Another double-digit win season has Sean McVay feeling more grateful than anything else. After Los Angeles smashed the Cardinals for victory No. 10, the Rams coach pointed back to the people around him, saying the consistency of players and staff is what keeps the standard so high year after year, even while he was battling an illness on the sideline.
That stability now pairs with a rare luxury: a possible top-10 draft pick coming from Atlanta. In ESPN’s latest 2026 mock draft, that Falcons pick turns into Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs for Los Angeles, with the piece calling him one of the most complete safety prospects to enter the league in years.
The mock notes that he has already been operating in an NFL-style system in Columbus, can patrol the deep middle or roll down into the box, and might become the first safety to crack the top 10 since Jamal Adams. With veteran Kam Curl headed toward free agency, the fit is obvious.
Dropping a player like Downs behind a young, ascending Rams front seven would give LA a true centerpiece in the secondary. His range, tackling, and game IQ would let the staff stay multiple on defense, matching up with modern spread attacks while still defending the run with physicality.
On the offensive side, the infrastructure is just as important as any one star.
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has admitted he would love to call plays again someday after his rocky stint with the Jets, but for now, he’s embracing life as Sean McVay’s right hand. Working in that structure has helped produce a top-tier scoring unit again, with Matthew Stafford back to playing at an MVP-caliber level.
So, it’s a pretty enviable picture. McVay stacking 10-win seasons, LaFleur quietly rebuilding his stock, and a Falcons-delivered first-rounder that could land the best defensive back in the 2026 class. For a contender already eyeing a deep playoff run, that is exactly how you stay dangerous for the long haul.
