Rams' drafting for the future

With the 61st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Rams selected tight end Max Klare,

doubling down on a clear theme: development behind proven veterans. Just as first-

round QB Ty Simpson is expected to learn under Matthew Stafford, Klare steps into a

tight end room led by Tyler Higbee—another pass-catching weapon who once made the 

transition from wide receiver. The parallels aren’t accidental.

And according to head coach Sean McVay, neither is the vision.

“What’s the vision for these guys? And then how can we as coaches… help them bring

that to life,” McVay said. Klare embraces that process.“I’m super pumped up… just excited to get into the building, man… get to work,” he said moments after his first zoom presser with local LA media. This is a tight end room built on versatility—and McVay made it clear that’s exactly why Klare was the pick. “The versatility… the ability to be a move blocker… play in great run after the catch,” he explained.

It’s also a group the Rams are leaning into more than ever. “There’s nothing better than 13 personnel,” Klare said, already picturing his role in the offense.

General Manager Les Snead echoed that strategy, emphasizing roster construction as

much as play design. “When you lose a body type like that… then all of a sudden that’s

out of your game plan,” Snead said, pointing to the importance of tight end depth. 

The Rams didn’t just want another tight end—they wanted sustainability within their

system. Later in the draft, that same philosophy showed up in the trenches.

Missouri offensive lineman Keagen Trost, selected at No. 93, brings the kind of

adaptability McVay covets. “This guy can play right, he can play left, he can play inside,

he can really play all five,” McVay said. Trost knows exactly why that matters.

“I think versatility is huge in the NFL… being a physical offensive lineman that can play

multiple spots,” he said.