Alaric Jackson has become the kind of player the Rams can’t afford to take for granted.
That wasn’t the case after Andrew Whitworth retired in 2022, when Los Angeles spent time searching for stability at left tackle and never really got it from Joe Noteboom. The answer arrived before the 2023 season, when Jackson won the starting job and gave the Rams a long-term solution on the edge. Last offseason, that role was rewarded with a contract extension.
Now, heading into 2026, Jackson’s standing on the field remains clear even if there’s uncertainty around him off it because of an ongoing legal situation. On this list of the Rams’ top 25 players for the 2026 season, he lands at No. 5, and the ranking says plenty about how much the team values what he brings.
Jackson may not sit in the league’s top tier of left tackles, but he’s good enough to remove one of the biggest worries on the roster. That kind of reliability matters, especially on an offensive line where the Rams have put more emphasis on the interior to keep Matthew Stafford clean. Jackson still handles Stafford’s blind side, and that makes him arguably the most important player up front.
There’s no simple backup plan waiting behind him, either. The Rams got a reminder of that last season against the Atlanta Falcons, when DJ Humphries had to step in at left tackle.
Humphries allowed four pressures and three hurries, and the offense never found its footing in the first half. Stafford had his worst game of the season, threw three interceptions, and didn’t look comfortable.
The Rams have depth elsewhere with David Quessenberry, though he struggled two years ago with the Minnesota Vikings. They also drafted Keagen Trost in the third round, but he’s still just a rookie. None of that changes the fact that Jackson is the one player they trust to hold the position together.
That’s why his health matters so much to everything Los Angeles wants to do on offense. The Rams can absorb injuries in some spots, but not here. If Jackson is out, Sean McVay would have to reshape the plan, and that would shrink what the offense can be.
Over the last three years, Jackson has grown into a foundational piece. If he misses time, protecting Stafford instantly becomes one of the team’s biggest concerns. The Rams know that losing him changes the math for the entire offense.
There are still questions around Jackson as the season approaches, and the Rams have to be ready if the NFL steps in with a suspension. Even with that cloud hanging over him, he checks in at No. 5 because four players are clearly ahead of him. Still, he stands alone at the top of the next tier.
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That is why the familiar veteran temptation should probably stay just that. Deebo Samuel is still out there, along with names like Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins, but Samuels recent production and the baggage that can come with a high-profile addition make him a tricky fit for a Rams offense already built around established targets. Adding him would also cut into the development path for the younger receivers battling for snaps, and Los Angeles appears more likely to let that competition play out than to crowd it with another big name. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Still Have One Obvious Fix For Their Biggest Weak Spot
The Rams offensive line depth remains one of the clearest pressure points on the roster, especially at tackle, where the team does not have much proven insurance behind its top options. Alaric Jackson Jr. is dealing with off-field issues, Warren McClendon has only limited starting experience, and that combination leaves Los Angeles vulnerable if it needs to patch things together in a hurry.
One possible answer has emerged in the form of a veteran left tackle who is suddenly available after Detroit moved on for salary reasons. Entering his 11th season, he was still viewed as a serviceable starter last year, which is enough to make him an appealing fallback for a Rams team that knows how valuable a steady blind-side presence can be. The question now is whether Los Angeles wants to make another experienced swing on the line before the problem turns into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald Rumor Has Rams Fans Dreaming About 2026
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The timeline remains fuzzy, but the expectation is that Donald would not be around when training camp opens and would miss the early stretch of practices. Still, the possibility of him being available for much of the 2026 season is enough to keep the speculation alive, especially after reports that he has told some inside the organization he is leaning toward a return. For now, the Rams are left with a familiar kind of suspense, the sort that comes with wondering whether one of the franchises defining players has another run left in him. [Read more 🡒]