The Rams currently own the No. 26 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and are scheduled to make that selection on April 24. Here are some of the most notable players picked in that spot in NFL history, including a pair of Hall of Famers:
2020: Jordan Love, Packers QB
One of the most successful project quarterback picks in the NFL recently was selected at 26th overall five years ago. Love sat for two seasons behind veteran gunslinger Aaron Rodgers, learning from one of the most talented throwers of the football in NFL history before taking the reins in 2023.
In his two seasons as a starter for Green Bay, Love has thrown for 7,548 yards, 57 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. The Packers have made the postseason in back-to-back years with Love as the starter. If the Rams were to go the quarterback route, the QB in question would enter a similar situation to Love, sitting behind an elite passer in Matthew Stafford. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart have been linked to the Rams in recent mock drafts.
2018: Calvin Ridley, Falcons WR
Ridley's career has been somewhat marred by injuries and a season-long suspension in 2022, but he was a premier route-runner coming out of Alabama in 2018, and still is. In six NFL seasons, he's played 83 games and caught 388 passes for 5,375 yards. Last year, his first with the Titans, Ridley tallied his third career 1,000-yard season.
2009: Clay Matthews, Packers OLB
Matthews burst onto the scene in 2009, collecting 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in a stellar rookie campaign. He terrorized opposing quarterbacks for a decade on the Packers before finishing his career with the Rams in 2019. He accumulated 91.5 sacks, 519 total tackles, 130 tackles for loss, 17 forced fumbles, six interceptions and six Pro Bowl selections during his 11-year career. Matthews' second NFL season was his best, finishing second in the AP Defensive Player of the Year voting after a 13.5-sack season.
2008: Duane Brown, Texans OT
Brown is tied for 10th all-time in games played for an offensive lineman with 220. From 2008-2023, Brown played at least 10 games in every season apart from his last, spending 10 years with Houston, five with Seattle and his final two with the Jets. He was one of the most dependable tackles of his generation, earning five Pro Bowl bids and one First Team All-Pro selection in 2012.
1998: Alan Faneca, Steelers OG (HOF)
During his 13-year Hall of Fame career, Faneca missed just two regular season game. It included nine Pro Bowl selections, six First Team All-Pro seasons, a Super Bowl victory in 2005 and a spot on the 2000s Hall of Fame team. He played for Pittsburgh through 2007 before spending two years with the Giants and one with the Cardinals at the end of his illustrious career.
1996: Ray Lewis, Ravens ILB (HOF)
Probably the most notable selection at No. 26 is the NFL's all-time leader in total and solo tackles in the regular and postseason, respectively. His Hall of Fame career spanned 17 seasons, all with the Ravens, including two AP Defensive Player of the Year awards, two Super Bowl victories, 12 Pro Bowl nods and seven First Team All-Pro selections.
He was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV and is considered one of the best defensive players in NFL history.
1993: Dana Stubblefield, 49ers DT
This 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle played 154 games in 11 seasons for the 49ers, Redskins and Raiders. He won 1993 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year with 10.5 sacks and 64 total tackles. Four years later, he took home AP Defensive Player of the Year after a 15-sack season with three forced fumbles.
1987: Jim Harbaugh, Bears QB
The current coach of the L.A. Chargers had a very respectable playing career as a quarterback after being drafted in the first round by the Bears. In 14 seasons, Harbaugh started 140 games, completing 2,305 passes for 26,288 yards, 129 touchdowns and 117 interceptions.
He played for the Colts, Ravens and Chargers after seven years in Chicago. His best season was with Indianapolis in 1995 when he had a league-high 100.7 passer rating, four game-winning drives and three fourth-quarter comebacks.
