Los Angeles Rams select Tim Keenan in seventh round of 2026 NFL Draft

Alabama has a long history of putting defensive players in the NFL. Well, you can go ahead and add another name to the list. Crimson Tide defensive tackle Tim Keenan is off the board at the 2026 NFL Draft, hearing his name called by the Los Angeles Rams. Keenan was the No. 232 overall pick in the seventh round.

Tuscaloosa was considered home for five seasons, playing under two head coaches. Nick Saban was the one who recruited Keenan to Alabama. A redshirt was taken in 2021 before getting action the following two years with Saban leading the program. Kalen DeBoer took over ahead of the ’24 season but Keenan decided to stay. Eventually, he turned into a big leader.

“TK, he is a wonderful leader,” one of Alabama’s captains, Deontae Lawson, said during the season. “He brings excitement, he brings juice, he brings details to the D-line and to the defense. It just makes it a little bit easier when you can call something, say a call, and TK can set the front.

“It’s small things like that that can make me think quicker on what the play is and things like that. TK just brings something different to us as a team, and we’re super glad that he’s back and rolling with us.”

On the field, Keenan played in 12 games this past season — dealing with some injuries. He recorded 16 tackles, 3.0 of which were for a loss. Keenan then got into the backfield for sacks on two occasions.

Keenan played high school football at Birmingham (AL) Ramsay, where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 468 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Tim Keenan

Before the draft took place, Keenan received a scouting report from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. He was given a prospect score of 5.94, meaning Keenan is viewed as an “average backup or special teamer.” Additionally, Zierlein slotted him as a late Day 3 selection.

“Keenan is a girthy nose tackle with average talent and upside,” Zierlein said. “He has the frame/play strength to take on blocks and fight for ground with reasonable success. However, a lack of length limits his ability to command the point of attack with a quick punch-and-shed. He’s more block-beater than block-eater and won’t offer much as a rusher. Keenan has Day 3 value as a rotational player.”