Rams trade first-round pick to Falcons for another | College News

The Rams didn’t make a pick Thursday night time within the first spherical of the NFL draft.

But subsequent yr, they are going to have the chance to make two.

That math labored simply high quality for basic supervisor Les Snead and coach Sean McVay.

The Rams traded the twenty sixth pick and a third-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for a second-round pick and a seventh-round pick this yr, and a first-round pick in 2026.

That Snead, conducting his 14th draft, traded the late first-round pick was not a shock. He nearly yearly trades back to purchase more draft capital.

But the Falcons’ willingness to embrace a 2026 first-round pick was an sudden bonus.

“We had a lot of offers,” Snead stated, “but Atlanta’s value was the best for us.”

The Rams performed the draft from the Los Angeles Fire Department Air Operations headquarters in Van Nuys.

McVay stated the Rams went into the night time with trading out of the primary spherical because the most probably state of affairs. Atlanta’s together with the 2026 first-round pick made it “better than we anticipated,” he stated.

By making the deal, the Rams delayed their first pick from No. 26 within the first spherical to No. 46 within the second.

“Looking at where our team is overall, the value that we were able to get, to be able to move back just 20 spots — felt like it was too good to be able to pass up,” McVay stated.

As picks had been introduced from Green Bay, Wis., the one actual drama for the Rams involved if a quarterback-needy crew would strategy the Rams with a deal, or if the Rams would keep the pick.

Snead acknowledged that the Rams tried to trade up to choose an unspecified participant. According to stories, the Rams had been pursuing Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who was chosen eighth by the Carolina Panthers.

“The value going up there, teams were asking too much, or more than we would do,” Snead stated.

With the Houston Texans set to pick at No. 25, the New York Giants traded up to choose Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart.

The Falcons then made their deal with the Rams to choose Tennessee exterior linebacker James Pearce Jr.

For the Rams, the temper on the finish of the night time was a stark distinction to final yr.

The Rams had been enthusiastic about drafting Jared Verse with the nineteenth pick, however their pleasure was tempered after a report surfaced that quarterback Matthew Stafford was looking for a contract adjustment.

That drama performed out till the primary day of coaching camp, when the Rams agreed to transfer a number of tens of millions of {dollars} due Stafford in 2025 to 2024.

The Rams this yr averted another potential draft night time buzzkill by agreeing to another adjustment for Stafford in February.