Will Los Angeles Rams Begin NFL Draft Search for Matthew Stafford's Replacement?

After Matthew Stafford missed Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers due to another, the Los Angeles Rams could begin their search for his future replacement.

As the Los Angeles Rams enter the bye week with a 3-6 record thanks in part to a three-game losing streak, and with hopes for the return of starting quarterback Matthew Stafford from injury, should they also start looking for a potential future replacement under center?

While the thought behind last April's fourth-round selection, Stetson Bennett, was to have him be an understudy and then potentially develop into Stafford's replacement, the former Georgia Bulldog has been away from the team since the beginning of the season and is unlikely to return in a time where the team could use him.

This has forced the Rams to elevate Bennett's preseason competitor, Brett Rypien, to the duties as the backup quarterback, along with recently bringing back John Wolford to serve as the third signal-caller. ... And as the Rams saw in Sunday's loss, Rypien likely won't be the long-term solution at quarterback post-Stafford.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (right) / Clutchpoints

Which makes the upcoming NFL Draft so interesting for the Rams. General manager Les Snead's roster "remodel" is far from complete as he continues to reload a roster with younger, cheaper talent to surround his "pillars," Stafford, Kupp, and Donald. However, if one of those pillars is no longer reliable, then the whole "remodeling" process could be all for nothing. 

Combine that fact with the prospects of the upcoming draft class, which is expected to be filled with potential franchise quarterbacks, including homegrown University of Southern California product Caleb Williams, among others like UNC's Drake Maye and Washington's Michael Penix; the Rams could have an opportunity to select their next franchise signal-caller.

As of the current standings, the Rams are slated to have the No. 6 overall pick, which likely won't net them either of the top two quarterbacks on the board as the current projected teams with the first two picks, the Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears, could both potentially take a signal-caller. 

However, a recent mock draft from Pro Football Focus projects five quarterbacks to be selected on Day 1, potentially giving the Rams three other choices.