The Los Angeles Rams have loaded up for another Super Bowl run.
A new ranking shows how expensive keeping the core together could become.
Pro Football Focus ranked Puka Nacua and Kevin Dotson as the two highest-graded NFL players going into contract years in 2026, putting Los Angeles in an interesting position before the season even starts.
Nacua took the top spot with a 96.1 grade, while Dotson followed at No. 2 with an 87.3.
The Rams were the only team with two players inside the top four, and their presence on the list didn’t stop there.
Davante Adams checked in at No. 7 with an 85.2 grade, and Byron Young was No. 9 at 83.7. That gives the Rams four of PFF’s 10 highest-graded players entering the final year of their current deals.
For a team with championship expectations, the list doubles as a preview of several tricky decisions arriving after the season.
Nacua, Dotson Lead PFF Contract-Year List
GettySANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 09: Puka Nacua #12 and Kevin Dotson #69 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrate after Nacua caught a touchdown pass during the NFL 2025 game between Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Nacua’s spot at No. 1 comes after a record-setting season by PFF’s grading standards.
PFF noted that Nacua’s 2025 receiving grade marked a new single-season high for a wide receiver. He dropped five of 158 catchable targets, caught 30 contested passes and averaged 3.57 yards per route run.
The production on the traditional stat sheet was just as loud. Nacua led the NFL with 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
He’s eligible for an extension as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, and negotiations have become part of the backdrop to training camp. Nacua told the team website in late July that sitting out practices because of his contract situation “never crossed my mind.”
Dotson’s situation is separate.
The veteran guard is finishing the three-year, $48 million contract he signed with Los Angeles in 2024. Spotrac lists him for a $17.4 million cap hit in 2026 before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
PFF called Dotson the Rams’ most damaging potential loss among their offensive linemen facing contract years.
The outlet also pointed out that using the franchise tag would be an awkward solution because all offensive linemen are grouped under the same tag figure, forcing an interior blocker into tackle-level money.
Rams Have 4 Players Inside PFF’s Top 10
GettyWOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 28: Davante Adams #17 of the Los Angeles Rams catches a pass during an organized team activities workout at Rams Village at the Warner Center on May 28, 2026 in Woodland Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Terrell/Getty Images)
The issue stretches well beyond Nacua and Dotson.
Adams made PFF’s list after earning an 85.2 grade in 2025, his best mark since his first season with the Raiders in 2022. He also led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns during his first year with Los Angeles.
His age could make the next decision more complicated since Adams will be 34 when his contract expires after the season.
Young presents another challenge. PFF highlighted his steady rise as a pass rusher, with his pressure rate increasing from 10.2% as a rookie to 16.4% last season. He finished 2025 with 12 sacks, tied for ninth in the NFL.
Young has also been open about his future. PFF cited his offseason comment that it would be “nice to get a contract right now,” although he has continued participating in team activities.
The Rams can live with those questions for the moment. Their cujrrent objective is taking one of the NFL’s deepest rosters through a even deeper postseason run.
What comes afterward could be far more complex.
Having the top two players on PFF’s contract-year list is a strong endorsement of the talent Los Angeles has assembled.
Having four of the top 10 is also a reminder that several major bills could appear at the same time.
LA Rams Have NFL’s Top 2 Contract-Year Stars — and 2 More in Top 10