​Sean McVay continues to draft playmakers across the field, a trend he kept alive in 2025 by selecting Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson in the second round after a strategic trade down from the 26th overall pick to No. 46. Ferguson entered the NFL as one of the most athletic tight ends in the class, impressive at the combine and giving quarterback Matthew Stafford another versatile target in the passing game. His rookie season got off to a slower start due to an injury that sidelined him during camp, but once he acclimated to the offense, his opportunities grew along with his playing time. Heading into his sophomore year, Ferguson is positioned for a more prominent role and could emerge as one of the Rams’ top playmakers.
As the 2026 season approaches, Ferguson is still viewed as the 16th-most important Rams player amid a crowded tight end room. The Rams didn’t have the top pick in the 2025 draft, selecting 26th, but a trade that sent a 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta allowed them to drop 20 spots to No. 46, where they landed Ferguson. He became the fourth tight end taken in that draft class, and his 14 games with 3 starts yielded 25 targets, 11 receptions, 231 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
Ferguson isn’t a traditional inline tight end; his game is built around receiving ability rather than blocking, and he frequently lines up in the slot or split out wide. When a safety or linebacker follows him, it creates a mismatch that Ramsey can exploit, making Ferguson a potential third option behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams as a big-slot threat for Stafford. In fact, Ferguson served as the Rams’ primary deep threat as a rookie, posting an average target depth of 17.9 yards—the fifth-highest figure in the league among players with at least 25 targets. Among tight ends, only Darren Waller was ahead of him in average depth of target, at 11.9 yards.
In 2026, Ferguson’s role is expected to be a hybrid: he’ll continue to contribute as an inline tight end in 13 personnel looks, but he’ll also line up in the slot and run deep fades down the field. His imposing 6-foot-6 frame helps him win against smaller safeties and corners, while his speed enables him to separate from linebackers. Last season, Ferguson ranked third in the NFL with an average of 20.8 receiving yards per catch, a figure that was 7.1 yards per catch higher than any other Rams player. However, his yards after the catch per reception stood at 3.4, placing him 166th in the league among qualified players in that category, indicating room for improvement in yards after the initial reception.
The Rams have long sought a reliable deep-ball threat since the Brandin Cooks era, experimenting with players like Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell in that role with mixed results. Ferguson may not be the blazing speedster those predecessors were, but his combination of a wide catch radius, length, and contested-catch ability allows him to stretch the field and win down the sideline. Stafford’s trust in Ferguson is evident; the quarterback targeted him on a decisive fourth-down play in the NFC Championship game and connected with him five times the week prior against the Bears in the divisional round, underscoring Ferguson’s importance within the offense and his potential to grow as a central piece of the Rams’ passing attack in 2026.