Despite needs on defense, should Rams go all-in on Matthew Stafford?

The Rams have needs on defense, but should they just invest in their best player?

At the end of last season, Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead mentioned that the Rams were re-tooling and not rebuilding because of what he described as “weight-bearing walls” on the roster. Among those weight-bearing walls and “pillars” Snead mentioned quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

However, without Donald, one of those pillars has gone missing. With the injuries to Cooper Kupp, a second-pillar has serious questions regarding its stability. That leaves one pillar who’s as strong as ever. Stafford is coming off of one of his most efficient years in the NFL, a season in which he unexpectedly led the Rams back to the playoffs.

It seems as if the Rams recognize that as well. This offseason, the team re-signed Kevin Dotson and also spent a lot of money on guard Jonah Jackson. Doing this allows them to also move Steve Avila to center and gives them potentially one of the best interior offensive lines in the NFL. It’s a similar build that the New Orleans Saints shifted to with Drew Brees in the later stages of his career.

There’s no question that the Rams have needs on the defensive side of the ball. They significantly need an edge rusher and defensive line is also a pretty big need following Donald’s retirement. An argument could be made for needs at linebacker and cornerback as well.

However, there are also concerns on how much a rookie is going to have on the defense. Edge rushers typically don’t hit their stride until year two or three. The Rams signed a pair of starting-level cornerbacks in free agency. A rookie defensive linemen will likely be working in a rotation. As the second linebacker behind Ernest Jones, Christian Rozeboom played less than 50 percent of the team’s defensive snaps last year. All of that while not having a veteran player to help elevate those around him like Donald did for his career does leave questions about drafting a rookie defender in the first round and the immediate impact that they will have.

This isn’t to say that the Rams should just completely ignore the defensive side of the ball. However, it’s also worth noting that the offseason doesn’t stop for Snead in April. They didn’t sign Ahkello Witherspoon until June last year and Snead has always been aggressive at the trade deadline.

Pigeon-holing yourself in the draft and locking yourself into specific positions is where teams can sometimes get in trouble. The Rams didn’t need a defensive lineman when they drafted Aaron Donald in 2014 as they already had three first-round picks in that position group. That may be an exception to the rule, but the point is, the Rams options are limitless and there shouldn’t be any positional limitations.

A year ago, Snead mentioned Stafford and Kupp among the team’s weight-bearing walls. As seen last year, the Rams will only go as far as Stafford will take them. Should the goal then not be to surround Stafford with as much talent and give him the best supporting cast possible?

Even if the Rams add an edge rusher or top defensive lineman with the 19th overall pick, it’s not going to elevate the defense into the top-10 or maybe not even the top-15. That’s not to have a negative outlook, but a realistic viewpoint in terms of the defense as a whole. The best case scenario is that there is some improvement from individual players, but as a unit end up around the same spot they did last year which was 20th in defense EPA. If the defense is going to allow 30 points, should the offense be built to score 31? Removing the team’s best defensive player and replacing him with rookies isn’t going to elevate the group.

Instead, the Rams may be better off giving Stafford as much help as possible. The offense under Sean McVay has been at its best when the offensive line is among the best in the NFL. Alaric Jackson was a fine left tackle over the second-half of the season, but there’s no question that adding a player like Joe Alt in a trade-up scenario or Olu Fashanu would be a significant upgrade and a great landing spot for either player. A high-level left tackle helps both Stafford and Kyren Williams who are key pieces on the offense.

While the Rams don’t necessarily need a wide receiver, adding a player like Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas Jr., etc. does make sense. The Rams have two wide receivers under contract heading into 2025 and there are questions around Kupp. At worst, the Rams get a future at the position in the case that the team has to move on from their star wide receiver. The best case scenario is that the Rams end up with one of the best wide receiver groups in the NFL.

After drafting Matthew Stafford in 2009, three of the Detroit Lions’ next four first round picks ended up being on the defensive side of the ball. While Ndamukong Sun ended up as a solid player, Nick Fairley played four years in Detroit and was an inconsistent player that wasn’t re-signed. Ezekiel Ansah was taken fifth overall as an edge rusher and didn’t have a breakout season until year three. Despite investment on the defensive side of the ball, it never really panned out for the Lions. It’s no secret Detroit struggled on the defensive side of the ball in the Stafford era. What if they instead had invested in their franchise player at quarterback?

There’s not necessarily a wrong answer here, but it’s worth noting that the immediate impact of a rookie defender is possibly being overrated, especially one drafted outside the top-15. Currently, there isn’t a player that can elevate the other young players still learning on the defensive side of the ball. Meanwhile, that’s exactly what a player like Stafford can do on offense.

The Rams likely have three more years of Matthew Stafford. It’s important that they keep investing in him and giving him the supporting cast that allows the best chance for success.