Rams Draft CJ Daniels at No. 197: Miami’s Explosive WR Heads to Los Angeles

Los Angeles—The Los Angeles Rams added speed and size to their receiving corps on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Miami Hurricanes wide-out CJ Daniels with the No. 197 overall pick after trading up with Philadelphia. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound target caught 50 passes for 557 yards and seven touchdowns last season while helping Miami reach the national championship game. Daniels’ unconventional college journey saw him log four productive seasons at Liberty, spend one year at LSU and then explode in Coral Gables, where his blend of vertical acceleration and contested-catch body control earned second-team All-Conference USA honors in 2023 (55 rec., 1,067 yds., 10 TDs). That résumé, plus a strong showing at February’s scouting combine—highlighted by a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and 37-inch vertical—convinced general manager Les Snead to sacrifice three late selections (207, 251, 252) to secure the sixth-round gem. Head coach Sean McVay values receivers who can stress defenses at every level, and Daniels’ ability to align inside or outside projects as an immediate depth upgrade behind Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. His size makes him a red-zone threat, while special-teams coordinator Chase Blackburn is expected to audition the rookie on kick-return duty, a role Daniels handled early in his Liberty tenure. Fantasy football managers should monitor Daniels this summer: McVay’s offense averaged 35.6 pass attempts per game in 2025, and the rookie’s field-stretching skill set mirrors that of former Ram Tutu Atwell, who vacated 56 targets in free agency. If Daniels flashes chemistry with quarterback Ty Simpson during OTAs, he could carve out a rotational role by Week 1. For Rams fans, the pick underscores the franchise’s continued focus on surrounding its new signal-caller with dynamic weapons; for Daniels, it caps a circuitous college career and opens the door to carve out the next great late-round success story in Hollywood.