Beat: Rams prepping for 2027 with TE Max Klare

Whittington is WR Puka Nacua’s (hip) direct backup, so he will be out there running a decent number of routes. Whittington has, however, never managed to establish himself as a reliable contributor. He does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues. Rams TE Colby Parkinson (knee) will be questionable.

The Rams have leaned on multi-TE sets when Puka Nacua has missed time or been limited over the past year, so losing Parkinson would be another notable loss for the offense. Even if he plays, this injury all but locks in Terrance Ferguson as the team’s de facto WR2 for Week 3, assuming Nacua remains sidelined. Ferguson is pushing for a TE1 ranking ahead of his Week 3 date with the Broncos.

The Rams acquired Atwell via trade in August. Although he already knows the system, coach Sean McVay evidently feels that Atwell is unnecessary for this one. Incumbent QB Stetson Bennett has officially defeated Simpson for the QB2 job. Simpson is inactive, but has been labeled the emergency third quarterback.

Atkins added, “The ideal outcome for him is to lead their tight ends in catches and yards.” He noted that the coaching staff was focused on bringing Ferguson along incrementally in 2025. Now they will have the chance to move him into a more prominent role for his second season. Ferguson only caught 11 passes as a rookie, but he parlayed a seam-stretching role into 231 yards and three scores despite the low reception total. Atkins sees Ferguson as a de facto No. 3 receiver for the team, with Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee both fulfilling the role of a traditional inline tight end. Rookie Max Klare will also be in the mix for snaps, but will likely be brought along slowly as well. With an ADP that barely even registers in early best ball drafts, Ferguson is worth a look as a high-upside TE3.

Klare (6’4/246) was a four-star recruit for Purdue and played a reserve role as a freshman. He only appeared in five games as a sophomore before an ankle injury ended his season. Klare finally broke out with a 51/685/4 receiving line in his third outing. As is often the case in the current college football landscape, Klare’s breakout made him a hot name in the transfer portal and the Buckeyes picked up the phone. Klare’s numbers tanked at Ohio State, though playing alongside at least two potential NFL stars in Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith is a reasonable alibi. He went for 448 yards and just two touchdowns. Despite the counting stats taking a hit, Klare likely improved his draft stock by bulking up for a more traditional tight end role. He increased his rate of inline routes and improved as a run-blocker. After rounding out his skill set at Ohio State, Klare looks ready to contribute on an NFL field out of the gates.

Per NBC Sports Houston’s Aaron Wilson, Klare has met “extensively” with the Texans, Buccaneers, Rams, Broncos and Panthers. Klare could be the second tight drafted next week, profiling as a potential every-down player. Although he performed better as a receiver at Purdue in 2024, he earned a respectable 71.6 PFF run-blocking grade at Ohio State last year. Klare could be a year one contributor, but he is not guaranteed to reach the TE1 ranks in fantasy.

Ravens team reporter Ryan Mink adds that although TE Mark Andrews posted a career-low 422 receiving yards last season, “the Ravens see a rebound in 2026.” DeCosta’s comments could indicate otherwise, though the team lost TEs Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar in free agency. Mink also notes that the Ravens have picked two tight ends in the same draft four times in franchise history: 2022, 2018, 2015 and 2010. DeCosta has been with the Ravens for his whole career, dating back to 1996, and the strategy has worked well for the organization. Mink believes replacing Likely with a receiving tight end could be viewed as a need in the short term. He lists 10 potential draftees, including Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq, Ohio State TE Max Klare, Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers, Baylor TE Michael Trigg and NC State TE Justin Joly.

This is the second incoming rookie tight end the Broncos have brought in for a top-30 visit this week. The position remains an area of need despite head coach Sean Payton spending the last three years trying to find a Joker. In his final college season, Klare caught 41-of-53 targets for 420 yards and two touchdowns. Per 9News’ Mike Klis, Klare could potentially be the second tight end drafted this year and is “arguably the most well-rounded.”

Sadiq out of Oregon is widely expected to be a first round pick after setting record at the NFL Combine. Bowen believes the hyper-athletic tight end could be a situation matchup player for Sean McVay, who used three tight end sets at the NFL’s highest rate in 2025. “With his frame and 4.39 speed, Sadiq could be a seam stretcher for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Plus, McVay could use Sadiq as a backside X receiver/power slot to draw favorable man matchups.” Sadiq, who had 80 receptions over three seasons at Oregon, could fit the LA offense “as a catch-and-run target on boot action concepts,” Bowen said. Stafford last season led the NFL with 75 pass attempts on designed rollouts. It’s a crowded tight end room in LA, with Colby Parikson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen on the roster. Sadiq would likely function as a rotational player if he lands with the Rams, who have the 13th pick in the 2026 draft.

Parkinson’s touchdown run finally ran out of steam over the past two weeks, but he ends the year with 43/408/8 in the regular season and another score in the playoffs. He did drop a third-down pass in this one, but was otherwise what we’ve come to expect. It’s hard to imagine that the Rams will phase him out of the offense altogether in 2026, the final year of his contract, but teams will probably have better answers for Los Angeles’ 3TE sets with a year of tape to pick over and Terrance Ferguson will be a likely breakout candidate. It all adds up to Parkinson being more of a TE2 in 2026 offseason drafts.