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One of the hallmarks of a good NFL franchise is the production of homegrown talent. Meaning that a team isn't just infusing free agents or traded players onto their roster but rather finding and developing players through the draft.
The Los Angeles Rams have notoriously towed the line of homegrown roster with outside help. They've had few first-round picks over the past decade but have hit found quality players later in the draft.
This is well-represented in a new chart from Over The Cap's Jason Fitzgerald, who compared the percentage of homegrown players on a team to their 2025 draft capital. The Rams fell into the bottom right quadrant of the chart with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meaning that they have a decent amount of homegrown players (second- or third-most in the league) but a medium-amount of draft capital.
In terms of projections, this is probably a good thing for the Rams. Maintaining homegrown talent is a surefire way to stay competitive in the NFL, so long as those players are actually good. And considering the Rams only lost the NFC Divisional Round by six points, it stands to reason their roster is among the best in the league.
The Rams' draft capital isn't severely limited, either. L.A. owns the No. 26 pick but doesn't pick again until No. 90. They have four sixth-round picks, though, which doesn't amount to much in the grand scheme of things. The amount of homegrown talent also means the Rams are good at identifying and drafting talented players at every point in the draft. So while the amount of draft capital doesn't compare to teams on the higher portion of the chart, that hasn't matter as much to the Rams in terms of what they get in return for those picks.
Players like Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Quentin Lake have all become quality starters despite their perceived picks not being as valuable as others. It helps, too, when a team strikes gold on a first-round pick like Jared Verse.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2025 Draft: Rams have lots of homegrown talent but less draft capital
Continue reading...
The Los Angeles Rams have notoriously towed the line of homegrown roster with outside help. They've had few first-round picks over the past decade but have hit found quality players later in the draft.
This is well-represented in a new chart from Over The Cap's Jason Fitzgerald, who compared the percentage of homegrown players on a team to their 2025 draft capital. The Rams fell into the bottom right quadrant of the chart with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meaning that they have a decent amount of homegrown players (second- or third-most in the league) but a medium-amount of draft capital.
In terms of projections, this is probably a good thing for the Rams. Maintaining homegrown talent is a surefire way to stay competitive in the NFL, so long as those players are actually good. And considering the Rams only lost the NFC Divisional Round by six points, it stands to reason their roster is among the best in the league.
The Rams' draft capital isn't severely limited, either. L.A. owns the No. 26 pick but doesn't pick again until No. 90. They have four sixth-round picks, though, which doesn't amount to much in the grand scheme of things. The amount of homegrown talent also means the Rams are good at identifying and drafting talented players at every point in the draft. So while the amount of draft capital doesn't compare to teams on the higher portion of the chart, that hasn't matter as much to the Rams in terms of what they get in return for those picks.
Players like Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Quentin Lake have all become quality starters despite their perceived picks not being as valuable as others. It helps, too, when a team strikes gold on a first-round pick like Jared Verse.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 2025 Draft: Rams have lots of homegrown talent but less draft capital
Continue reading...
