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znModerator4 takeaways from Rams trading up for WR CJ Daniels
The Rams added a wide receiver in CJ Daniels who can make an early impact, but he’s not under any pressure to do soBrock Vierra
The Los Angeles Rams made the decision to trade up in the NFL draft on Saturday, after doing so twice last year. They moved up to the 197th selection, adding Miami Hurricanes wide receiver CJ Daniels.
Here are four takeaways from the move and selection of Daniels.
Ability to make an impact early without the pressure to do so
Daniels had one of the best catches of the 2025 collegiate season, snagging a one-handed touchdown against Notre Dame. Daniels has many of the traits that the Rams love in receivers: high-effort player with an ability to make contested catches. He doesn’t create a lot of natural separation and doesn’t have the breakaway speed of his contemporaries, but the Rams’ ability to mirror the run and the pass makes up for those deficiencies.
He’s entering a team that doesn’t have a pressing need at the position, but if asked to make spot appearances, Daniels has the film to prove he will answer the call.
Long-term option as a WR3
At this point, unless the Rams make an unforeseen move, the succession plan for Davante Adams is Konata Mumpfield. Adams and Mumpfield have a tremendous relationship; Mumpfield has a season of experience under his belt, and within one year, Mumpfield went from a seventh-round rookie to a starter in the Rams’ 11 personnel offense.
Jordan Whittington only has two more years on his deal, and Xavier Smith is set to be a free agent after this season. Considering looming extensions for players like Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford, and others, the team likely won’t have the money to keep most of their wide receiver room, setting up Daniels to be the team’s long-term option as a WR3.
With Daniels’ skillset, there’s a strong chance he will develop as a reliable third-down option.
The Rams’ short-yardage passing attack will be hard to stop
As mentioned, Daniels is great at making contested catches. Part of the reason is his ball tracking skills. The other part is his strong hands. Looking at Daniels’ film, most of his catches come within 7 yards of the line of scrimmage. Hooks, hitches, curls, drags, screen passes. That’s where Daniels excels.
With Adams’ big frame and the skillset of Puka Nacua, the Rams will be able to spread and shred defenses. Since defenses respect Matthew Stafford’s ability to push the ball downfield, Daniels will have a lot of space to operate in underneath.
Perfect piece to set up defenses
Looking at everything Daniels does well, his strengths are what the Sean McVay offense tries to highlight every Sunday. For the most part, teams understand what McVay is trying to do, and thus, there is an Achilles heel to their operation. That is their short-yardage offense. While Daniels will help fix that, defenses will counter. They have to.
With Daniels forcing defenses to commit resources to the underneath, he’s the perfect piece to set defenses up, and once they try to take away the underneath, it’s back to bombs away with Stafford slinging it.
znModeratorVincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
Here is the price they paid to get Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford:Four 1st round picks, two 2nd-round picks, two 3rd-round picks AND Goff (And a ton of salary)
(Obviously well worth it)
What it cost them to get Simpson: Handing a slip of paper to the commissioner. And maybe, if he doesn’t pan out, some regret on losing out on a player that could have helped them.
If Simpson works out, that’s incredible value.
And that doesn’t even take into account what they might have to pay to find Stafford’s replacement, if they didn’t draft Simpson.
Even if he doesn’t work out, the cost is minimal. They still have all future assets to address QB.
Once the Rams decided Simpson could be a dude, they pretty much had to take him. There’s no guarantee they’ll be in a position anytime soon to get their QB at cost of handing the commissioner a slip of paper.
znModeratorWatch the highlights. This guy has the same positive traits Puka does. At least at the point of the catch. I call them “in the phone booth” skills. He’s not as physical as Nacua, but it’s clear he has those “phone booth” skills. Which. To state the obvious. Are rare.
This is about as good a prospect in round 6 as we’ve seen in Rams drafts. He has high end traits as a contributor. Looks like he could develop into a key 3rd down receiver.
znModeratorfrom https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/interactive/the-beast-2026/player/cj-daniels-miami-wide-receiver/
A one-year starter at Miami (and three-and-a-half-year starter overall), Daniels lined up primarily outside (86.2 percent of his snaps) in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s scheme. After overcoming injury adversity at Liberty, he had a nondescript 2024 season at LSU before becoming an underrated part of the Hurricanes’ run to the 2025 national championship game.
Daniels doesn’t have a true difference-making trait, but his package of skills is easy to appreciate. He has quality size and foot quickness with gliding movements to attack coverage. Whether wide open or double covered, he frames the ball with the same focus and prides himself on doing whatever is asked of him within the offense.
Dane’s takeaway
Daniels might lack explosive speed, but he creates separation with crafty instincts and finishes with dependable ball skills. He projects best inside as a “big slot” in the NFL, who can rely on his awareness and toughness to be productive.
Strengths
Good-sized frame, with length and adequate muscle in his upper body Reliable ball skills and looks the ball into his hands (1.6 percent drop rate over the past two seasons) Catch-of-the-year candidate with his one-handed grab against Notre Dame in 2025 Impressive contested-catch rate (75.8 percent) over past three seasons Smart, tough player and shows a natural feel for the position Coordinated feet in his release and fights through grabby coverage Quickly reaches landmarks and stays alert when tagged as hot route Sources in Miami program speak highly of his pro mindset and consistency in practice
Weaknesses
Average-at-best speed and vertical push Struggles to shed bump-and-run defenders in his routes Relies more on savvy than suddenness to get open Tape doesn’t show a threatening player after the catch Nice job using blocking angles, but average strength will be more noticeable vs. NFL corners Didn’t produce a 100-yard receiving game at LSU or Miami (last 100-yard game came in December 2023 at Liberty) Not much special teams experience on his resume Tore right ACL on first day of 2022 spring practices, which required surgery and sidelined him for most of the ‘22 season; reaggravated his knee and dealt with a foot injury, which required offseason surgery, during the 2024 season; missed three games during super-senior season because of injury (Oct. 2025)
znModeratorznModeratorDaniels caught 50 passes for 557 yards and 7 TDs in 2025. At 6-foot-2, he was clocked between 4.47-4.62 on 40 times during predraft process https://t.co/2AzQBevMyo
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) April 25, 2026
znModeratorMax Klare's Athleticism is practically off the charts 📈 pic.twitter.com/1zUCSXCGgZ
— Underdog NFL Draft – Josh & Hayden (@UDFootballShow) February 27, 2026
znModeratorI simply don’t know, but I am somewhat concerned that McVay and Stafford are secretly “married,” and that McVay is going to leave when Stafford retires.
Why is this draft producing more than its share of conspiracy theories?
Their explanation was simple and makes sense. They have Stafford for a couple of years, but not forever. They like Simpson (and it is clear that Simpson has traits that fit this offense).They don’t see themselves getting a high 1st round pick again for a while.
No matter what the reason, no GM who built a reputation for working collaboratively is going to take a qb his head coach does not like. That’s whether or not the head coach was dumb enough to actually say “I plan on retiring when the qb does.” Garappolo is retiring, they don’t have a #2 anyway. They can see Simpson developing. Their coaching roster includes an unusually rich list of good offensive minds, and if they didn’t like Simpson, they would have spoken up.
McVay is in coaching because he loves coaching, that much is obvious, and he went through his early mid-life crisis in 2022 and came out of it.
There’s nothing under the rug. Or between the lines. There is no backstage drama. Their story adds up and makes sense and fits all the data points we know.
…
znModeratorMax Klare has been one of the more productive tight ends in this class over the past two collegiate seasons, especially after the catch. pic.twitter.com/MuwNWCbQoE
— Wyatt Miller (@wymill07) April 25, 2026
znModeratorOtto@hawkeyeram4life
I think we’re seeing somewhat of the vision for the #Rams evolving offense..Terrance Ferguson was used as “WR-hybrid” at Oregon at times, and in 13 personnel Klare was used as a slot WR at times
Rams Bros.@RamsBrothers
Fergie and Klare, unlike all TE’s, have the ability to run the full route tree. Neither are traditional in-line players. They’re both hybrid TE/WR.Kingsbury is just going to help McVay create more mismatches and scheme these guys wide open. It’ll be fun.
znModeratorNorth Carolina OL Austin Blaske
Austin Blaske
HT/WT: 6′ 5″, 310 lbsThe #Rams are signing former North Carolina offensive lineman Austin Blaske, @Ethos_SG tells @mzenitz and me for @CBSSports.
Blaske started 21 games over the last two seasons for the Tar Heels. He played both center and LT. Began his career at Georgia. pic.twitter.com/DgDVraSTsW
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) April 25, 2026
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znModeratorSchefter says they didnt receive a single call to trade down, so they were stuck at 13
This conflicts with reports claiming they did have offers.
So who knows.
To be fair, Schefter is good. But maybe the different reports come from different sources?
We shall see if time will tell.
znModeratorfrom https://www.nfl.com/prospects/cj-daniels/32004441-4e49-0797-9e3e-b27051043f49
College: Miami
Height: 6’2 1/4″
Weight: 202 lbs
Arm: 31 3/4″
Hand: 9 1/4″Overview
Daniels has a tremendous feel for creating catch opportunities with varied route tempo, body control and late separation tactics. He will struggle against a quality press and might need to be schemed into releases against certain corners. Daniels excels in putting himself between the throw and the defender, winning contested catches at a high rate during his time at LSU (2024) and Miami (2025). He’s confident, crafty and focused, but he’s average after the catch and unlikely to help on special teams, so his road to a roster spot will be challenging.
Strengths
Plays with an assured demeanor and consistent focus.
Crafts separation with a deep bag of tricks.
Subtle tempo changes manufacture separation windows.
Stacks corners on his hip and syncs his pace to the ball’s flight.
Has a strong feel for maintaining catch space on fades and 50/50s.
Effective use of size to shield defenders from the catch-point.Weaknesses
Below-average footwork and release quickness against press.
Loses route speed getting through vertical stems.
Below-average top-end speed and separation burst.
Run-after-catch talent is average.
Missed time due to injury during the 2022, 2024 and 2025 seasons.znModeratorThis was posted in twitter before Rams made their pick.
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Ryan@ryanknowsports
Thinking the Rams go Miami WR CJ Daniels at 207 if he’s still there:– Reliable ball skills with just a 1.6% drop rate the last 2 seasons
– 76% contested catch rate over the last 3 seasons
– Good frame with length and muscleSeems like a McVay guy
April 25, 2026 at 7:50 pm in reply to: Rams draft grades & assessments from everyone (including us) #163563znModeratorGreg Beacham@gregbeacham
Rams assistant GM John McKay acknowledges they were thinking about the long-term future in this draft, partly because their roster is fairly set and partly because they’ve got a lot of major contributors coming up for their second contracts soon.znModeratorSee, this just PROVES they botched this draft. They could have gotten their future Hall Of Fame franchise QB with that last 7th round pick. But they frittered it away for the WR.
w
vPlus why would you need another WR when your offense starts 6 TEs, including at qb.
znModeratorOk, I’ve said my piece on this issue.
w
vBut…I was just getting warmed up for my big speech!!
znModeratorI thought the Rams had 3 Seventh Round picks? I thot they got two comp picks in the 7th rd.
w
vThe Los Angeles Rams made the decision to trade up in the NFL draft on Saturday, after doing so twice last year. They moved up to the 197th selection, adding Miami Hurricanes wide receiver CJ Daniels.
znModeratorI dont agree with that approach. That number one offense could be better with M.Lemon. Especially if there are injuries.
w
vTrue. But the point is, with a good defense they wouldn’t need the offense to be #1 every game. We already saw how having the #1 offense didn’t matter against Seattle since the Rams also had what turned out to be the #17 defense.
znModeratorNew Rams WR CJ Daniels had one of the catches of the year for the 2025 college football season pic.twitter.com/vH82SliaKf
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) April 25, 2026
znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
A lot of teams’ fans were vocal about TE picks yesterday. But I expect 12 and 13 personnel usage to keep increasing. And if you want real flexibility to move between 11 personnel and 12 or 13, coaches know you need four playable TEs and some teams will activate them all or moreznModeratorI think McVay was kind of a dick to Ty on the phone. He gave me”I’m gonna run you out of town” vibes.
That is not the impression I had listening to McVay on the phone with Simpson.
I think McVay welcomes the pick, and I don’t believe any interpretation that would have Snead taking a qb McVay didn’t want.
znModeratorBut what if that good-future-QB-pick costs the Rams a Super Bowl this season? What if Davante or Puka go down. (Puka plays like a tasmanian devil, and Davante is old)
Arguably, they just needed the corners. They managed to have the #1 offense in the league last year with the receivers they have–including PN and DA missing time.
In the final 2 games against Seattle, they faced a super bowl defense that was 6th in yards and 1st in points allowed. And in those 2 games averaged–on just offense–534 yards, 32 points, and 0 turnovers.
Their problem was defense, and the weak spot was CB.
znModeratorWell, I dont get why you think the third rounder is a guard? He started all his college games except one at Tackle.
Cause to me, 6’4 = Rams guard.
Moving college tackles inside to guard is an old NFL thing.
znModeratorRams Bros.@RamsBrothers
Dane Bruglar on Keagon Trost: “will need some mechanical tweaks for a move inside, but that shouldn’t be a major issue.He is a technique-focused blocker with steady feet and physical hands. His ceiling isn’t sky high, but the position flex only boosts his usefulness.”
znModeratorTy Simpson was the second-most accurate play-action passer in the FBS last season (minimum 100 play-action snaps).
The Rams ran the highest rate of play-action passes in the league in 2025. The pro-style offense Simpson ran at Alabama will help him transition to LA. pic.twitter.com/n2qeyyEGLb
— Wyatt Miller (@wymill07) April 24, 2026
znModeratorI think the main thing with this pick, and the guard they took in rnd 3, is plugging up in advance the holes that will be caused by free agency next year. Next year both veteran TEs (Higbee and Parkinson) and 4 of the starting OL will be up for extensions. They can’t sign all 6 of those guys. They will need fresh bodies.
The idea that this draft was all about the 2026 window was obviously wrong.
Stafford is working on a multiple year extension (at least 2 years) and that means the window is open longer.
But come next year, they won’t be able to pay all their draft picks and other acquisitions from 2023-2024. So this draft is about developing replacements.
znModeratorTrost is a guard. Their 2 starting guards hit free agency after 2026. They can’t keep both.
znModeratorznModeratorfrom https://www.nfl.com/prospects/keagen-trost/32005452-4f36-3377-ea3c-72116040b802
Trost’s improvement from 2024 to 2025 was obvious on tape. Battles against Missouri’s Zion Young and Damon Wilson II got him game-ready to handle his work against good SEC competition. He has a broad, proportional build and plays with good body control/firmness through contact. Pro edge speed could push him inside to guard, where his tackle experience and ability to play in gap or zone scheme are differentiators. Position versatility, toughness and a ready-made frame give Trost a chance to eventually become a starter.
Strengths
Build is broad and solid with good lean mass on his frame.
Has strength/athleticism to play in all run-blocking schemes.
Leverages hand strikes and stays centered on the block.
Hand strength and upper-body power to maul if needed.
Climb is under control and ready for contact with linebackers.
Transitions from punch to grip for quicker rush control.
Improved hand usage helps firmness of his anchor.
Redirects weight to inside moves with adequate fluidity.Weaknesses
Below-average ground gain with his first three pass slides.
Static, two-hand punch is ripe for swipes and counters.
Needs to keep weight back and guard against reaching/leaning.
Higher pad level could be a concern if he moves inside.
Inconsistent footwork to improve positioning in run game. -
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