Rams' Draft Plan: Lemon for Zone, Nacua for Edges

0:00On April 22nd, rumors are swirling about the Los Angeles Rams and the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Most folks think they'll grab a wide receiver to pair with the Vante Adams now and replace them later. Names like Karnel Tate, Jordan Tyson, and Omar, Cooper Jr. floating around. But here's a different angle. The Rams aren't eyeing Adam's successor. They're building around Pukinakua long-term, planning to draft USC's Mackay Lemon as a zone-covered specialist, kind of like Cooper Cup in his prime. The Rams have a history of mixing it up. Cup thrived reading zones, so they added man-coverage busters like Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr. too. Force defenses that way. Nekua stepped into that zone role perfectly, but now they won Lemon to handle it, freeing Nekua to dominate one-on-one matchups like Adams does. National media sees it as Adams' insurance, but this setup lets Nakhua grow into the outside threat, with guys like Kyron Williams covering Red Zone.

1:00Needs. It flips the script on how the offense flows. This all ties back to Matthew Stafford's no-retirement timeline. His brains still elite even if the arm fades. Lemon gives Stafford those easy reads in zone, keeping the Rams humming for years with Nakhua owning the edges.