Rams writers debate: Should Rams draft a QB in 2024?

Whether it is Bo Nix, Michael Penix, or Spencer Rattler on day two, should Rams pick a QB?

Nobody could successfully argue that the L.A. Rams have a “need” at quarterback for the 2024 season. As things stand today, the Rams have easily the most experienced and successful one-two punch at quarterback in the entire conference: Matthew Stafford won a Super Bowl and could be the best quarterback in the NFC, Jimmy Garoppolo went to a Super Bowl and could be the best backup quarterback in the NFC.

Beyond those two, Stetson Bennett is on the roster and as an unproven fourth round pick in 2023, could still turn around his career and prove himself as an adequate heir apparent to the backup position at least. There’s even a fourth quarterback on the roster, Dresser Winn.

And yet, what will be the “need” at quarterback in 2025 if Stafford retires? The answer probably isn’t going to be Garoppolo or Bennett and it can be a nightmare to address the position when you need it compared to looking for solutions when you don’t need it: Look at the Packers with Jordan Love, the 49ers with Brock Purdy, or the Eagles with Jalen Hurts.

All of those teams drafted quarterbacks—whether it is the first, second, or seventh round—when they didn’t “need” a quarterback…until they did.

Better to have it before you need it.

But should the Rams draft a quarterback this year or let it play out until 2025? That’s the subject of the fifth and final question that I posed to Turf Show Times writers.

Q – It’s a subject that you can never really escape, no matter the team: Should the Rams consider drafting a QB in the first two rounds if they see a potential successor to Matthew Stafford like Bo Nix in the first round or Spencer Rattler in the second round, just to name a couple of examples? DRAFT QB: ACCEPTABLE, UNACCEPTABLE, or NECESSARY?

Evan Craig

“If there’s a suitable successor to Stafford available by the time LA picks, I would say it’s an acceptable move. I fully expect Nix to be overdrafted by the Broncos or someone else in the first round. Rattler is an interesting prospect, but I would love for the Rams to take Michael Penix. He’s got perhaps the best arm in the class and has a relatively high ceiling. Penix will probably fall out of the first round due to his injury history which means LA should pick him early in the second as he’s got too much potential to pass up.”

Danny Stone

“If they see someone and they like him then yes totally acceptable. It seems like their QB room is set with Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo and potentially Stetson Bennett. I don’t really see the Rams adding another QB through the draft (maybe after), but adding one wouldn’t shock me, and I am not repulsed by the idea.”

Jake Ellenbogen

“I really like Spencer Rattler but this draft is not the time to draft a QB. Unless someone like Drake Maye falls down the board to the 19th pick you cannot justify spending that first round pick on a position that is not even close to a need right now over adding a pass rusher to try and replace Aaron Donald.”

Blaine Grisak

“This answer for me may have been different a few weeks ago. Between the Jimmy Garoppolo signing and Stetson Bennett possibly returning to the team, it’s hard to see them adding a fourth quarterback, let alone a quarterback that high in the draft. My answer right now would be unacceptable because of the moves that they’ve made this offseason. With that being said, I do wish they would have handled the quarterback position differently. Neither Garoppolo or Bennett give the Rams upside at the position behind Matthew Stafford. Garoppolo is 33 and coming off of his worst season. Bennett will essentially be a 27 year old rookie that struggled in the preseason last year. With Aaron Donald’s retirement, we’ve seen first hand how much of a bind losing a player of that caliber can leave the franchise. Should they also have the same plan, or lack thereof, at the most important position in football? I would love if they added a player like Michael Penix Jr. behind Stafford or Spencer Rattler. However, it doesn’t make sense with the moves that they’ve made.”

Kenneth Arthur

I’m just going to say something I’ve said many times: Most fans tend to overlook and ignore the “entertainment” aspect of “sports entertainment”. I’m here (an obsessive NFL fan) to be entertained and there’s nothing more entertaining in the draft than picking a quarterback.

This does NOT mean that I believe teams should value entertainment over improving the quality of the team. But if the Rams do pick a first round quarterback, I highly suggest that you enjoy the moment and let yourself be engulfed by the intrigue that comes with the most entertaining thing the L.A. Rams will have done in the draft in almost 10 years. Rather than “Ah BOO! F! THIS SUCKS! I’M GOING TO ROOT FOR THE 49ers NOW!”

I mean let’s be honest here, the Rams haven’t used a first round pick on a draft prospect since Jared Goff in 2016, they’ve managed to win a lot of games under Sean McVay in spite of that fact. So is it better to use a first round pick on a quarterback who the team might believe has 50/50 odds of being an heir apparent to Stafford or to not have a first round pick at all? I believe that L.A. can still have a great draft class without getting anything from their first round pick.

2b) QB is for sure 100% a need, it’s just not an immediate need. That’s a GOOD thing. QB shouldn’t be an immediate need when you draft a quarterback. If the Rams picked Penix or Nix or J.J. McCarthy, it would mean that Sean McVay gets almost 18 months to work with him behind the scenes before dropping him into an offense that will necessitate a lot of development for a new player. I will say that 2024 is 100% the better opportunity to draft a first round quarterback than 2025 because the time to need a QB is next year, not this year.

Give him that time to grow and that might be how you plant seeds that allow you to be prepared for Stafford’s departure in 2025 or 2026.

So for me, drafting a quarterback in the first round isn’t necessary but it is acceptable. I would actually say that it seems more likely to me that Snead would draft a first round QB than most defensive positions and he would surely trade up for one if he felt he was getting a steal.

If it happens, don’t rob yourself of this rare opportunity to enjoy a moment for an NFL fan that doesn’t come around very often (unless you’re the Bears in the last seven years): Drafting a first round QB.