Rams News: Klare Enters Deep TE Room With Long-Term Upside, Short-Term Uncertainty
Max Klare arrives in Los Angeles with legitimate dynasty appeal, but patience is going to be a prerequisite.
The Los Angeles Rams selected the Ohio State tight end with the 61st overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, making it the second consecutive year the franchise has invested a Day 2 selection at the position. Last year, the Rams used the 46th pick on Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson. That back-to-back commitment signals genuine organizational conviction in the tight end group’s role in the offense, but it also means Klare enters a room with real depth and competition.
Ferguson’s rookie year offered a preview of what Klare might face in 2026. Despite being a high second-round investment, Ferguson played primarily on special teams in the early weeks, saw his offensive snap count fluctuate, and finished the season with modest raw numbers across limited but increasing opportunities. The Rams’ approach to their tight ends, rotating Higbee, Parkinson, Ferguson, and Davis Allen through packages — illustrates how Sean McVay values positional versatility over a fixed pecking order.
Entering 2026, the room now features four legitimate contributors. Tyler Higbee, a nine-year veteran and one of McVay’s most trusted players, returns at 33 on a contract that runs through 2027. Colby Parkinson is in the final year of his deal, making the offseason a natural point for evaluating how heavily the Rams lean on Klare as a successor. Ferguson, entering his second season, will be pushing for the expanded role his draft pedigree suggests he should eventually hold.
What works in Klare’s favor is the broader offensive environment. Matthew Stafford led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns last season, operating at the center of a McVay system that historically creates volume opportunities for receivers at every level. New offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, who replaced the departed Mike LaFleur, inherits a scheme built around quick, precise distribution, and Klare’s college profile as a route-runner with genuine separation ability at 6-foot-4 fits the architecture of what Los Angeles wants to do.
The competition for targets at the receiver positions is real. Davante Adams and Puka Nacua are the established focal points of the passing game, with rookie wide receiver CJ Daniels and second-year reserve Konata Mumpfield occupying the supplemental roles. Stafford throws the ball enough that opportunities should exist throughout the depth chart, but Klare will need to earn them against experienced competition rather than step into them automatically.
The dynasty calculus is straightforward. Parkinson’s contract expiring and Higbee’s age create a near-term opening. Ferguson and Klare are both second-round investments that the organization is not going to abandon quietly. And the system they play in is among the most TE-friendly in the league. For managers willing to sit on the investment for a year, the long-term case is compelling. The short-term case requires considerably more patience.