In fact, the Rams are flush with draft capital with 11 picks and their first first-rounder since trading up for Jared Goff and the No. 1 overall pick in 2016. With the surplus of picks and their position in the first round, the Rams have options to do anything, whether it’s move up or down or stand pat.

With the draft three weeks away, taking place April 25-27 in Detroit, here’s a seven-round mock draft for the Rams’ 11 picks, using Pro Football Focus’ mock draft generator.

Round 1, Pick 19

The pick: Byron Murphy II

Defensive tackle, Texas, 6-foot-1, 308 pounds

For the sake of this exercise, we didn’t allow trades, but the Rams don’t need to move up to get their ideal prospect in the first round. They land the draft’s top interior defensive lineman to begin filling the massive hole left by Aaron Donald’s retirement. Murphy is a three-down tackle who had 45 pressures and six sacks as a junior at Texas. Murphy is known for his explosiveness at the line of scrimmage, and at 21 years old he has room to grow alongside second-year tackle standout Kobie Turner.

Other prospects considered at No. 19:

Edge rusher Chop Robinson, Penn State

Tackle Troy Fautanu, Washington

Round 2, Pick 52

The pick: Chris Braswell

Edge rusher, Alabama, 6-3, 255 pounds

The Rams double-dip on the defensive front to open the draft after not making any additions to the group via free agency. Braswell is a strong, explosive and fast rusher on the edge who had 13 sacks and 56 pressures as a junior. He also was serviceable when asked to drop into coverage with a 71.7 grade from Pro Football Focus in 52 pass coverage snaps. Between Braswell, Murphy, Turner and second-year edge rusher Byron Young, the Rams would have a solid core up front for first-year coordinator Chris Shula to work with.

Other prospects considered at No. 52:

Edge rusher Adisa Isaac, Penn State

S Javon Bullard, Georgia

Tackle Jordan Morgan, Arizona

Round 3, Pick 83

The pick: Malachi Corley

Wide receiver, Western Kentucky, 5-11, 210 pounds

The Rams re-signed Demarcus Robinson, but a one-year deal for a veteran shouldn’t stop the Rams from thinking of the future of the receivers room. Corley is a former running back with 4.47-second speed in the 40 that could give Rams head coach Sean McVay some fun options for how to integrate him into the running game as a rookie. Robinson, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua would allow Corley to develop his route tree until he’s ready to be a bigger contributor in 2025.

Of note: I did consider going quarterback here in the third round. Jimmy Garoppolo will back up Matthew Stafford, and Stetson Bennett is expected to participate in offseason workouts after missing his entire rookie season on the non-football injury list. Still, the Rams could add a quarterback to the room to try to find Stafford’s successor, but this seems unlikely in the first two rounds with more pressing needs for a playoff contender. I have one quarterback with a third-round grade, but he was not available for the Rams’ next selection at No. 99, so the Rams don’t end up adding a quarterback in this exercise.

Prospects also considered at No. 83:

QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

CB Khyree Jackson, Oregon

LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson

Round 3, Pick 99 (compensatory pick)

The pick: Christian Jones

Offensive tackle, Texas, 6-6, 321 pounds

The Rams could use a developmental right tackle to one day replace Rob Havenstein, the final St. Louis transplant on the roster. Jones fits the bill, with two years of starting experience at Texas and four sacks allowed over that span.

Prospects also considered at No. 99:

S Calen Bullock, USC

LB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State

CB D.J. James, Auburn

Round 5, Pick 154

The pick: Kamal Hadden

Cornerback, Tennessee, 6-1, 197 pounds

The Rams add a lanky outside corner here who can come along slowly behind veteran offseason additions Darious Williams and Tre’Davious White. Hadden’s senior season was cut short by a shoulder injury, but he allowed only 12 receptions in seven games before the injury.

Prospects also considered at No. 154:

RB Dillon Johnson, Washington

C Drake Nugent, Michigan

T Walter Rouse, Oklahoma

Round 5, Pick 155 (from PIT)

The pick: Drake Nugent

Center, Michigan, 6-2, 301 pounds

Undrafted free agent Mike McAllister is currently the Rams’ backup center behind Steve Avila. Nugent shores up that position and fits into the Rams’ run blocking philosophy after being part of a physical line at Michigan that ran duo concepts.

Other prospects considered at No. 155: 

RB Dillon Johnson, Washington

T Walter Rouse, Oklahoma

Round 6, Pick 196

The pick: Frank Gore Jr.

Running back, Southern Mississippi, 5-8, 195 pounds

The Rams tendered Ronnie Rivers, but they could stand to add to the backup competition behind Kyren Williams. Gore averaged 4.9 yards per carry and ran for 10 touchdowns and, more importantly for a potential backup, received a 75.4 PFF pass blocking grade in 123 snaps as a senior.

Prospects also considered at No. 196:

LB Steele Chambers, Ohio State

Edge Brennan Jackson, Washington State

DT Zion Logue, Georgia

Round 6, Pick 209 (comp. pick)

The pick: Steele Chambers

Linebacker, Ohio State, 6-1, 232 pounds

The Rams add a dependable option behind Ernest Jones IV and Christian Rozeboom who can contribute on special teams right away.

Prospects also considered at No. 209: 

S Omar Brown, Nebraska

LB Jaylan Ford, Texas

K Will Reichard, Alabama

Round 6, Pick 213 (comp. pick)

The pick: Will Reichard

Kicker, Alabama, 6-1, 194 pounds

The Rams sat out the kicker market during free agency, and last year showed a preference for adding a kicker on a price-controlled contract. They get that opportunity with Reichard, a kicker with plenty of big-game experience. He made 88% of his field goals as a senior, including 5 for 5 from 50 yards. Two of those 50-yarders came in the CFP semifinal against Michigan. And as for reliability, Reichard missed two extra points in five collegiate seasons.

Other prospects considered at No. 213

S Omar Brown, Nebraska

LB Jaylan Ford, Texas

Round 6, Pick 217 (comp. pick)

The pick: Omar Brown

Safety, Nebraska, 6-1, 200 pounds

Same story as Chambers: Adds depth to the safety position and gets early work on special teams.

Prospect also considered at No. 217:

LB Jaylan Ford, Texas

Round 7, Pick 254 (comp. pick)

The pick: J.J. Weaver

Edge rusher, Kentucky, 6-5, 244 pounds

The Rams close out this mock draft by adding another body along the defensive line. Weaver is a lanky pass rusher who also is steady in run defense.

Prospects also considered at No. 254:

QB Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland

Edge Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington

White, 29, is a former first-round pick who was named a first-team All-Pro following the 2019 season and a second-teamer in 2020 with the Buffalo Bills. ESPN reports that the deal is worth $8.5 million, but can increase to $10 million with incentives.

White is the third addition to the Rams’ secondary this free agency. The team brought back cornerback Darious Williams on a three-year deal after he spent the past two seasons in Jacksonville, then safety Kam Curl joined the Rams on a two-year contract.

White is the addition with the highest upside, but also the biggest question marks. Injuries have been a major concern the past three seasons. He tore his ACL in 2021 and missed the first seven games of the following season as he recovered from the injury. In 2023, he tore his Achilles in Week 4 and missed the rest of the season following surgery before being cut in March by the Bills for salary cap reasons.

The Rams may have some extra peace of mind regarding White’s Achilles surgery, however, as the procedure was performed by Rams team physician Neal ElAttrache.

For a secondary that showed flashes of potential and inexperience in 2023, the Rams have found a potential leader in White, a seven-year veteran who led the NFL in interceptions in 2019. The Rams stand to lose three veterans from the secondary, with former team captain Jordan Fuller signing in Carolina and Ahkello Witherspoon and John Johnson III still free agents. So White and Williams provide real experience at the outside corner spots.

“He’s always just been a very perceptive guy,” Garoppolo said Tuesday. “He sees a lot of things, he sees it well, he sees it for what it is. That’s a big part of how I got here.”

On Tuesday, Garoppolo officially signed a one-year deal to join the Rams as the backup to quarterback Matthew Stafford, after a free agency that played out a little differently than the one that occurred a year ago.

When his contract with the San Francisco 49ers expired last offseason, he quickly found a new starting job with the Las Vegas Raiders, signing a three-year, $67.5 million contract and reuniting with former coach Josh McDaniels. By Halloween, McDaniels had been fired and Garoppolo benched after throwing seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in seven games.

The Raiders released him last week, and Garoppolo said he had to be more patient during this free agency. He waited to see how things played out with open starting jobs, though those were filled by other options, or will be filled in next month’s draft.

He said he had other options, but he was impressed by the Rams’ backup opportunity. A talented roster, a destination city, a familiar coaching staff and, of course, McVay.

“Talking to Sean really sealed the deal on the phone,” Garoppolo said. “He had a vision, talked me through and really just explained what he saw my role as and just his football knowledge. I’ve heard it from so many different players and coaches, but to be here firsthand and get to experience it, that’s what I’m really excited about.”

The football pairing is natural. Garoppolo spent seven seasons in San Francisco under head coach Kyle Shanahan, the offensive coordinator during McVay’s formative career stop in Washington when both coaches developed many of their offensive philosophies. He knows McVay’s system intimately even if he hasn’t played a practice with the Rams.

And his roots with the coaching staff run deep. Tight ends coach Nick Caley was an assistant in New England when Garoppolo backed up Tom Brady. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was passing game coordinator in San Francisco during Garoppolo’s best season as a starter – 2019, when he threw for a career-high 3,978 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Garoppolo said he felt that support system has been important for other veteran quarterbacks who have backed up Stafford the last two seasons. Baker Mayfield turned his time in Los Angeles into a starting audition in Tampa Bay and, following a playoff win, a three-year, $100 million contract.

“What Baker did, that was tremendous, incredible. Sean’s a phenomenal offensive mind. A lot of the guys around here are,” Garoppolo said. “It’s not all going to be done by you. You gotta have people around you to put you in a good position, call the right plays, all those little things. I saw this opportunity and I got excited. It just seemed right.”

Garoppolo will get the full offseason regimen in before he has to serve a two-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He said Tuesday that the positive test was the result of a mistake in obtaining a therapeutic-use exemption when he first arrived in Las Vegas.

“It’s a weird one but it is what it is,” Garoppolo said. “I think, attack OTAs, attack training camp, let those first two games pass by. … You gotta deal with it and keep moving on, stay positive.”

And if he’s called upon, Garoppolo will get the chance to prove he still has what it takes to be a starter in the NFL.

“I’m excited to start this new journey. I don’t know exactly what is in store for me, but yeah, maybe reset, reinvent, whatever you want to call it. I’m just excited to get back on the football field,” Garoppolo said. “I know myself as a player, I know where I stand. So, things will work themselves out.”

So when the Rams pitched him this free agency on how Curl could fit into their defense, head coach Sean McVay primarily talked the safety position. But there were a few ideas bandied about, too.

“Coach McVay was telling me he wants to tap into all my other skill sets as well, everything that I did in Washington plus some,” Curl said during a Zoom call with reporters. “I’m just ready to see what he’s got set up for me.”

Curl, in a black T-shirt with a Rams-colored message of “Welcome to Los Angeles” across the chest, signed his two-year contract with the Rams on Monday. He’s the second addition to the Rams’ secondary this year following cornerback Darious Williams, who agreed to return to the team in free agency.

Curl fits the mold of the type of players the Rams have tried to add in the secondary in recent years. Safety Quentin Lake and cornerback Cobie Durant have been prized for their versatility and their ability to line up at dime linebacker and star corner, respectively.

Curl adds to that mix-and-match ability for new defensive coordinator Chris Shula, and at 24 is a match for the rest of the youth movement at secondary for the Rams.

“They got a lot of upside and they fly around. Fly around to the ball, making plays on the ball, and that’s what you love to see,” Curl said. “Fly around, play hard. Just another piece that they want to bring in to bring another Super Bowl back to the town.”

Curl has spoken with Shula already, saying the coach valued the “violence” that he brought to the game and what that would mean for the Rams. Curl said he enjoyed the energy and was excited to work with the first-time coordinator.

McVay also reached out to Curl as part of the recruitment efforts to get him to Los Angeles, and that stood out to the safety as he made the choice where to play the next two seasons.

“Just off the bat that meant a lot. Like I said, just knowing about him since being in the league, this is a coach that I would love to play for,” Curl said. “It’s just like he lives football. That’s what you want, a guy that’s all about football. And the energy he brings on the sideline and just the way the players who play for him play, you can tell we’re just ready to run through a brick wall for him so that’s the type of guy I want to play for.”

As the free-agent tight end sat down at the Rams’ facility, putting pen to the new three-year contract he agreed to with his hometown team, Parkinson’s father and mother stood in front of the table. While his mother took pictures, his father held up his phone with Parkinson’s wife, Melanie, on FaceTime to witness the event virtually during the third trimester of her pregnancy.

After three years at Stanford and four with the Seattle Seahawks, Parkinson, the former Oaks Christian standout, is back in Los Angeles.

“My dad’s in the background throwing his hands up right now,” Parkinson said Thursday, beaming. “Just so excited and so thankful to come back home and be able to play in front of so many important people in my life, so many role models and … also to have an influence in the community.”

Parkinson wasted little time to jump at the opportunity to return to his hometown, agreeing to terms with the Rams less than three hours into the NFL’s legal tampering period Monday.

Beyond the sentimental appeal, Parkinson has watched the Rams from afar for his entire career. Having played with NFC West rival Seattle, Parkinson watched a lot of Rams tape over the years while preparing for common opponents.

“Just seeing the way that [head coach Sean McVay] and the staff can work up different designs to attack, not just one part of the field, but they’re working the seams, they’re working those deep ins,” Parkinson said. “They’re working the gap scheme a lot. The way they can do some different things with the single tight end, two tight end sets. It’s been fun to watch.”

Parkinson arrives to fill a need that appeared rapidly at the end of the season. Longtime starting tight end Tyler Higbee tore his ACL and MCL in the Rams’ playoff loss to the Detroit Lions. That injury required surgery, and the Rams expect to put Higbee on the physically unable to perform list when training camp rolls around.

With Brycen Hopkins also an unrestricted free agent, the Rams were left with several unproven options at the position, headlined by second-year player Davis Allen, who did well in his limited opportunities as a rookie, with nine receptions in the final five weeks of the regular season before making two catches against the Lions.

But Parkinson comes with four years of experience. He’s made 57 catches in his career for 618 yards and four touchdowns. But he’s made his living in run blocking situations and should use his 6-foot-7, 251-pound frame well alongside the Rams’ revamped offensive line.

His addition had Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley excited, who called Parkinson as soon as legally permitted Wednesday at the start of the NFL calendar year.

But not excited as his two parents, proudly holding up their phones as he signed his contract to return home.

The deal, reported by NFL Network to be for one year, brings the Rams’ former NFC West rival to Los Angeles to back up Stafford.

Garoppolo, 32, gives the Rams a backup quarterback with extensive starter experience. He played six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers under Kyle Shanahan. Given Shanahan and Rams head coach Sean McVay’s deep connections dating to their days together in Washington, this gives Garoppolo deep experience in McVay’s offense and should allow him to get up to speed quickly.

The Rams said backup quarterback was an offseason priority. Carson Wentz, signed midseason after a rocky performance by Brett Rypien in Stafford’s absence, was effective for the Rams in the Week 18 win over the Washington Commanders. But Wentz is a free agent, and the Rams still do not have a definitive answer on whether Stetson Bennett IV will be back in 2024 after missing his entire rookie season on the non-football injury list.

With a career 67.4% completion rate and 94-51 touchdown-to-interception ratio, Garoppolo’s career has been frequently impacted by injuries after signing a $137.5 million contract in 2018. He tore his ACL in Week 3 of that season. He returned to play in every game of the 2019 campaign while leading the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV, in which he completed 20 of 31 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in a 31-20 loss.

He missed 10 of 16 games in 2020 due to a high ankle sprain, then in 2022 lost his starting job to second-year player Trey Lance. When Lance suffered a season-ending knee injury, Garoppolo went on to start 11 games before a foot injury ended his season. Rookie Brock Purdy led the 49ers to the NFC title game, opening the door for Garoppolo to leave as a free agent to the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year deal.

But his Vegas tenure came to a quick end, as he was benched following a 3-5 start. The Raiders released Garoppolo on Wednesday, a month after he was suspended two games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Garoppolo will serve that suspension to begin the 2024 season.

Rozeboom, 27, was a restricted free agent, though the Rams did not put a tender on him to give themselves the right of first refusal if he signed a contract with another team.

His return brings back a key part of the Rams’ rotation at inside linebacker in 2023. The former undrafted free agent started five games and playing 579 snaps, the second most on the team at the position. He was third on the team with 59 tackles.

Rozeboom is entering his fifth season in 2024 and currently slots in as the Rams’ second inside linebacker behind Ernest Jones IV. Troy Reeder is currently an unrestricted free agent.

The Aaron Donald era is over.

As surreal as it might be, it’s true. One of the greatest defensive players not just of his generation but of all time is calling it a career after 10 seasons that all ended with a Pro Bowl selection, eight with first-team All-Pro spots and one with a Super Bowl championship ring.

As the sacks and memories are sorted through, a question must be asked: What now?

Donald has been the Rams’ best player for each of his 10 seasons. A true pillar, or, as Les Snead called him, Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp last offseason, a “weight-bearing wall” for the franchise. One that, so long as he was around, the Rams never needed to consider a rebuild.

Donald gave the Rams one last gift before he retired, returning for the 2023 season to pass along some of his wisdom to the younger generation before hanging up his cleats. Rookies like Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Desjuan Johnson played with and learned from one of the greats, and it elevated the defense and the team as a whole to an unexpected playoff appearance.

But the emotional departure of Donald leaves the Rams with some very practical holes to fill.

First and foremost, is Donald’s production on the field. It’s impossible to replace him with one player, and his departure impacts the looks the rest of the defensive line will get. Turner and Young far outplayed their third-round draft status as rookies with nine and eight sacks, respectively. But they would not have enjoyed such clean paths to the pocket without Donald absorbing his typical double- and triple-teams even in Year 10.

The Rams have known that this was Donald’s decision for some time, a source said. The front office entered free agency with this understanding. They freed up some salary cap space by converting Donald’s $30 million salary to a $13.8 million bonus, reducing Donald’s cap hit for 2024 to $17 million, per Spotrac.

But the Rams have already used much of that cap space on free-agent signings, from a heavy investment in offensive guards Jonah Jackson and Kevin Dotson to a couple of defensive back additions in Darious Williams and Kamren Curl.

Now, on the third day of the NFL’s new calendar year, the Rams’ free-agent options across the defensive line and at edge rusher are limited. Most of the top names have already signed. Others, like Jadeveon Clowney, have already scheduled multiple visits with other teams.

So Donald’s departure likely means the Rams will have to use pick No. 19 in next month’s draft on a pass rusher.

Given the high volume of elite offensive talent in this year’s draft, some intriguing prospects could fall to the Rams at their current draft position, from Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II to edge rushers Jared Verse of Florida State, Laiatu Latu of UCLA and Chop Robinson of Penn State. If the Rams don’t want to take any chances, they have the draft capital to move up and get their man.

But beyond the playing field, Donald’s departure adds to a loss in leadership in the defensive meeting room.

Since the season ended, the Rams have seen defensive coordinator Raheem Morris leave to become the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach, defensive line coach Eric Henderson depart for USC and now Donald retire. Safety and defensive captain Jordan Fuller agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers on Friday, per NFL Network.

Newly promoted defensive coordinator Chris Shula will have to create a new culture for the Rams defense in short order. A big part of that will likely be linebacker and captain Ernest Jones IV, whom the Rams have already expressed a desire to extend before he completes the final year of his rookie contract. Some of the savings from Donald’s retirement will probably be diverted to Jones.

With Donald’s retirement, it’s a new era for the Rams in more ways than one.

And now we, with Donald’s announcement of his retirement on Friday, can experience a little of what opposing quarterbacks have for the past decade whenever he had them in his crosshairs: Our loss, his gain.

NFL Sundays minus the baddest defensive lineman alive won’t be the same for anyone watching the sport, Rams fan or not. A real win for him, though, to be able to walk away on his own terms, a gladiator in good health, at peace and pleased about possibilities ahead.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I am excited about the off-the-field possibilities,” Donald wrote in a social media post. “I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife, Erica, and my kids, Jaeda, AJ, Aaric and Aali. The greatest reward was being able to play this game with them by my side.”

A giant loss for the Rams, for whom Donald’s presence was only ever a positive, because even during down periods, he made watching the team fun – but a reward for the league’s opposing quarterbacks, for whom Donald’s reign of terror finally is over.

Cheers to what’s next. Extending a big thank you to the Rams and all of the fans for your support over these last 10 years. Much love. pic.twitter.com/edGxkUYdLz

— AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) March 15, 2024

You probably could’ve heard an audible exhale go up across the nation when Donald hit “post” on his classy retirement announcement, though maybe exhale doesn’t do the prevailing sentiment justice.

The reaction was definitely more in line with the memes being bandied about, scenes of “Entourage’s” Johnny Drama falling to his knees in relieved exaltation: “Victory!!!”

Or Will Smith’s in the emotional final scene in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” when his character is overwhelmed when he receives the opportunity finally to live a prosperous life for which he’s toiled so long.

Or Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray – whom Donald once sacked with Murray’s own offensive lineman – replying to Donald’s retirement post on Friday morning, in all caps: “THANK GOD.” An echo of Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith’s hot-mic’d “Oh my God!” before he tossed away the football as if it was the hottest potato on record at the sight of Donald closing in.

Because, as NFL data science expert Cynthia Frelund explained in a 2022 Sports Illustrated article, the seemingly undersized 6-foot-1, 280-pound Aaron Donald was – like soccer all-timer Lionel Messi – inevitable.

Harder to fend off than any football player before: In a 42-season sample, no one had been double- or triple-teamed more than Donald, who dealt with two or more blockers on a given play on 56.7% of his snaps. And, at the same time, no player had ever generated a better pressure rate on plays when double- or triple-teamed – Donald’s an astounding 15.6%. Before him, the best pressure rates from players who were consistently double- and triple-teamed? Legends Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White, tied at 14.2%.

That’s why Rams coach Sean McVay knew – like we all knew – how Super Bowl LVI was going to end: “Aaron Donald’s gonna make a play here.”

And he did, that championship-sealing sack of Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow on fourth-and-1 adding to a weighty list of the defensive tackle’s accomplishments, further cementing his status as one of the Greatest Of All Time, and the Greatest Of his Generation – a real Van GoGh, this interior rusher making art of scrambling up opponents’ insides, making them see stars.

Ring him. King him. And let us all have a good cackle at the joker who compiled analysis for that “tweener” who’d earned All-American plaudits out of Pittsburgh ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft: “Marginal height and frame is nearly maxed out … hands are more active than strong … overpowered in the run game and ground up by double teams …”

There’s being wrong. And then there’s being wrong.

But everything Donald did in his 10-year tenure with the Rams has left everyone – even the most foolish among us – without even an iota of doubt; No. 99 is 100% a Hall of Famer.

The Rams’ three-time Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time first-team All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler, 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year, one of the league’s best defensive players (111 career sacks) and best-compensated defensive earners (about $160 million)? He’ll be remembered forever as one of one.

One of the sport’s singular superstars, whose presence we’ll all miss (unless we’re quarterbacks and linemen who were forced to face him). A bad man and a good dude who couldn’t be stopped until he decided himself that it’s time.

After a decade of fans cheering for him, cheers to him, indeed.

"Dad, how good was Aaron Donald?" pic.twitter.com/VjWscZXc2L

— NFL (@NFL) March 15, 2024