The Los Angeles Rams head into Thursday’s draft without any significant holes in the roster that demand a first-round fix. That notwithstanding, the Rams still have a first-round pick, which can be used in many ways. For the most part, the Rams have seen these picks as trade fodder, proven commodity veterans to bolster the top end of the roster — Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, and Jalen Ramsey.
Last year, they attempted to use their pick to trade up to get Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, but ended up staying with the 19th pick to select Florida State edge rusher Jarde Verse, the eventual Defensive Player of the Year.
Now, with just about 24 hours before the draft, NFL Insiders are spilling the last-minute tea about what they are hearing. Two of the top insiders, The Athletic’s Diana Russini and ESPN’s Peter Schrager, are hearing opposite rumors about the Rams’ plans — it is important to note that both of these can be true based on how the board falls.
Los Angeles Rams Trade Up
“Expect the Rams to once again show interest in a tight end in the first round. Last year, Los Angeles tried — and failed — to move up to select Brock Bowers. I’m told Sean McVay and Les Snead could once again try to move up to get their guy,” Russini wrote.
This points toward LA liking either Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland, who are both expected to come off the board before pick 26. The big question is how highly they would consider going to nab either. They attempted to get up to 9 from 19 last season for Bowers. For any player, there is a line of demarcation — if the player falls behind this pick, the consideration grows significantly.
The lowest Warren is expected to go is to the Colts at No. 14. The Colts are also a popular pick for Loveland.
According to DraftKings betting odds, the team has a one percent chance to take a tight end with their first pick in the draft.
Los Angeles Rams Trade Back
Meanwhile, Schrager, who has a personal relationship with head coach Sean McVay, is hearing they will trade back.
“It’s time for another trade, this one with the third quarterback coming off the board. In this deal, the Giants would send pick Nos. 34 and 99 to the Rams to move up to No. 26. And crucially, New York would keep its original third-round pick — No. 65 — to continue to add talent to its roster.“
In Schrager’s prediction, the Rams move back into the second round and add another late third-rounder, bringing their total picks up to nine.
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