy on the perimeter. The Rams can afford to give him snaps on the outside as a rookie and then move him to nickel if he can't handle the physicality.