Rams Trading Back in NFL Draft to Get 6 Picks in Top 150?
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Rams last had a first-round pick in 2016 when they selected Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick.
This year the Rams' initial selection is slated for the No.36 overall pick.
However, NFL insider Peter King isn't sold on the idea that the team will stay at No.36. He thinks that the Rams will aim to trade down and acquire additional draft picks, with the goal of ending up with six selections within the top 150.
"Picking at 36 with so many holes on the roster,” King writes. “I sense the Rams wouldn’t like to pick at 36. They’d like to turn their three picks in the top 150 into six, in an ideal world."
The Rams will have 11 picks in the draft, but only three are within the top 150 first selections, as the other eight of course fall between rounds five through seven.
Trading for additional picks within the top 150 would in theory benefit the Rams as they currently have several positions to address in the draft, including running back, cornerback, inside linebacker, and edge rusher. The team also has limited salary cap space for the 2023 season, and adding “cheap” young talent through the draft would provide them with cost-effective solutions to fill their roster gaps.
The Rams' recent history of trading away their premium-round picks to acquire established veterans, such as Matthew Stafford and Jalen Ramsey, has left them with fewer draft assets. Therefore, trading down and accumulating more picks would allow the Rams to replenish their draft capital and add young talent to their team.
Whether the Rams will execute a trade to acquire additional draft picks remains to be seen, but King's prediction suggests that it's a possibility worth considering.
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