The Los Angeles Rams were just yards away from taking the lead against the Philadelphia Eagles on a snowy day in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs. And had the Rams won that game, a series of dominoes may have fallen for the team to show up and win Super Bowl LIX. But that is all water under the dam. But the proximity of the Rams from competing in the Super Bowl is relevant now, because the team ignored their immediate needs and converted Round 1 and 3 picks in this year's draft into Rounds 2 and 7 picks in 2025, and a Round 1 pick in 2026.
Great value? Absolutely. But what does it do to help this team compete in 2025? Absolutely nothing yet. And yet, the first person you might expect to protest an NFL team's willingness to leave value on the table in this year's draft, in order to create much greater potential value in next year's draft, is the head coach. After all, he cannot coach or win with 2026 rookies in 2025.
But that is not how Head Coach Sean McVay sees how things turned out for the team. He and GM Les Snead may quibble, but they seldom show anything less than a united front when holding joint press conferences. And to hear Coach McVay talk about the Rams decision to trade out of Round 1 to pick up a Round 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, he sounded just like an NFL GM would sound:
"The value we were able to get... it felt like it was too good to be able to pass up."
🎙️ Coach McVay on tonight's trade and Day 2's approach. pic.twitter.com/Ab5MZtClGK— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 25, 2025
Of course, the Rams were not content to sit at 26 at all. Early into Day 1, NFL Insider Dianna Russini reported NFL rumors that asserted that the Rams tried to trade up early in Round 1 for Arizona WR Tet McMillan. For the third consecutive draft, the Rams failed to do so.
Rams GM Les Snead confirmed they explored moving up in the draft, but other teams' asking prices were too high.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) April 25, 2025
While there may be some who feel like the Rams trade back scenario is about as satisfying as munching on a rice cake, the fact that both HC Sean McVay and GM Les Snead seem comfortable with hos the draft is lining up despite no rookie selections on Day 1 is reassuring.
I recommend not judging the Rams draft until the entire event has concluded. The Rams have eight picks to use at fortifying the roster. I suspect that there will be more than one player who will instantly generate smiles for fans. One thing is certain. There are many talented remaining on the draft board, and the Rams have eight picks to get some of those rookies on the roster. I suspect that it's only going to get better from here.
As always, thanks for reading.
