Rams ‘F--- Them Picks’ Strategy Still Rings (Somewhat) True After Trent McDuffie Trade

Los Angeles is bringing in a two-time Super Bowl champion cornerback to its defense.

The Rams have used just one first-round pick since 2017. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rams general manager Les Snead famously wore a T-shirt with a photo of himself on the front and text that read “F--- them picks” while his team celebrated its Super Bowl LVI championship with a parade around Los Angeles in February 2022. The expletive-laden line was in reference to the handful of blockbuster deals they made over the previous offseasons, sending multiple first-round picks out the door in exchange for the likes of quarterback Matthew Stafford and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, two cornerstone pieces of their championship run.

While Snead has since backtracked on the statement, saying he knows he might “eat those words at some point,” the longtime executive not only used this strategy before their Super Bowl run in 2021, but also has continued to do so—with the latest move being the acquisition of cornerback Trent McDuffie.

MORE: Rams-Chiefs Trade Grades: Star CB Will Maximize Matthew Stafford’s Window

In total, Los Angeles is sending its 2026 first-round pick (No. 29), fifth-round pick, sixth-round pick, and a 2027 third-rounder in exchange for the star defender. The transaction marks the ninth (!) time over the last 10 drafts that the Rams have traded a first-round pick. 

Rams’ first-round draft pick history since 2017

Draft	Result
2017	Traded to Titans (Jared Goff)
2018	Traded to Patriots (Brandin Cooks)
2019	Traded to Falcons (More picks)
2020	Traded to Jaguars (Jalen Ramsey)
2021	Traded to Jaguars (Jalen Ramsey)
2022	Traded to Lions (Matthew Stafford)
2023	Traded to Lions (Matthew Stafford)
2024	Pick No. 19: DE Jared Verse
2025	Traded to Falcons (More picks)
2026	Traded to Chiefs (Trent McDuffie)

Rams’ ability to make, and trade, the right draft picks has proven paramount to their long-term success

Les Snead helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl championship in 2021. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While Los Angeles has used just one first-round pick (2024, Jared Verse) since 2017, it’s not talent that they’re neglecting, but rather the picks themselves. Ramsey, Stafford, and McDuffie were all first-rounders at one point in time—the Rams simply waited for the right time to add their pro-ready talents to the mix.

Additionally, while the “F--- them picks” saying, in Snead’s own words, is “cool” and “fun”, it’s ultimately not how they actually operate. In fact, 27 players on Los Angeles’s 53-man roster (51%) this past season were drafted by the team. A respectable number, given the amount of turnover in the NFL on a year-to-year basis.

The Rams’ hit rate in the middle rounds has been undeniable over the last several seasons, with safety Cobie Durant (Round 4, 2022), running back Kyren Williams (R5,’22), linebacker Byron Young (R3, ‘23), defensive lineman Kobie Turner (R3, ‘23), wide receiver Puka Nacua (R5, ’23), defensive lineman Braden Fiske (R2, '24), and running back Blake Corum (R3, '24) all emerging as key contributors on a team that came within one game of yet another Super Bowl appearance.

After sniffing the Lombardi Trophy again, Los Angeles is retooling its secondary by adding a star in McDuffie—who ranked 11th among 114 cornerbacks in overall PFF grade last season—to a defensive backfield that finished middle of the pack in passing yards allowed per game (217.6) in 2025. With Stafford coming off an MVP-winning season and set to return for another campaign in 2026, the Rams are pushing their chips into the center of the table to try to maximize the window they have with their 38-year-old quarterback.

Perhaps it should be “F– them first-round picks,” moving forward.

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