Matthew Stafford has shown no signs of regression at the age of 36, continuing to play at a high level for the Rams this year. But there’s no denying he’s getting up there in age as one of the oldest quarterbacks in the league, which means the Rams have to start thinking of a succession plan.
With two former Georgia Bulldogs already on the quarterback depth chart, might they consider adding a third in the first round of the draft next year? That’s how ESPN’s Matt Miller sees things playing out for Los Angeles in April.
Miller released a new first-round mock draft this week and at No. 18 overall, he has the Rams selecting Georgia quarterback Carson Beck. At one point before this season, Beck was viewed as a candidate to go first overall as the top quarterback in the class, but his struggles in 2024 have caused his stock to slip.
The talent is certainly there for Beck, but turnovers have been a big issue, partly due to his accuracy regression. Here’s what Miller wrote about the possibility of Beck landing in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles could be the beneficiary of Beck’s stock dropping. Beck has thrown 12 interceptions, and his accuracy has suffered without Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, but he has a strong arm, the ability to make full-field reads and upside. The consensus in talking to scouts this week was that Beck could get himself back into mid-Round 1 consideration with a strong finish — which is what we’re projecting here due to the supply and demand at the position.
At 5-5, the Rams don’t look like a team that will be picking in the top 10 of the draft. They’re closer to a playoff berth than they are a top-10 pick, so it’ll be hard for them to land the highest-ranked quarterback on their board.
This is expected to be a weaker quarterback class than usual, though. Shedeur Sanders is pulling away as the projected QB1, with Cam Ward also in the conversation, but there’s no true franchise QB in this class like there was last year with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye.
Beck has the tools to be a productive starter in the NFL and the Rams have the need at the position to take him in the middle of Round 1, but there’s plenty of risk that would come with that selection.