With the Los Angeles Rams loading up star power and retooling their roster, the early offseason signal from Sean McVay’s staff points to a different kind of breakout. As organized team activities take shape, tight end Davis Allen is increasingly projecting as
The Rams may have spent this offseason adding star power, but the most important offensive breakthrough of the 2026 season could still be coming from inside Sean McVay’s building.
As organized team activities begin to take shape. Los Angeles’ potential 2026 breakout star is increasingly projecting to be tight end Davis Allen. Devante Adams and Puka Nacua will command the spotlight. and Matthew Stafford will operate one of the league’s most dangerous passing attacks. But the way the offseason work is unfolding suggests Allen is positioned to capitalize on the opportunities building within McVay’s offense.
The Rams have made it clear they are moving toward a version of the offense built to create advantages up front—and that could be exactly where Allen thrives.
When the 2026 NFL offseason began, Les Snead and Sean McVay moved quickly to signal the kind of roster they wanted. The Rams secondary received a dramatic overhaul with the additions of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Kamren Curl added further stability at safety, while Poona Ford strengthened the defensive front. On the offensive side. Los Angeles secured important long-term insurance at quarterback by selecting Ty Simpson early in the first round behind Stafford. The re-signing of Kevin Dotson also remained one of the offseason’s most important moves. preserving offensive line continuity for a team built around Stafford’s precision passing game.
Altogether, it’s a roster constructed around championship ambition.
And still, amid all of that, the most fascinating development entering OTAs may involve a player already familiar with McVay’s system.
One of the clearest themes emerging from the Rams’ early offseason structure is the coaching staff’s projected commitment to heavier offensive personnel groupings. Los Angeles appears poised to embrace significantly more multiple-tight-end formations. The idea is straightforward: give McVay a way to blend physical rushing concepts with layered vertical passing attacks.
If defenses respond by staying light to protect against Stafford. Adams. and Nacua through the air. the Rams can punish opponents physically on the ground. If defenses counter with heavier fronts, Stafford can find advantageous matchups in play-action situations. Either way, the tight end room becomes more than a supporting cast.
The Rams no longer simply need rotational blockers or occasional underneath receiving options. This version of the offense demands hybrid weapons capable of aligning across multiple formations and creating mismatches after the catch.
Colby Parkinson is already expected to occupy a meaningful role in those packages, while Tyler Higbee continues serving as a veteran stabilizer. But as the Rams move through OTAs, Davis Allen increasingly looks like the player most likely to take advantage of the direction the offense is heading.
Physically, Allen presents the exact type of matchup nightmare modern offenses covet. At his size, Allen naturally overwhelms defensive backs in contested situations. He also still has enough athletic fluidity to stress linebackers working in space. That combination becomes especially dangerous inside an explosive offense.
Allen also appears to have the football intelligence and spatial awareness needed for this kind of structure. Those traits grow even more valuable when the tight end is expected to be more than an option at one depth or in one role. If the offseason trajectory continues along its current line. Allen should find himself operating against favorable coverage looks consistently throughout the season.
The case for a breakout becomes stronger when it’s tied to what the offense already asks everyone else to do. Defenses entering games against Los Angeles will have tough decisions trying to contain Adams, Nacua, and Stafford. That attention can create massive voids between the numbers, and Allen projects perfectly into those openings.
His ability to operate as a chain-moving target gives McVay tremendous flexibility. Allen’s physicality is also part of the equation—he can fight through contact and create extra yardage after the catch. Just as importantly. the projected shift toward heavier personnel usage appears to align with how Allen is expected to be used.
Increased snaps in multiple-tight-end packages naturally create more opportunities for him to establish rhythm and develop timing with Stafford. If those opportunities continue expanding during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, the breakout conversation around Allen is likely to keep growing.
Every offseason generates breakout predictions, of course. But the strongest ones usually come from schematic opportunity rather than pure hype—and that’s where Allen fits best. He has the physical profile. He projects well alongside Stafford, Adams, and Nacua. And most importantly, the offense itself appears to be moving directly toward the strengths Allen can bring.
If the current trajectory holds through OTAs and into training camp, Allen may become one of the Rams’ most important offensive weapons by the time the 2026 season truly begins.
Los Angeles Rams Davis Allen Sean McVay Matthew Stafford Devante Adams Puka Nacua Ty Simpson Kevin Dotson Trent McDuffie Jaylen Watson Kamren Curl Poona Ford Colby Parkinson Tyler Higbee OTAs mandatory minicamp 2026 NFL season