Thanks to some savvy moves in free agency, the Los Angeles Rams have opened themselves up to take just about any position in the first round – within reason, of course. They could target a position of need like cornerback or inside linebacker, or prepare for the future by taking a right tackle who can replace Rob Havenstein in 2026.
With the draft only three weeks away, a consensus position for the Rams is beginning to emerge among experts. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Field Yates of ESPN and Bruce Feldman of The Athletic all have the Rams taking a cornerback in their most recent mock drafts, which were released this week.
It’s a perfect blend of positional need and value for Los Angeles in the back half of the first round and there will be several different cornerbacks the Rams could target early on. Here’s which corner each analyst has the Rams taking.
Zierlein: Texas CB Jahdae Barron
Les Snead — no stranger to using draft capital aggressively — trades up to grab the best cornerback on the board before the Chargers or Packers can go sniffing around.
Yates: Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston
Hairston would bring natural man coverage skills and rare speed to the Rams. His 4.28-second 40-yard dash was the fastest at the combine among all players. And Hairston's speed makes it difficult for receivers to challenge him downfield because he can still catch up even if he loses them at the line of scrimmage. He also has a playmaker mentality that led to an SEC-best five interceptions in 2023, two of which were returned for touchdowns in the same game.
Feldman: Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas (projected trade back to No. 33)
A lineman like Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson or Alabama’s Tyler Booker would make sense, as would a cornerback like Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison or Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston. But the Rams hit the jackpot last year on two former Seminoles, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. The 6-1 1/2, 197-pound Thomas, who has 32 3/8-inch arms, is a long, lanky, fluid coverman whose former defensive coordinator at FSU thought he was a real ballhawk and a very savvy player. That DC, Adam Fuller, is now the Rams’ safeties coach.
Any of these cornerbacks would fit well with the Rams, filling an immediate need and a long-term one. Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon and Cobie Durant will all be in the mix to start next season but none of them are under contract beyond 2025.
Adding a young cornerback in the draft would not only help the defense right away, but also improve the secondary for years to come. Barron is viewed by many as a surefire first-rounder, while Hairston and Thomas are fringe top-32 picks.
Sam Farmer of the LA Times had the Rams drafting Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison at No. 26 overall in his latest mock draft, which would be quite the reach for Los Angeles.
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