Rams 2025 Draft Dilemma: As the Los Angeles Rams navigate the 2025 offseason, the franchise stands at a crossroads. With Matthew Stafford, the Super Bowl champion quarterback, entering his age-37 season, the team must weigh its options for the future under center. Stafford’s restructured contract keeps him in L.A. for 2025, but his longevity remains a question mark after years of wear and tear. Enter the 2025 NFL Draft, where analysts like Chris Simms are spotlighting two intriguing prospects—Syracuse’s Kyle McCord and Texas’s Quinn Ewers—as potential fits for the Rams. This article explores their profiles, their fit in Sean McVay’s system, and the broader strategic dilemma facing the franchise as it balances present contention with future stability.
Matthew Stafford’s Twilight: A Super Bowl Window Still Open?
Since arriving in Los Angeles via trade in 2021, Matthew Stafford has been the linchpin of the Rams’ offense. His 2021-22 Super Bowl run showcased his elite arm talent and clutch playmaking, but injuries and roster turnover have tested his resilience in the years since. In 2024, Stafford again proved his mettle, steering the Rams to a playoff berth despite a midseason dip. Now, with a retooled roster featuring Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, the Rams remain contenders in the NFC West.
Yet, the clock is ticking. At 37, Stafford is in the twilight of a career marked by durability concerns—his injury history includes a fractured back, elbow issues, and multiple concussions. The Rams’ front office, led by Les Snead, has doubled down on winning now, evidenced by the Adams signing and Stafford’s reworked deal. But with no second-round pick in the 2025 draft (traded away in a previous move) and a first-round slot at #26, the team faces a tricky calculus: invest in a quarterback of the future or bolster a roster around an aging star?
Kyle McCord: The Pocket Precisionist
If the Rams opt to groom a successor, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord emerges as a compelling candidate. A former Ohio State starter who transferred to the Orange for his final college season, McCord rewrote the Syracuse record books in 2024, throwing for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns. His journey—from a five-star recruit to a Buckeyes backup behind C.J. Stroud to a breakout star—mirrors the patience Stafford himself showed early in his Detroit days.
Chris Simms, in his 2025 quarterback rankings, places McCord in Tier 3, praising his “wow factor” with throws that showcase arm strength and precision. “When you watch him, it’s quick decisions, quick release, more power on the arm than you’d imagine,” Simms noted. At 6’3” and 224 pounds, McCord has the prototypical size for an NFL pocket passer, a trait that aligns with Sean McVay’s preference for quarterbacks who can operate his timing-based offense.
McCord’s strengths lie in his decisiveness and accuracy. His 66% completion rate at Ohio State in 2023 and subsequent dominance at Syracuse highlight a player who thrives in structure—reading defenses pre-snap, delivering the ball on time, and exploiting intermediate windows. For a Rams team that leans on play-action and layered route concepts, McCord could be a seamless fit. Simms compares him stylistically to Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr, both second-round picks who found NFL success as system quarterbacks.
However, McCord isn’t without flaws. His 12 interceptions in 2024 suggest a propensity for riskier throws under pressure, and his lack of elite mobility limits his improvisational upside—a contrast to the dual-threat quarterbacks dominating today’s NFL. For the Rams, who don’t currently own a second-round pick, drafting McCord might require a trade-up from their third-round slot or a slide in his stock, scenarios Simms deems plausible given historical trends.
Quinn Ewers: The High-Ceiling Wildcard
On the other end of the spectrum sits Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers, a former No. 1 overall recruit whose tantalizing potential has scouts buzzing. Ewers, also in Simms’ Tier 3, brings a different flavor to the table: a cannon arm, natural playmaking instincts, and untapped upside that could elevate him beyond McCord with the right development. At 6’2” and 210 pounds, he’s slightly smaller than McCord, but his arm talent is undeniable.
Simms lauds Ewers’ mechanics—“It looks really easy, natural, and perfect”—and his ability to uncork throws with “more power behind his arm than TV gives it credit for.” Ewers’ 2024 season at Texas saw him lead the Longhorns to a Big 12 title, displaying flashes of brilliance with deep-ball accuracy and off-platform creativity. Yet, his inconsistency and injury history (missing at least two games in each of the last three seasons) temper the hype. “He’s a really good athlete, way bigger than people realize,” Simms said but added that Ewers “needs to step on the gas more” to maximize his potential.
For the Rams, Ewers represents a higher-risk, higher-reward proposition. His arm strength and athleticism could unlock new dimensions in McVay’s offense, pairing beautifully with speedsters like Tutu Atwell and the contested-catch prowess of Adams and Nacua. However, his rawness—evident in erratic decision-making late in college games—suggests he’d benefit from a year or two behind Stafford, much like Jordan Love did behind Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. With Ewers projected as a late first-round or early second-round pick, the Rams might need to maneuver draft capital to secure him, a move that could strain their already thin pick arsenal.
The Rams’ Draft Dilemma: Now or Later?
The debate over McCord versus Ewers underscores a broader strategic question for the Rams: how do they balance Stafford’s present with the uncertainty of his future? Historical data offers little comfort—second- and third-round quarterbacks rarely pan out as franchise starters, with exceptions like Carr and Garoppolo standing out amid a sea of busts. Simms himself questions the value of spending a Day 2 pick on a quarterback, noting, “It’s a position where the individuals that have a real chance of success go early in the draft.”
The Rams’ current trajectory complicates matters. With $46.6 million in cap space and eight projected picks, they have the flexibility to address needs at cornerback, linebacker, or offensive line—positions that could keep them competitive in 2025. Trading down from their first-round slot to recoup a second-rounder, as Simms suggests, could allow them to target McCord or Ewers while still addressing immediate roster gaps. Alternatively, they could stick with Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo as their backup and punt the quarterback question to 2026, when Stafford’s contract nears its end.
Fan sentiment, as reflected on platforms like X, leans toward maximizing the Stafford window. “The Rams are competing for a Super Bowl in 2025,” one user posted, questioning the wisdom of drafting a developmental quarterback over a plug-and-play starter at another position. Yet, the specter of Stafford’s retirement looms large—few quarterbacks sustain elite play past 38, and the Rams can ill afford to be caught flat-footed when he hangs up his cleats.
A Path Forward: McCord as the Understudy?
If forced to choose, Kyle McCord might edge out Ewers as the better immediate fit for the Rams. His polish and pocket presence align with McVay’s system, offering a reliable understudy who could step in if Stafford’s body falters. Ewers, while tantalizing, feels like a project better suited for a team with a longer runway—his ceiling is higher, but his floor is lower, and the Rams don’t have the luxury of a multi-year rebuild.
Picture this: the Rams trade down from pick 26, acquire a second-rounder, and snag McCord in the 50s. He spends 2025 learning McVay’s playbook, absorbing Stafford’s veteran savvy, and refining his decision-making. By 2026 or 2027, he’s ready to take the reins, backed by a still-potent receiving corps and a defense bolstered by earlier picks. It’s not a sexy plan, but it’s pragmatic—a bridge from the Stafford era to the next chapter.
The Verdict: A Franchise at a Pivot Point
The Rams are neither fully in win-now mode nor fully rebuilding. They’re straddling a tightrope, with Stafford’s arm strength and McVay’s ingenuity keeping them aloft. Kyle McCord and Quinn Ewers represent two paths forward: one a steady hand, the other a daring gamble. Whichever road Snead and McVay choose, the decision will ripple through the franchise for years to come—because in the NFL, the quarterback question is never just about today, but about tomorrow. For now, Rams fans can only watch, wait, and hope the front office threads the needle once more.
For more discussion on the Los Angeles Rams, please visit The Rams Forum
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.