Josiah Trotter, Los Angeles Rams
Getty
Josiah Trotter of the Missouri Tigers speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
The Los Angeles Rams can go in a variety of different directions with their 2026 draft picks, given the strong makeup of their current roster, and Josiah Trotter could be squarely in the organization’s crosshairs.
LA has long devalued Trotter’s position.
However, their recent successes have seemingly sparked a renewed interest in potentially taking a bigger swing for more upside.
Rams Connected to Missouri LB Josiah Trotter
Josiah Trotter
GettyJosiah Trotter of the Missouri Tigers speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
ESPN’s Sarah Barshop noted that it would make sense for the Rams to explore wide receiver options with the 13th overall pick, particularly with a lack of depth at wide receiver and varying questions about top options Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
But ESPN’s Miller noted speculation that LA could turn to linebacker options after that.
“The Rams don’t do top-30 visits or workouts, which makes it harder to discern a draft direction, but sources around the league have pointed at linebacker as an early-round target,” Miller wrote on April 9. “With receiver seeming like an obvious pick at No. 13, linebacker is the most likely direction in Round 2, especially if Josiah Trotter (Missouri) is available.”
The Rams started 2025 free agent signing Nate Landman and former undrafted free agent Omar Speights.
LA’s defense ranked 17th overall. It was 10th in scoring and checked in at 12th versus the run during the regular season. However, drafting Trotter would be a bit of a departure for the Rams, particularly where he is projected to come off the board.
The Rams own the 61st overall pick and could need to move up to get in range for Trotter.
Ernest Jones is the highest-drafted Rams linebacker since head coach Sean McVay took over in 2017. They have drafted five off-ball linebackers in that span, including using a fifth-round selection on Chris “Pooh” Paul in 2025.
The Rams waived Paul at the end of the 2025 preseason, choosing rookie UDFA Shaun Dolac instead. Paul joined the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, off waivers.
Trotter could be a more significant and worthwhile investment for the Rams.
Josiah Trotter Tabbed as Future Starting MLB
Josiah Trotter
GettyJosiah Trotter #40 of the Missouri Tigers celebrates a tackle against the Central Arkansas Bears.
Trotter is the son of former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro and Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. His brother is Philly LB and Super Bowl champion Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
He has drawn strong but telling reviews ahead of the draft.
“Trotter doesn’t have playmaking awareness in coverage (at least, not yet), but his run instincts and take-on skills are among the best in this draft class,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote in his “The Beast” draft guide. “He looks like a starting NFL Mike.”
Despite Trotter’s strong lineage, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared the 6-foot-2, 237-pound LB to Chiefs star Nick Bolton.
Bolton is listed at the same weight, but at 5-foot-11.
“Ascending inside linebacker with NFL bloodlines and alpha energy. Trotter’s heavy hands allow him to fit and choke off gaps, but he’s inconsistent in doing so,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile. “Coverage is the concern, with spotty zone awareness/spacing and the risk of being mismatched in man. Trotter’s wiring and disruptive qualities make him easy to project as a productive, long-time starter in the middle but a defense might need to protect him in coverage.”
The Rams boast a disruptive front and revamped their secondary with a pair of Super Bowl champions at corner, trading for Trent McDuffie and then signing former Kansas City Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson in free agency.
Trotter could even learn for a year before taking on a larger role in 2027. That is when Speights’ contract expires. Dolac’s contract expires in 2028, as does Landman’s.