The Rams didn’t come out of the 2026 NFL Draft with the two names many around the league had circled, but they did leave with a tight end who fits a bigger plan.
Los Angeles passed on Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq and USC’s Makai Lemon, two players some analysts had pegged as the kind of immediate offensive jolt that would make the draft feel like a win. Instead, the Rams used their second pick on Ohio State tight end Max Klare, a move that hasn’t drawn much immediate buzz. The reason may be simple: the logic behind it is more layered than flashy.
Klare arrives with a strong college résumé and the kind of versatility that can matter when a roster is about to turn over at a position. The Rams already have four tight ends, but several of those situations are far from settled.
Colby Parkinson, for one, looks like a player in the FIGMO stage. In military terms, that means “Forget It, Got My Orders.”
In this case, it captures a veteran who has done well in 2025 but is now in the final year of his contract and no longer in the same position as the younger, cheaper players pushing behind him. He’s at the top of the depth chart now, but next offseason figures to be too expensive for the Rams’ taste, and a split in free agency would make sense for both sides.
Terrance Ferguson is another reason Klare matters. The Rams had high hopes for Ferguson as a rookie, but he didn’t deliver the way they wanted.
There’s still optimism inside the building, but drafting Klare sends a clear message: the Rams are not planning to hand Ferguson the job in 2026 without a fight. Klare brings competition, and he brings it with real Big Ten experience from Ohio State and Purdue.
He profiles as a blue-collar tight end in a room where Ferguson was the more polished, white-collar type of bet last year.
Then there’s Tyler Higbee, whose recovery from a postseason injury two years ago has taken longer than anyone would like. That’s the reality of an older player in the league.
Higbee appeared in 10 games last season, starting eight, and in 366 snaps he caught 25 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns. Even with the Rams operating as a high-powered offense, there were still yards, first downs, and touchdowns left on the table.
Klare gives them another way to squeeze more production out of the unit in 2026, whether Higbee is leading the group or not.
Davis Allen rounds out the picture. The 2023 fifth-round pick, taken two spots before Puka Nacua, has settled in more as a blocker than a receiver.
He hasn’t been a bust, but he hasn’t been steady enough to lock down a major role either. After catching 10 of 11 targets as a rookie, then six of 13 in his second season, he finished with a career-best 24 catches on 33 targets in 2025.
Still, his three-year total sits at just 342 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Allen has been useful in the run game, but he has not become a featured option through the air. That leaves Klare as a rookie walking into a crowded room, but one with openings. With Parkinson and Allen both on expiring contracts, Snead’s move looks less like a luxury and more like insurance - the kind that keeps the Rams a step ahead of the uncertainty already building at tight end.
In Other News...
Rams Face A Tough WR3 Dilemma With Familiar Veteran Temptation
With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams locked in as the top two options, the Rams are spending this part of the offseason sorting through a more modest but still important question: who becomes the third receiver. Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield and rookie CJ Daniels are among the young players getting a look, which makes the spot less about star power and more about whether the team can find a reliable role player it can keep growing.
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
Aaron Donalds name is back in the conversation around the Rams, and for a fan base that spent years watching him wreck game plans, even the hint of movement is enough to stir up old memories. According to Jason La Canfora, there is growing belief around the league that the former defensive tackle could eventually make his way back to Los Angeles, with the discussion centered less on nostalgia than on whether the door is actually opening again.
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 🡒]