Rumor: Rams Considered Trading Into 1st Round of NFL Draft
The Los Angeles Rams brought home quite the haul in the 2023 NFL Draft. With 14 total picks, the Rams were the busiest team in the league over draft weekend, and added many more players as undrafted free agents.
However, the Rams' draft could have gone very differently. L.A. has never shied away from making big moves, and if a new rumor is true, they may have been planning another one at the draft. According to The Athletic, the Rams considered trading up into the first round of the draft, with their sights set on offensive players specifically.
"Similar to 2021, skill-position players tempted some on staff during the draft — the Rams discussed trading up into the first round for five different players, all on offense," The Athletic writes. "A series of first-round maneuvers from other teams excluded the Rams, who ultimately stayed at No. 36. [Offensive lineman Steve] Avila was the Rams’ top prospect when they reset their board after the first round in preparation for Day 2."
It's impossible to know for certain which players the Rams were targeting, but it is possible to make some educated guesses by putting some pieces together.
The New York Giants released a behind-the-scenes look at their draft trade with the Rams during the third round, which strongly implied the two teams also had trade talks during the first round. Four straight receivers went just before the Giants picked at No. 24 (originally No. 25), which could be the aforementioned "maneuvers from other teams." Putting this information together, it's possible the Rams were looking for another receiver to pair alongside Cooper Kupp.
Another possibility could be that the Rams were eyeing a new quarterback. Other rumors have suggested as such, linking them to signal-callers such as Will Levis and Hendon Hooker. They eventually selected Stetson Bennett in the fourth round, but it could very well have been a different quarterback earlier on.
At the end of the day, this is all just speculation. We'll likely never know what actually happened, but it's fun to imagine what could have been.
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