NFL Insider confirms what many Rams fans suspect about Round 1 of 2025 NFL Draft

When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams, NFL Insider Peter Schrager always seems to have the pulse of what this team is up to. Even when it seems to run counter to expectations, and whatever common sense I can muster when it comes to the draft wizardry of Rams GM Les Snead, Schrager seems to be accurate as to what the Rams will do, while I'm simply the broken clock that is correct twice in a day.

So, rather than attempting to best the master, why not just tap into what Peter Schrager expects to happen in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft in the first place? While that is not always as easy as it sounds, the newly hired ESPN NFL Insider has published his first and only NFL mock draft for Round 1. So without further ado, let's jump over to that right now:

Of course, Peter Schrager's role at ESPN is to act as a conduit between NFL players, their representation, coaches, and personnel executives. So his insight, particularly just hours before the event begins, is bursting with better-than-average odds of taking place. So what does he scry in his crystal ball for the Rams?

A trade

That's right, Rams fans patiently await over three hours of NFL Draft activity in Round 1 just to discover that they must await another 24 hours for the answers to questions about who the Rams may select. You see, as many fans have suspected, the Rams face a draft board without TEs Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland, WRs Matthew Golden or Emeka Egbuka, CB Jahdae Barron, or LB Jihaad Campbell in Peter Schrager's ESPN NFL mock draft.

So the Rams accept an offer from the New York Giants to trade back six spots and pick up a valuable additional Day 2 pick. The trade maps out like this:

"In this deal, the Giants would send pick Nos. 34 and 99 to the Rams to move up to No. 26. And crucially, New York would keep its original third-round pick -- No. 65 -- to continue to add talent to its roster.
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ESPN Peter Schrager

If you subscribe to the standard draft value chart, the Rams pick up a bit of a premium to trade back. If you subscribe to the Rich Hill draft value chart, the Rams are getting a bit short-changed. In either case, the Rams step out of Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft completely, but double the number of Day 2 picks. The trade looks like this:

With that pick, the Giants land their franchise quarterback of the future in Ole Miss rookie QB Jaxson Dart. The Rams pick up two Round 2 picks, and have nearly 24 more hours to strategize for their Day 2 salvo with an impressive array of now four picks. The Rams' original eight picks in the draft will balloon from this trade scenario to include picks:

2025 NFL Draft Pick Summary

• DAY 2
• Round 2 (34th overall)
• Round 3 (90th overall)
• Round 3 (99th overall)
• Round 3 (101st overall) (comp pick)
• DAY 3
• Round 4 (127th overall)
• Round 6 (190th overall) (via Falcons)
• Round 6 (195th overall) (via Steelers)
• Round 6 (201st overall) 
• Round 6 (202nd overall) (via Bears (originally from Texans))

That is quite a potential haul for a team that is already expected to be a fierce competitor in the postseason. With this number and location of draft picks, the Rams front office has remarkable odds of emerging with multiple starters from the 2025 NFL Draft. That is no small feat considering that the team has a very young roster and is already considered a contender.

I love the idea of trading back from Round 1 to add picks. While it may or may not happen, it continues to whet the appetite for NFL draft drama once more. And I, for one, am eager to get this show on the road.

As always, thanks for reading.

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