The Los Angeles Rams are going all-in this offseason for the 2026 NFL season, which might be the final year of Matthew Stafford's NFL career.
In order to capitalize on the upcoming season, the Rams have addressed a lot of their needs on both sides of the ball. But, there's still one position that the Rams have yet to add despite eyeing some moves. That position is at wide receiver.
With such an interest in the position, ESPN's Bill Barnwell predicts that the Rams could lead the Miami Dolphins, who own the 11th pick, in a trade-up with the Cincinnati Bengals at 10th overall for USC 1,156-yard WR Makai Lemon.
Rams predicted to trade up over Dolphins for Makai Lemon
"Tate could be off the board by the 10th selection, but if the Rams want to add USC wideout Makai Lemon, they might need to get aggressive," Barnwell writes. "The Dolphins are bereft at wide receiver and need playmakers for Malik Willis. Lemon would be a logical pick for them at No. 11."
With the Rams picking at No. 13 overall, Lemon could very easily go to the Dolphins with the 11th pick, just two spots ahead of the Rams first rounder from the Atlanta Falcons.
Instead of seeing Lemon go ahead of them to the Dolphins, along with Carnell Tate likely to go inside the top-10, the Rams could move up with the Bengals for the 10th pick to land Lemon ahead of the Dolphins.
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Barnwell's proposal for the Rams to move up three spots would have Les Snead sending the 93rd overall pick to move up three spots in Round 1 while also landing a sixth-rounder at 189th overall.
The Rams are looking to make the most of their window of contention in 2026, and moving up a bit in the draft to get an instant-impact player like Lemon would make sense. He had 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 catches last year for the Trojans.
He'd be a nice pairing with Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, and could be a long-term replacement for one or the other in the WR room as both are in the final year of their contracts.
This proposal from Barnwell makes a lot of sense for the Rams, and for the Bengals, this wouldn't be a terrible idea either, as they could get some extra draft value while still likely getting a player they need with the 13th pick.
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