A Rams Day 1 trade of the 2025 NFL Draft may be as inevitable as Thanos' snap

Do you get the sense that the Los Angeles Rams are open to trading back in the 2025 NFL Draft? Call it instinct, wild speculation, or just a feeling that won't go away, but the Rams have trade-back vibes as the three-day draft event looms ever larger on the horizon. So why would GM Les Snead even ponder trading back in this draft, after landing the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft?

Old habits are simply hard to break.

The Rams are more about getting the most value out of the draft class than landing the biggest stars or making the biggest splash. Their entire data analytics is built around the concept of optimizing value. When rubber meets the pavement, it's easier to get tremendous value from a rookie class in later rounds because one player like WR Puka Nacua found in Round 5 is such a rare and incredible find.

Had the Rams landed Nacua with a Top 15 pick in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft, he would be old news.

It's not that the Rams are necessarily adverse to making a selection in Round 1 (see the Jared Verse pick in the 2024 NFL Draft), it's simply a matter of not following the herd. In a draft class in which NFL teams stampeded to select wide receivers, quarterbacks, and offensive tackles, the Rams landed the best edge rusher as late in the draft as the 19th overall pick. That's an unheard of feat.

But it's so rare because other NFL teams frequently shop for edge rushers, and many make their picks long before the Rams step up to the podium. Many teams rely on a combination of consensus and need to dictate their rookie tiers. But the Rams front office seems to be a bit immune to outside pressure. When it comes to selecting players, the Rams are adept at kicking over every rock, taking risks, and being confident in their proprietary process.

And why not? Since winning Super Bowl LVI, the team has managed to find elite starters in each of the past three drafts. Curiously, they seem to do best in the later rounds. It is for that reason that the vibes for the Rams trading back in this year's draft are so strong. But it's just the tip of the iceberg:

So why are the Rams 'feeling' like a trade back? Let's explore some of the reasons that seem to negate the Rams standing pat at the 26th overall pick. They are:

(4) - Trade up scenarios seem to pricey

We explored a scenario in which the Rams could trade up for Penn State tight end Tyler Warren. But with multiple teams interested in grabbing a tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft, the optimal spot to ensure Warren is available is nearly among the top five picks. The cost of how much the Rams would need to invest in selecting Warren is two Round 1 and two Round 3 picks.

While that is extremely pricey for a tight end, it's the cost of doing business to land one of the few elite talents in this rookie class. Since elite talent is not abundant, the price goes up when the supply goes down. Unless the Rams target a rookie prospect who is not popular among other NFL teams, the cost of trading is counter-productive to the value that player would add to the Rams roster.