How much did the LA Rams 2021 success cost their trade partners?

The LA Rams finished the 2020 NFL season with a 10-6 record. As a result, the Rams’ selections in the 2021 NFL Draft were on or about the 25th pick of each round.  The Rams finished the 2021 NFL season with a 12-5 record and went on to win Super Bowl LVI.  As a result, their annual allotment of draft picks will fall last, or 32nd in each round.

The ironic part of all of that? The Rams traded five of their original seven picks to other teams. So it’s not the Rams, but the Rams’ trading partner, that has been penalized by the Rams’ success.

• First Round – Detroit Lions
• Pick 25 to pick 32 – Devalued 130 points (The equivalent of a late third-round pick)
• Second Round – Denver Broncos
• Pick 57 to pick 64 – Devalued 60 points (The equivalent of an early fourth-round pick)
• Third Round – Denver Broncos
• Pick 89 to pick 96 – Devalued 29 points (The equivalent of an early fifth-round pick)
• Fourth Round – Carolina Panthers (via Houston Texans)
• Pick 130 to pick 137 – Devalued 4.5 points (The equivalent of a late sixth-round pick)
• Fifth Round
• Not traded
• Sixth Round – New England Patriots
• Pick 203 to pick 210 – Devalued 3.1 points The equivalent of a late sixth-round pick)
• Seventh Round
• Not traded

By winning the Super Bowl, the LA Rams cost the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, and the New England Patriots value in the 2022 NFL Draft.  In fact, when you compare the picks that the LA Rams currently possess, and the value of the picks lost to other teams due to the Rams’ success, they are similar in total value.

Per Tankathon.com, the value of the LA Rams complement of draft picks in the 2022 NFL Draft runs 163.0 points.  Based on the 2022 Drafttek value chart, the Rams have cost other teams 226.6 points of value.

The impact on other teams is as follows:

Detroit Lions  – lost 130 points
Denver Broncos – lost 89 points
Carolina Panthers – lost 4.5 points
New England Patriots – lost 3.1 points

Of course, that’s the risk assumed in any trade that involves draft picks. But don’t think us ungrateful. It’s wonderful that the LA Rams dined at the NFL Championship table this year. It’s even more wonderful when you realize that the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, and New England Patriots all chipped in to help pay the tab.