Rams NFL Draft Mailbag 2.0: Trade-Up Talks, WR Debate, and Draft-Day Surprises

The NFL Draft is just one day away and the Los Angeles Rams are expected to be a pivot point in the first round. To prepare for draft weekend, we’ve taken one final round of questions and answered them in our draft-only mailbag 2.0.

I’ve seen a few Commanders mocks with Washington making a deal with the Rams, is that still something the Rams or you would be interested in? - @temptherat

If the Rams were to trade up from the 13th overall pick, the Commanders make a lot of sense. Both teams are in need of a wide receiver, but the top player at their draft position doesn’t necessarily fit their respective offenses. For the Rams, Makai Lemon’s skill set overlaps with Puka Nacua. On the Commanders side, Carnell Tate is similar to Terry McLaurin.

The math changes a little bit with Jordyn Tyson’s workout, but the Commanders may still be interested in trading back. The Rams can get Tyson or Tate, who are both perfect fits. Meanwhile, the Commanders get more picks and put themselves in position to take a slot option in Lemon or Omar Cooper. If Commanders general manager Adam Peters sees Deebo Samuel in Cooper, moving back to 13 puts them in a better position to take him.

Are the Rams interested in trading up? If so, who are some players they could draft? - @CoastGolde58343

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Rams have explored the idea of trading up. That should come as no surprise given how they’ve approached the draft in recent years. Last year, they tried to trade up for Tet McMillan and Emeka Egbuka. The year before, they tried to trade up for Brock Bowers without success.

It takes two teams to make a trade, but we’ve seen the Rams not be afraid to put an offer on the table. If the Rams try to trade up on Thursday, the two major players to watch would be Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate. In the case that Jeremiyah Love falls outside of the top five, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams try to acquire him as well.

What would be something that would shock you if Rams did it? - @joshdaltn

There isn’t a lot that will surprise me in this draft just because the Rams have so many options. If there is one pick that would surprise me, it would be the Rams taking an offensive tackle. It’s the one position in mock drafts that hasn’t made a lot of sense. The Rams have Alaric Jackson, who they extended, at left tackle. On the right side, Warren McClendon was one of the best right tackles in the NFL when he played last season.

By drafting a tackle, the Rams are either conceding that they don’t believe in McClendon as a starter or don’t believe they’ll be able to pay him. It could also signal uncertainty with Jackson’s blood clots. However, if Jackson stays healthy and the Rams extend McClendon, then they’ve drafted a swing tackle at 13th overall.

Will the Rams draft Makai Lemon or trade down to get more draft capital? - @elizabeth_15045

The Rams could draft Makai Lemon. General manager Les Snead talked highly of Lemon in Tuesday’s pre-draft press conference. At the same time, I do believe that the Rams will trade back. Now, could they trade back and still draft Lemon? It’s certainly possible.

I touched on some of the questions about Lemon’s fit in the offense with Nacua earlier. My belief is that it’s much more likely that the Rams will trade back and take a player like Denzel Boston, Kenyon Sadiq, or KC Concepcion.

Add us as a preferred source on Google