The Rams did not make a pick Thursday night in the first round of the NFL draft.
But next year, they will have the opportunity to make two.
That math worked just fine for general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay.
The Rams traded the 26th pick and a third-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for a second-round pick and a seventh-round pick this year, and a first-round pick in 2026.
That Snead, conducting his 14th draft, traded the late first-round pick was not a surprise. He almost annually trades back to acquire more draft capital.
But the Falcons’ willingness to include a 2026 first-round pick was an unexpected bonus.
“We had a lot of offers,” Snead said, “but Atlanta’s value was the best for us.”
The Rams conducted the draft from the Los Angeles Fire Department Air Operations headquarters in Van Nuys.
McVay said the Rams went into the night with trading out of the first round as the most likely scenario. Atlanta’s including the 2026 first-round pick made it “better than we anticipated,” he said.
By making the deal, the Rams delayed their first pick from No. 26 in the first round to No. 46 in the second.
“Looking at where our team is overall, the value that we were able to get, to be able to move back just 20 spots — felt like it was too good to be able to pass up,” McVay said.
As picks were announced from Green Bay, Wis., the only real drama for the Rams concerned if a quarterback-needy team would approach the Rams with a deal, or if the Rams would keep the pick.
Snead acknowledged that the Rams attempted to trade up to select an unspecified player. According to reports, the Rams were pursuing Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who was selected eighth by the Carolina Panthers.
“The value going up there, teams were asking too much, or more than we would do,” Snead said.
With the Houston Texans set to pick at No. 25, the New York Giants traded up to select Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The Falcons then made their deal with the Rams to select Tennessee outside linebacker James Pearce Jr.
For the Rams, the mood at the end of the night was a stark contrast to last year.
The Rams were excited about drafting Jared Verse with the 19th pick, but their joy was tempered after a report surfaced that quarterback Matthew Stafford was seeking a contract adjustment.
That drama played out until the first day of training camp, when the Rams agreed to move several millions of dollars due Stafford in 2025 to 2024.
The Rams this year averted another potential draft night buzzkill by agreeing to another adjustment for Stafford in February.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
