Why a Dexter Lawrence Trade Makes No Sense for the Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have the pieces to pull off a big trade. Here's why they shouldn't.

Sep 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams have been one of the most aggressive teams in the NFL, trading one of their first-round picks in exchange for a Super Bowl-winning cornerback. They also bolstered their secondary with another key signing, which was their biggest weakness on defense.

Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson are going to add a level of playmaking and consistency to their secondary that they haven't had since prime Jalen Ramsey. It makes them an even stronger contender than they were before. What's another aggressive trade they can make to go all out in trying to win another Super Bowl?

Aggresive Trade

ESPN sources: Giants All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has requested a trade and he will not be participating in the team’s off-season workout program that opens Tuesday.

Lawrence and the Giants have been through two off seasons attempting to negotiate a contract… pic.twitter.com/WUSTNxmeGh

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 6, 2026

Dexter Lawrence has requested a trade from the New York Giants, as he's looking for a bigger contract and to play on a contender. He's nearly 30, and his entire career, he's been on a team-friendly contract relative to his production.

He's one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL and would only push the Rams further as one of the strongest contenders. Reports suggest they'd be willing to let him go for a late first-round pick or a second-rounder. The Rams hold the 13th overall pick, which would certainly be enough for the Giants to move off of their All-Pro defensive tackle.

Jul 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead watches during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Les Snead is notorious for his aggressive trades, using his draft capital to improve the Rams, but using his top-15 pick on Lawrence would be incredibly irresponsible. Their second-round pick is too late in the round for them to want to trade Lawrence for it, which only leaves their first-round pick as an option.

Lawrence would undoubtedly make their team better, but they already traded for McDuffie and gave him a massive contract extension. They'd be using a lot of their money if they did the same to Lawrence, and they still have important players like Puka Nacua to think about and their contract extensions.

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) speaks at a press conference during day one of the New York Giants training camp at Quest Diagnostics Giants Training Center in East Rutherford on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Rams don't even have that big of a need at defensive tackle. Lawrence is an upgrade over Poona Ford, but Ford can give them solid production at a fraction of the price. His stats last year weren't incredibly impressive either, with 31 total tackles, an interception, and only 0.5 sacks.

If the Rams hadn't traded for McDuffie, I'd be much more open to them pulling this trade off and creating a monster defensive line. However, the Rams should simply be focused on the draft now, as I think their big splash move of the offseason has already been made.