LA Rams Draft 2021: What if up to 9 teams seek 57th pick?

The LA Rams first step up to the podium with the 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. While that may seem to be a rather late appearance of an NFL team’s first pick of the NFL Draft, the Rams are not the last team to show up for the party.  That distinction is reserved for the  Houston Texans, who will not step into the 2021 NFL draft for another ten picks. That’s right, the Texans’ first pick is at the 67th selection of the draft.

But this is no ordinary NFL Draft, and as such, it is a matter of anything goes. In fact, based on our latest Pre-Draft Meeting Tracker, the LA Rams are leaving a trail of bread crumbs that suggest that the team will be looking to trade back in this upcoming NFL Draft.

By the time that the LA Rams are able to select their first player from the NFL Draft, up to six quarterbacks will have been chosen. Six players from the Alabama Crimson Tide will have heard their names called. But a seventh player, Alabama’s running back Najee Harris, will likely still be there.

Stanford’s quarterback David Mills may still be on the board. Several wide receivers of intrigue will likely be there. Perhaps North Carolina’s WR Dyami Brown, or Oklahoma State’s Tylan Wallace. Offensive tackles with starting grades may still be there too, like Clemson’s Jackson Carman, or Cincinnati’s James Hudson.

I can’t predict who exactly will be on the 2021 NFL Draft board when the LA Rams are about to step up to the podium, but I am certain that the LA Rams will have as many as nine offers to evaluate and sort through when that moment hits. So why not give them the jump and evaluate the type of offers that they will need to evaluate and sort through come Day Two of the draft?

Top  two offers

Top trade values for the LA Rams pick at 57?  Well, the Draft value chart at Drafttek.com values that particular selection at 330 points. That’s not a particularly tough number to achieve when forming a package for trade value. But let’s be a bit more discerning.  The Rams will be surrendering a highly coveted round-two pick, so the burden is on the other team to meet that price.

If the Atlanta Falcons wish to get back to the 57th pick, they certainly have plenty of ammunition to do so. In our scenario, the Falcons will need to exceed that 57th pick value, and they can most certainly do that. It just so happens that the Falcons can offer their third-round pick (68th), their fourth-round pick (108th), and their last fifth-round pick (183rd).  So what would that trade look like on paper?

As a result, the Rams would have eight picks at 68, 88, 103, 108, 141, 183, 209, and 252. That may not guarantee a great draft haul, but the trade back of just 11 positions in the draft to pick up a fourth and a fifth-round pick is certainly tough to ignore.

If the Cincinnati Bengals wish to trade with the LA Rams for their 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, they certainly have enough picks to do so without blinking an eye. In this hypothetical trade scenario, the Bengals would need to package their third-round pick (69), their fourth-round pick (111th), a sixth-round pick (190th), and a seventh-round pick (235th). So what might that look like on paper?

As a result, the LA Rams would have nine picks at 69, 88, 103, 111, 141, 190, 209, 235, and 252. While not as valuable as the Falcons package, the Rams will get an extra pick which could prove to be quite valuable heading into the 2021 NFL Season.

Another trade with the Detroit Lions?

Of course, don’t think for a minute that the phone won’t be ringing off the hook come draft day, folks. While some will simply be nuisance calls, many will be NFL teams making bonafide trade offers. So who may be on the other end of the line?

The Detroit Lions may only have six picks to spend in the 2021 NFL Draft. So if the team’s draft strategy is trading back for more picks, they’ll do that at either pick 10 or more likely 41. In fact, some mock drafts already project the Lions as a trade-back candidate at number 10. While that particular scenario merely pushed the Lions back from 10 to 16, it does expose the Lions as interested in building future value.

But unlike the Rams, the Lions need players who can play this year. They currently have 65 players under contract, will draft up to six players, and are looking at signing 19 undrafted players after the 2021 NFL Draft. Their strategy right now appears to be targeting 2022 as the year where they go heavy after improving the team. But the Lions will still be very interested in a top WR, TE, or defensive player, and they will be on the board at 57. So if the Lions wish to trade for the Rams 57th pick, they will need to offer up their two third-round picks.

How will that look for the Rams? Well, that will place the Rams choosing four times in round three. The Rams will ultimately pick at 72, 88, 101, 103, 141, 209, and 252. Why would the Lions trade up? If they believe that a starting-caliber player can be selected at 57, the Lions will most certainly give their favorite trade partner a phone call. And the LA Rams will relish the chance to sit on four picks in round three of this very volatile draft.

Another pair of potential trading partners

The Carolina Panthers shocked a few analysts when they traded for New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Even after that trade, and with Teddy Bridgewater currently on the roster, the Panthers should not be viewed as done at quarterback.  So if a quarterback of interest, say Florida’s Kyle Trask or Stanford’s Davis Mills, falls to the Rams, you can look for the Panthers to give the Rams a call. What might that look like?

Well to equate to the Rams value of their pick at 57, the Panthers will need to offer up picks 73, 113, 151, and swap pick 193 with the Rams pick at 209. How does that look?

The LA Rams would end up with picks 73, 88, 103, 113, 141, 151, 193, and 252.

Eagles on the phone

The Philadephia Eagles would probably be better served to allow the LA Rams to select for them in this draft. You see, the Eagles’ biggest needs in this draft are wide receivers and defensive backs, two positions where the Rams have an uncannily sharp eye for talent. And the Eagles? Well, they don’t.  The Eagles want starters from this draft, currently with 72 players under contract. So what would the Eagles need to get the Rams’ pick at 57? They would need to package their 70, 123, 150, and 189 picks.  How would that look?

The Rams would end up with picks at 70, 88, 103, 123, 141, 150, 189, 209, and 252.

Final four

The Dallas Cowboys have 73 players currently under contract but need anything on defense as well as offensive linemen. That makes them a fun team to trade with because they are essentially rebuilding but running the team like they are in the hunt.  To get to the Rams pick at 57, the Cowboys could package two third-round picks at 75 and 109, plus throw in a round-six pick at 192

The Minnesota Vikings currently have 63 players under contract but need competent defensive help. They could sit back and let players fall to them, but I don’t see that happening. They are one year from a playoff appearance and want to get back. So they will be happy to trade to get back into round two with the LA Rams picks at 57. To do that, look for a solid package of picks at 78 and 90.

The Cleveland Browns currently have 74 players and have no interest in developmental players. They want players who can compete in 2021.  They hold a pick at 59, but if a player is there at 57, will they move up? You bet! It will only cost them an additional round-five pick to do so

The Houston Texans have 77 players under contract, but no picks in either of the first two rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.  If a wide receiver falls to the Rams at 57 (he will), the Texans will likely be speed dialing Les Snead to pull off a trade. What might that look like? Well to get to 57, the Texans will need to put up their round-three pick at 67, and their fourth-round pick at 109. In return, the Rams will give them the picks at 57 and 252

In this exchange, the LA Rams end up with picks at 67, 88, 103, 109, 141, and 209. The Texans will maintain the same number of picks but will have far more success at drafting a starting wide receiver in round two, rather than round three.

So there you have it. Nine NFL teams who could trade back up to the 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, and the subsequent result if the LA Rams agree to do so. Of course, draft day is filled with hills, valleys, twists and turns, and cul-de-sacs. While we’ve laid out various trade scenarios, the true events of the draft, who is on the board at 57, and which NFL teams covet one of the available players, will truly drive teams to trade.  But these are nine teams with plenty of incentive to do so should the right player remain on the draft board.