Barring a trade between now and April 27, the Los Angeles Rams will enter the NFL draft with 11 selections. That’s the most they’ve had since 2018 when they also finished with 11 picks, led by Joe Noteboom.
General manager Les Snead typically prefers to trade down in the draft and add extra picks, but this might not be the year to do that. He should actually consider doing the opposite: trading up.
It’s not that the Rams don’t need players. They do, more so than any other team in the league. As of now, they only have 45 players signed to their 90-man roster, 12 fewer than every other team.
What the Rams need is impact players, not sixth- and seventh-round rookies. Of their 11 picks, eight of them are between Rounds 5 and 7. The Rams have found future starters in the later rounds, including Jordan Fuller, Ben Skowronek, David Edwards and Nick Scott, but the chances of a player panning out are much higher in Rounds 3 and 4. That’s where the Rams have found the likes of Cobie Durant, Ernest Jones, Darrell Henderson Jr., Greg Gaines, Joe Noteboom and Brian Allen. Cooper Kupp, John Johnson and Josh Reynolds also fall into that category.
As of now, the Rams have two third-rounders but no picks in the fourth. It would be pretty simply for them to trade into the fourth round if they want to, though. According to the NFL trade value chart, they could conceivably package Picks 167 and 171 (44.8 points) in exchange for No. 127 (44 points).
Snead loves his late-round picks, so he might not want to turn two into one, but there’s a lot of value in this draft class in the 100-150 range, especially at positions such as cornerback and edge rusher – two of the Rams’ biggest needs.
Moving up from Round 5 isn’t the only viable option, either. If the Rams want to get really bold, they could trade up from No. 36 overall, going all the way up into the first round. That pick holds a value of 540 points. If, for example, the Rams want to move up for a pass rusher at No. 24, the Rams could give up No. 77 overall to make that happen.
It would be a major risk because the 77th pick carries a lot of value, too, but if a corner like Deonte Banks or a pass rusher such as Nolan Smith were to slip, Snead should strongly consider it.
Trading back from No. 36 would add volume to their draft class, but more fringe starters isn’t what the Rams should be looking for. They need players who can help from Day 1 and develop into reliable starters worth re-signing in free agency four years from now.
