LA Rams Mock Draft 2021: Trade w Lions, Bears nets 9 picks

As the LA Rams prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft, we are more and more convinced that the team will be seeking ways to move back and gather more picks. In fact, we’ve cited nine NFL teams that could be more than happy to trade up to the 57th pick of the draft to grab a player that falls to that spot.

One such team is the Detroit Lions, a team with a limited number of draft picks but a shopping list that is much longer than that of the LA Rams.  While they need warm bodies, their draft goals differ from that of the Rams in two ways. First, they are seeking future stars. In short, this is a team without All-Pro players to build around. So they are searching for players who can reach that level of play.

Secondly, the Lions are coming off a dismal 2020 performance and will need help on both sides of the football. To help improve the team, the Lions have loaded up on one of the more impressive assemblages of coaches in the NFL. One such coach is former LA Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant.  But coaches need talented players, and the Detroit Lions face some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL on an annual basis.

So it makes sense for the Lions to prioritize securing a competent backfield worthy of Pleasant’s efforts. And so, in our latest mock draft, we allowed the algorithms of the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator to trigger trades wherever the program saw fit. Lo and behold, when the Rams stepped up to the draft, there was a trade offer from the Detroit Lions.