Ram Digest

Why Rams Trading Out of 1st Made Too Much Sense

The Los Angeles Rams gave up their 1st-round choice to pick up a Future 1st-rounder.
Zak Gilbert|
Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay reacts against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay reacts against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Rams

Did the Giants trade ahead of the Rams in the first round because New York was expecting Les Snead and Sean McVay to take Jaxson Dart at 26? One pick before the Rams were on the clock, the Giants swooped in at 25 and took the Mississippi quarterback after returning to the first round in a trade with Houston.

As Snead analyzed trade offers with help from vice president of football business and administration Tony Pastoors, one was more valuable than the others. The Rams sent that No. 26 choice to Atlanta, picked up a second-round pick (No. 46), a seventh-rounder and – the scale-tipper – the Falcons’ first-round selection in 2026.

“Real credit to Les,” McVay said. “Tony had a bunch of great dialogue with teams throughout, and ended up exactly where we wanted to be. To be able to get a future 1 is a big deal, to just move back 20 spots. So, obviously, the next couple days will be exciting, but feel really good about the way that tonight unfolded for us.”

That’s good because the trade means that Jared Verse, drafted in the first round last season, is officially the only first-rounder the Rams have taken since McVay became head coach in 2017. Los Angeles also added a second-rounder that the team didn’t have entering the day, after trading up to draft Braden Fiske a year ago.

So, if the Rams want another edge-rusher like Donovan Ezeiruaku on Friday, they now have that option. But whether Ezeiruaku, a off-ball linebacker, defensive back or even a quarterback, McVay said the Rams are confident they’ll be able to get great players in the next two days.

“I think the biggest thing, too, is there's a lot of appreciation for, let's just say, your top 100 players, and there's maybe not as big of a discrepancy between those guys that are in that top 15 to those guys that are maybe in our 85 to 100,” McVay said.

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Zak Gilbert
ZAK GILBERT

Since his freshman year at the University of Colorado, Zak Gilbert has worked 30 years in sports, including 18 NFL seasons. He's spent time with four NFL teams, serving as head of communications for both the Raiders and Browns. A veteran of nine Super Bowls, he most recently worked six seasons in the NFL's New York league office.