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I hesitated to call the 2026 Rams the most hyped preseason Super Bowl favorite since the 2007 Patriots because the Rams had a star-studded roster not that long ago that won it all.
I still stand by my words because the hype wasn’t the same for the 2021 Rams, who acquired Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller later in the season, and Jalen Ramsey had already been in L.A. a couple of seasons.
For this year’s Rams, the hype has been building since they lost a thriller to the Seahawks in the NFC championship game. In case you forgot, which is understandable, considering all the moves the Rams have made since then, they opened the offseason by trading for Trent McDuffie in March. That was followed by the splash signing of Jaylen Watson, the blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett and now the return of Aaron Donald after a two-year retirement.
But now I’m thinking more about what I wrote in June. While the hype wasn’t the same in 2021, the star power might have been as bright when comparing the two rosters. So, here’s the question many football fans are thinking: Is this year’s Rams roster better than the one that won Super Bowl LVI against the Bengals?
I decided to examine both rosters to settle the debate. But before we do, here are some fun facts about the two rosters. Six players remain from the team that won it all in 2021 (it was only four a few days ago): Donald, Matthew Stafford, Coleman Shelton, Alaric Jackson, Tyler Higbee and Tutu Atwell, whose return to L.A. didn’t generate as much attention.
Keep in mind that Higbee and Atwell weren’t on the Super Bowl roster due to injury. For this exercise, I’m going only to compare the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI active roster and this year’s initial 53-man roster.
One more fact: Brian Allen and Robert Woods played for the Rams in 2021 and now are assistant coaches on the 2026 staff. (I should ask them which roster is better.)
All right, let’s settle the debate of which Rams roster is better.
Quarterback
2021: Matthew Stafford, John Wolford, Bryce Perkins
2026: Stafford, Stetson Bennett IV, Ty Simpson
Maybe it’s best to call it a draw when debating which version of Stafford is better. This year’s Stafford is coming off an MVP season, but the one who won the Super Bowl was five years younger.
Instead, let’s focus on the backups. Simpson was the No. 13 pick in April’s draft, and Bennett was a 2023 fourth-round selection who won two national titles at Georgia. Wolford and Perkins went undrafted, but Wolford did start a playoff game in a very brief appearance. Draft status gets the edge here.
Advantage: 2026 Rams
Running back
2021: Cam Akers, Sony Michel, Darrell Henderson Jr., Jake Funk, Buddy Howell
2026: Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Ronnie Rivers
Akers was a reliable runner who brought physicality to the offense, but never quite played up to expectations as a 2020 second-round pick. The same can be said for Michel, a 2018 first-round pick of the Patriots.
Let’s put it this way: Akers, Michel and Henderson never rushed for 1,000 yards in a season nor had 10 rushing touchdowns in a season. Williams has accomplished both in three consecutive seasons.
Williams needs more respect for what he’s done for the Rams, but there’s a chance he loses touches to the talented Corum this season.
Advantage: 2026 Rams
Wide receiver
2021: Odell Beckham Jr., Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, Brandon Powell
2026: Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, CJ Daniels, Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith, Jordan Whittington
Now, this is a spicy debate.
Beckham and Adams both fit the description of former No. 1 receivers in the twilight of their careers. (Beckham now has a new description as a grizzled veteran who fought his way back onto an NFL roster after two seasons away.)
From the two groups, Kupp might be the top receiver based on what he did in 2021 as a triple crown winner. Still, Nacua is an elite playmaker and a handful for opposing defenses.
I’ll side with this year’s Rams due to their depth. Keep an eye on Daniels and Mumpfield this year. I would have given the 2021 Rams the edge here had Woods stayed healthy and been available for the Super Bowl.
Advantage: 2026 Rams
Tight end
2021: Kendall Blanton, Brycen Hopkins
2026: Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson, Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen, Max Klare
Even if the 2021 Rams had Higbee, who got injured that season, this still wouldn’t have been a close race. It’s rare for a team to have this much depth at tight end.
Parkinson is an excellent blocker who emerged as a reliable pass catcher last season, with a career-high 43 receptions for 408 yards and eight touchdowns. You can say the same for Higbee and Allen.
As for Ferguson, he could be a breakout star based on his upside in the passing game. The 2025 second-round pick still needs to improve as a blocker, but he won’t be asked to do much of that as a hybrid playmaker who can also line up at wide receiver.
Advantage: 2026 Rams
Offensive line
2021: Brian Allen, Austin Corbett, Coleman Shelton, Alaric Jackson, Bobby Evans, Tremayne Anchrum Jr., David Edwards, Andrew Whitworth, Rob Havenstein
2026: Jackson, Steve Avila, Shelton, Kevin Dotson, Warren McClendon Jr., Beaux Limmer, Dylan McMahon, Bill Murray, David Quessenberry
The Super Bowl winners get on the board here.
Whitworth was still viewed as one of the league’s best left tackles at the time, and Havenstein, who retired this offseason, was a longtime reliable right tackle. Quietly, Edwards has had a productive career as a standout starting guard for the Rams, Bills and now the Saints.
If there’s a weakness on this year’s Rams squad, it might be on the offensive line. A lot is riding on McClendon as the long-term answer to replace Havenstein, and Jackson could face a lengthy suspension due to his legal issues.
Advantage: 2021 Rams
Interior defensive line
2021: Aaron Donald,Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Marquise Copeland, A’Shawn Robinson, Bobby Brown III, Michael Hoecht
2026: Donald, Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis, Ty Hamilton
Part of me wants to give the 2021 Rams the edge because Donald was in the midst of his prime and we don’t know whether he’ll be the same this season after a two-year retirement.
Still, it’s hard to overlook how much the Rams have at this position. They don’t need Donald to play more than 50% of the snaps. This group can get by most of the season with Turner, Fiske and Ford.
The 2021 Rams needed all of Donald and didn’t have depth as a luxury.
Advantage: 2026 Rams
Edge rusher
2021: Von Miller, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Chris Garrett, Terrell Lewis, Leonard Floyd, Justin Hollins
2026: Myles Garrett, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart, Wesley Bailey, Desjuan Johnson
Miller vs. Garrett is a good debate if we’re discussing which future Hall of Famer is better in their prime.
But Miller was in the back end of his prime when he was traded by the Broncos midway through the 2021 season. You could argue Miller had a rapid decline after leaving the Rams and signing a massive six-year, $120 million deal with the Bills in ’22.
With Garrett, it doesn’t seem his production is going to drastically fall off any time soon, especially after generating 23 sacks last year with the Browns. Additionally, this year’s Rams have plenty of depth with Stewart and Young, who had 12 sacks in 2025.
Advantage: 2026 Rams
Inside linebacker
2021: Travin Howard, Ernest Jones IV, Troy Reeder, Christian Rozeboom
2026: Nate Landman, Omar Speights, Shaun Dolac, Grant Stuard
Maybe I’m trying to make this a fair fight by reaching for a win for the Rams of five years ago. But there’s not much to choose from here since the Rams have never really prioritized the inside linebacker position under GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay.
However, Jones was an impactful rookie who had an impressive performance in the Super Bowl against the Bengals, with seven total tackles and one sack. L.A. would have been better off keeping him because Jones went on to become a starting linebacker for Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks. But with so much star power, the Rams couldn’t afford to prioritize every position. They did, however, find a gem in Landman last season.
Advantage: 2021 Rams
Cornerback
2021: Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, Dont’e Deayon, David Long Jr., Blake Countess, Grant Haley
2026: Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Josh Wallace
Here’s another close one. It’s star power vs. depth.
I’ll side with a prime Ramsey, who might have been the league’s best cornerback at the time. Ramsey shifted from inside to outside to defend that week’s No. 1 wide receiver.
Expect McDuffie to do the same this season. I’ll regret siding with the old Rams if Watson turns out to be a legitimate No. 2 option. He had his ups and downs in Kansas City.
Advantage: 2021 Rams
Safety
2021: Eric Weddle, Taylor Rapp, Terrell Burgess, Nick Scott, Jake Gervase
2026: Kam Curl, Kamren Kinchens, Quentin Lake, Jaylen McCollough
Once again, it’s numbers against notable names.
While the Rams’ current safeties group doesn’t have any big names, there’s plenty of talent with Curl and Lake, two defensive backs who got second contracts from the team this offseason. But Kinchens might be the best player from the bunch.
The Rams don’t win the Super Bowl if Weddle hadn’t come out of retirement that season. He knows exactly what Donald is about to face in his comeback season.
Advantage: 2026 Rams
Specialists
2021: Punter Johnny Hekker, kicker Matt Gay, long snapper Matthew Orzech
2026: Punter Ethan Evans, kicker Harrison Mevis, long snapper Joe Cardona
I still have several questions about the Rams’ special teams after how poorly this unit played last season in key situations.
It’s not a given that Mevis is the starting kicker all season. He joined the team halfway through the 2025 season to provide some stability at the position.
However, Gay was an accurate kicker, going 32-of-34 on his field-goal attempts in ’21. Hekker was a four-time first-team All-Pro and one of the best at his position for a decade-plus.
Advantage: 2021 Rams
Final score: 2026 Rams 7, 2021 Rams 4
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GILBERTO MANZANO
Gilberto Manzano is a staff writer covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated. After starting off as a breaking news writer at NFL.com in 2014, he worked as the Raiders beat reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and covered the Chargers and Rams for the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News. During his time as a combat sports reporter, he was awarded best sports spot story of 2018 by the Nevada Press Association for his coverage of the Conor McGregor-Khabib Nurmagomedov post-fight brawl. Manzano, a first-generation Mexican-American with parents from Nayarit, Mexico, is the cohost of Compas on the Beat, a sports and culture show featuring Mexican-American journalists. He has been a member of the Pro Football Writers of America since 2017.
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