The Los Angeles Rams haven’t been afraid to wheel and deal both before and during the NFL draft in recent years, striking several trades since 2016. Just in the last three years, they’ve traded up for Jared Goff, acquired Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks and Dante Fowler Jr., as well as Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib.
In all, those trades left them without a first-rounder in 2017 and no picks until Round 3 last year. In this week’s draft, the Rams pick at No. 31 overall but not again until the end of the third round at No. 94.
The moral of the story is that Les Snead will never shy away from a deal when he sees one that could benefit the Rams. That mentality will apply this year, too, with the Rams looking like a prime candidate to trade out of the first round.
With no second-rounder, trading back and adding a mid-round selection or two makes all the sense in the world – especially considering the depth in Rounds 2 and 3. Snead said Tuesday that the Rams have discussed trading back, but at the same time, they have to be ready to pick at No. 31 if no trade partner can be found.
“We’ve discussed both scenarios. First and foremost, we have to be prepared to pick at 31 because if your choice was to trade back, you’ve gotta have a partner and there’s no guaranteeing that. So I think that’s first and foremost,” Snead said. “And again, a lot depends on – I don’t think I’m smart enough to figure out who falls to 31 – so you could be guns a-blazing to trade back, but someone falls to 31 and that maybe puts a governor on that thought.”
Snead understandably didn’t elaborate further on which players might cause the Rams to stand pat, but Brian Burns, Montez Sweat, Garrett Bradbury and Dexter Lawrence might be among the guys who cause the Rams to remain at No. 31. None are guaranteed to be there for the Rams’ pick in the first round, but all of them would be quality selections if available.
Snead and the Rams have to weigh the pros and cons of trading back, which could involve both missing out on a second-round target and adding a quality starter in the middle rounds with the extra pick.
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“If you pick at 31, you’ll get a quality player,” Snead said. “The benefits of trading back would be, can you acquire an extra mid-round pick? And the way we painted the picture, can you get an extra player like a Cooper Kupp, a John Johnson, a Joseph Noteboom, Brian Allen, Josh Reynolds – some of those guys we got in the third and fourth – Samson Ebukam and John Franklin-Myers? The key there is, those are people who have had a role here, and it’s up to us to – if we do that – to still draft right and develop right.”
Snead didn’t mention trading up at all, which suggests it’s mostly off the table. Without a second-round pick, it’ll be difficult for Los Angeles to move up from No. 31, knowing it’ll likely cost the team one of its third-round picks.
Only time will tell if the Rams stay put in the first round or move back, and fortunately, there are only a couple of waiting left.