The teams in need of a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft have been known for a while now. The Bears, Commanders, Patriots, Giants, Vikings, Broncos, and Raiders have all been connected to passers throughout the pre-draft process. Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team, though, points to the Rams as a squad that could surprise many with an early quarterback selection later this week. 
Los Angeles certainly doesn’t need a new passer for the 2024 season. Matthew Stafford didn’t reach his Super Bowl season numbers of 41 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 yards, but he was impressive in his second-ever Pro Bowl season in which he finished eighth in MVP voting. Stafford did miss two games this year, though, and the eight games he missed in 2022 were enough to show head coach Sean McVay and company that they needed to start looking towards the future.
The team did address the position after Stafford’s injury-marred season, drafting former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett in the fourth round of last year’s draft. The Rams saw Bennett as a bit of a project heading into the 2023 season, and it’s safe to say the experiment didn’t go according to plan. Initially thought to be the heir apparent to Stafford, Bennett ended up being completely out of the mix in the quarterbacks room as Carson Wentz and Brett Rypien subbed in for two starts that Stafford missed.
On top of that, Bennett found himself on the reserve/non-football illness list and off the active roster entirely. McVay claimed that Bennett was “doing better” in January but said that it was too early to know if he would be ready to be a part of the team again in 2024. With Wentz and Rypien on other teams now, Jimmy Garoppolo and Dresser Winn now sit on the depth chart behind Stafford with Bennett.
So, the Rams will turn to the draft. Obviously, the top four quarterbacks on the board are out of range. At No. 19 overall, Los Angeles would need to put together a massive package in order to move up that far. That could leave two quarterbacks who played on the west coast in college available in Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix, though. Penix has been consistently connected to the Raiders at No. 13 overall, so even he might not be available.
If the Rams aren’t in love with Penix or Nix, or don’t like them at that value in the draft, their options get fairly thin past that. After the top six passers, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler is expected to be the next quarterback off the board. Rattler is maybe the only passer with a third-round grade. Tulane’s Michael Pratt is close, with expectations that he’ll be selected late on Day 2 or early on Day 3.
After that, the depth of the position dips a bit. There are plenty of options, but they either slot in as fifth- to seventh-round picks or as preferred undrafted free agents. Popular college names like Tennessee’s Joe Milton, Florida State’s Jordan Travis, and Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman all dominated at the college level but aren’t viewed as more than potential flyers in the draft.
If the Rams are going to surprise teams by going after a passer, they’re going to need to do so in the third round or sooner. If they don’t feel confident in Rattler potentially taking over as a starter eventually, they’re going to have to seriously consider what it will take to get a passer in the first two rounds.
Stetson Bennett is a winner. I hope someone eventually gives him a shot.
He’s undersized, he turns 27 next season, and the guy skipped the senior bowl and got arrested for drunken stupidity instead, then had a mysterious absence his rookie season. I get that he showed well on the big stage in college and he’s a very good athlete, but it’s hard to see any team giving him a real shot to be The Guy.
The last thing Stetson Bennett needs is more shots.
Him being 27 really means nothing in an era where QBs are playing into their 40s.
How many of those QBs playing into their 40s didn’t take an NFL snap before the age of 26? Heck, Bennett wasn’t even good in college until he was as old as Trey Lance is now.
Winner because he had one of the more stacked teams in college?
Jets should trade a 6th or 7th to the Rams for Bennett instead of wasting a 3rd or 4th on a project qb.
Zack Wilson for Bennett and a 5th.
Would be a massive mistake. Rams are super bowl contenders if they can add an impact edge rusher with their top pick
Bo Nix in the second or third would be a steal
They have 2 injury prone QBs. I think they will draft someone for the future.
Jordan Travis
Is it so surprising? Stafford is 36, has had injuries, and the Rams have tried a few times to slip out of his contract. They’ve spent a lot of money on quality backups with starting experience, and Bennett has been an enigma since being drafted. I don’t see it as a surprise that they’d like a QB in the upcoming draft.
Matty is an old school warrior but he’s probably one of the least mobile starting QBs. A 36 year old body can’t rebound for hits the way a young body can. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t miss games on a regular basis at this point in his career. I think the current regime would prefer a veteran as a fallback option rather than someone who is untested but we’ll see what develops.
5th round they should take a Jordan Travis. When healthy solid playmaker and play extender