Rams Future Unclear; 'Wait-and-See' Approach in 2023?

Could the Los Angeles Rams make a surprise playoff run in 2023?

As the Philadelphia Eagles reign as NFC Conference champions, other contenders hope to build rosters that can usurp the title and compete for Super Bowl LVIII.

Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, roster hierarchy has been ranked by NFL.com and the Los Angeles Rams' future is unclear in the conference, in the "Wait-And-See" tier. L.A. is lumped with the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears. Why?

"Any one of these six clubs could make a surprise playoff run in 2023," NFL.com writes. "All of them also could reprise their 2022 struggles ... The guess is that there is a contender or two in this lot. The draft could help us figure out which one(s) will reach that level. Are the Rams closer to the championship team we saw in 2021 or the one that bottomed out hard in 2022? 

The three teams ranked in the top tier of the NFC Conference are the Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. Currently, San Francisco is the favorite to win the NFC and Philadelphia - led by the newly-extended Jalen Hurts - is the favorite to win the NFC East.

A year after winning the Super Bowl, the Rams struggled through a 5-12 season and hope to return to relevance. While the Rams don't have a first-round pick, Los Angeles has 11 total picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including the No. 36 overall selection. Of the Rams' needs, adding a pass rusher is among a priority after the departures of Bobby Wagner, Leonard Floyd and Greg Gaines.

Whichever direction the Rams go with their draft picks, they hope it's a positive step toward building a talented roster to get back to the postseason. 

The draft will take place at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. with the first round beginning on April 27.

Follow Bri Amaranthus on Twitter and Instagram

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rams? Click Here

Follow Ram Digest on Twitter and Facebook.

Want even more L.A. Rams news? Check out the SI.com team page here.