How Much Would It Cost Rams to Trade Up in NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL Draft is officially just one week away and the Los Angeles Rams are set to pick 13th overall. Much of the discussion until then will focus not only on which players the team should take, but whether they should trade up, trade down, or stay put.

When it comes to the draft, general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay tend to take an aggressive approach. Last year they tried to trade up for Tet McMillan and the year before they made calls to trade up for Brock Bowers without success.

Even if the Rams don’t trade up from the 13th overall pick, it wouldn’t be surprising if they explore it. While a trade up into the top five is unlikely, they could look to move up in the 7-10 range.

As with all draft trades, it takes two to tango, teams typically prefer to trade down.The challenge in trading up is finding a team willing to move off its pick for a fair price. Teams then have to consider whether other teams are involved.

With a week to go before the draft, the rumors suggest that the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, and Washington Commanders could be looking to move back. The Cowboys are seen as a team looking to move up and could be competition in trade discussions.

It wouldn’t be impossible for the Rams to move up to third overall with the Cardinals, but the price simply might be too high. In 2023, the Cardinals traded back from third overall to 12 with the Houston Texans. The Texans drafted Will Anderson Jr., while Arizona ended up trading back up with the Detroit Lions at six.

That appears to be the sweet spot for the Rams. In back-to-back picks, the Browns and Commanders may be looking to move down. The hope here is that the Rams aren’t priced out by the Cowboys and no team takes the player they’re targeting.

In a recent Cowboys mock draft, Dallas moved up to sixth overall to take linebacker Sonny Styles, executing a trade with the Browns. The Rams could target Styles, but a trade with the Commanders at seventh overall still makes the most sense.

It’s been no secret that the Rams could target a wide receiver in the first round. At pick 13, they could have their choice between Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson, Omar Cooper Jr., and KC Concepcion. However, the perfect fit for what the Rams need at wide receiver is Carnell Tate who won’t make it outside of the top-10.

Meanwhile, a primary need for the Commanders is at wide receiver and Tate doesn’t necessarily fit what they need. The Commanders aren’t in a rebuild as they are one year removed from making the NFC Championship Game. With that said, they are also looking to add some younger pieces to pair with Jayden Daniels. Moving back allows the Commanders to get more picks and keep their options open at wide receiver. A player like Makai Lemon or Omar Cooper Jr. fits exactly what that offense needs. With general manager Adam Bates having a history in San Francisco where he helped the 49ers draft Deebo Samuel, Cooper makes a lot of sense for them. However, he doesn’t make sense at the seventh pick.

A trade between the Rams and Commanders would be a win-win. Still, the big question is whether or not the Rams could afford that type of move. When the Cardinals moved up from 12 to six in 2023, they gave up their second and fifth-round selections. The Miami Dolphins moved up from 12 to six in 2021 for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. In that move, they gave up a fourth and future first-round pick. Back in 2016, the Tennessee Titans moved up from 15 to eight with the Cleveland Browns. In that trade, they gave up a third round pick and a second-round pick in the following draft.

According to the classic Jimmy Johnson NFL Draft Trade Value Chart, the difference between the 13th pick and seventh pick is 350 points. Essentially, the Rams would have to part with pick 61 in the second round and then potentially give up a future third or fourth round pick to make up the remaining 58 points.

If the Rams were to move up to Arizona at three, they would almost certainly have to give up a 2027 first round pick. However, as long as the Rams are looking to move up to six or seven, their 2027 first round pick is likely safe. Teams view this as a weaker draft class, meaning the value of trading up may be even less than what the trade value chart suggests.

Losing a second-round pick would be disappointing. However, the Rams would likely get a depth piece at pick 61 whereas Tate is an impact contributor. In a win-now type season, it’s hard to say that the Rams would miss that player when they can still find depth in the third round and on Day 3.

Either way, that is the type of move that the Rams will need to consider in the first round. Going “all in” in the NFL Draft doesn’t exist as teams make picks for the future. With that said, if the Rams move for Tate, he’s one of the few prospects that would have an immediate impact on the roster.

There is a lot of discussion about the Rams trading down. However, a trade up may be the way to go and it’s something that would likely be affordable.

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