Trading Up For Top Quarterback Prospect Would Be Rams Boldest Move Yet

When the Los Angeles Rams hired Les Snead as their general manager over 10 years ago, no one imagined it would lead to the best stretch of success in franchise history. It put the team on the map as a consistent winner in the NFL and a hallmark for roster construction and player development, especially late into Snead's tenure.

Significant pieces to that success have come from names such as Sean McVay, Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Wade Phillips, Jalen Ramsey, and Todd Gurley. These players have become or were instrumental to the team's consistency and growth into a premier organization. The biggest move they've made is swapping Goff for Stafford, leading to a Super Bowl victory that same season.

McVay Rams — Dec 13, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay with defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) and quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The second biggest was Snead moving up 14 spots to the No. 1 overall selection in 2016 to select Goff with the No. 1 overall selection, sending two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and two third-round picks in a blockbuster trade for the Tennessee Titans. They have yet to make another move comparable to either trade.

This offseason, the Rams sit at No. 13 overall, with a long-term need at quarterback as Stafford gets older. The only viable signal-caller worthy of a first-round choice this year is projected to be the top draft pick, Fernando Mendoza. It could be time for Snead to pull off yet another massive trade to land QB1.

Why trading up for Fernando Mendoza would be Los Angeles' boldest move yet

Mendoza Rams — Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) passes against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half of the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

I want to be clear that I do expect this to happen, nor do I think it should. However, the Rams have had this reputation of being wildly aggressive within a Super Bowl window or determining the long-term success of the franchise. A move such as moving up 12 spots to the No. 1 pick would be insane to consider, but one that has to be thought about in some instances.

The Las Vegas Raiders are no strangers to making the wildest draft picks in league history. Yet, this is the first time since they drafted JaMarcus Russell that they have an opportunity to take the best quarterback in the draft. It's an opportunity they should take, though moving out of the top choice would be on-brand for the organization, given their historical reputation.

Mendoza is an elite quarterback prospect, not a generational one by any means. Yet, imagining him sitting behind Stafford for a year or two, the team going on to win a Super Bowl, and the pairing of McVay with another young signal-caller who provides ample physical traits is exciting to think about. It would be their boldest move yet because they would be putting everything on the table to maintain success for at least another decade (if McVay wants to continue coaching in that span).

Again, this is a move that has a below 0.00001 chance of happening, and, rational and realistically, neither the Rams nor the Raiders should consider it. If it did occur, it could change the sport for years to come, tipping the scales of balance in the NFL for the foreseeable future.