The Rams went into the draft with a familiar kind of eye for value, and this time the swing came on CJ Daniels.
Los Angeles traded up to take the receiver in the sixth round, moving from No. 207, No. 251 and No. 252 in the 2026 draft to land Daniels at No.
- It was the kind of move that fits right into the Rams’ recent habit of betting on wideouts who arrive without much fanfare and then force their way into the picture.
Puka Nacua is the obvious example, and that history is a big reason this pick matters.
The Rams’ offense spent last season leaning heavily on tight ends, though whether that shift was a true strategic breakthrough or more of a response to injuries and a thin receiver room is up for debate. Either way, this is still a team that likes to throw the ball to its wide receivers, and a return to that emphasis makes sense as the playcalling evolves.
Daniels enters a depth chart that looks far more open than the ones recent rookie Rams receivers have faced. Jordan Whittington spent 2024 fighting for leftover snaps behind Nacua, Cooper Kupp and Tutu Atwell.
Konata Mumpfield had an even tougher path in 2025, stuck behind Nacua and Davante Adams. On top of that, Mumpfield missed a chance to work in training camp with Matthew Stafford because of Stafford’s injury.
This year’s setup should be different. Stafford appears healthy, which matters for every receiver in the room, and Daniels has a real chance to carve out playing time if he can earn it. The door is open, and that alone gives him a better path than most late-round rookies get.
No one is expecting Daniels to explode onto the scene the way Nacua did, when he piled up nearly 1,500 receiving yards as a rookie. But the Rams do not need that kind of instant star turn.
If Daniels can deliver something in the range of 300 to 400 yards and a few touchdowns, that would be a strong first step. Given the Rams’ track record and the opportunity in front of him, that feels like a reasonable place to start.
In Other News...
Rams Receiver Is Drawing Real Breakout Buzz Inside The Offense
Konata Mumpfield arrived in the Rams receiver room as a seventh-round pick with little expectation of immediate impact, but his rookie year ended with a role that was starting to look very different from the one he began with. He finished with 10 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown, and the most important development came late, when his usage rose enough to make him a more regular part of the offense as Los Angeles pushed through the final stretch and into the postseason.
The deeper sign of progress is not just the modest production, but how the Rams began to treat him as a receiver worth getting on the field more often. His late-season involvement outpaced Jordan Whittingtons, and the confidence around him has only grown with a veteran like Davante Adams expressing belief that Mumpfield can take another step in year two. For a player drafted that late, the question now is whether that closing burst was the start of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Receiver Battle Behind Puka And Davante Suddenly Feels Wide Open
Behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, the Rams receiver picture for 2026 looks a lot less settled than it did a year ago. A speculative depth chart has Jordan Whittington slotted next in line, with Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield and rookie CJ Daniels all trying to carve out their own place in Sean McVays offense. It is the kind of position group that can change quickly, especially with so much of the long-term outlook still tied to how the younger receivers develop.
Whittingtons case is the most intriguing because his second season did not move forward the way the Rams probably hoped, even though his size, strength and willingness to block still give him a path back into a bigger role. Smith has already shown he can produce in limited opportunities, and Mumpfields late-season and playoff involvement suggests he has started to earn trust in the system. Daniels, meanwhile, enters as a rookie with a real opening if he stands out in camp, which is why this group feels less like a depth chart than a competition waiting to unfold. [Read more 🡒]