WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Rams kick off 2026 OTA practices today, conducting them over the next four weeks.
In this phase – Phase 3 – teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity. While 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed, live contact is not. This four-week period concludes with a mandatory minicamp, which is scheduled for June 15-16 for Los Angeles.
With that in mind, here are five key questions for the Rams entering OTAs:
1. What does the secondary look like with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in the fold?
Los Angeles attacked its biggest need by acquiring the All-Pro McDuffie and reuniting him with his former Kansas City teammate Watson.
While no live contact and no pads make it more challenging to get an early look at the toughness and physicality they've been lauded for on the practice field, it's at least a chance to see their movement and ball skills and how they fit into defensive coordinator Chris Shula's 2026 vision for the unit.
2. How does the increased tight end depth influence the offense's identity?
In re-signing veteran Tyler Higbee and drafting Ohio State's Max Klare in the second round of this year's draft, the Rams looked like a team wanting to maintain the continuity of, and then build on, the depth in a tight end room that powered a league-leading 13 personnel usage of 30.5% according to Next Gen Stats.
That being said, head coach Sean McVay has said before that there was no way of predicting that last season's offensive identity evolving into a 13 personnel-dominant group from what it began as in last year's OTAs. So while what is observed in May is not always a guarantee of what is observed in November, it will still be interesting to see how each of those pieces fit together with Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen also back.
3. How do the rookies fare?
These OTA practices will offer the first look at the five-man rookie draft class. While the approach to this year's draft primarily reflected planning for the future, any of those players making a impact in the short-term wasn't ruled out, either.
Who might translate that playbook knowledge from the meeting rooms onto the practice room and put themselves on that path to an immediate role?
4. What does the backup quarterback competition look like?
Last year's backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, is still a free agent. McVay said after Day 2 of the draft that while the door on Garoppolo isn't closed, drafting Simpson "lessened the urgency" for the backup role.
McVay said first-round pick Ty Simpson will compete with Stetson Bennett for that role, so this will be the first chance to see how each of them look on the practice field.
5. What is Bubba Ventrone's impact on special teams?
Ventrone's arrival marked another big offseason addition, along with the free agency signings of veteran long snapper Joe Cardona and linebacker and special teams ace Grant Stuard.
