7 worst case nightmares that could befall Rams in 2024 NFL Draft

There is the anticipation and excitement of the first LA Rams Day 1 appearance in an NFL Draft since 2016. And even as many fans are eager to get this show on the road, there are those whose natural inclination is not to envision what could go right for the team in the 2024 NFL Draft, but rather what might go awry.

As much as we'd love to shut out all of the pitfalls and risks that come with making any selections in an NFL Draft, those risks are part of the package. There are risks that the prospect may simply not work out. But there are other risks too. What value is a player who is selected early if the coaches keep him on the bench? What value is it to overload the roster on one side of the football?

In every draft, there is a hope for balance. Balance in terms of the team's roster on offense and defense. Balance in terms of the roster's depth chart. And balance in terms of the value parted with and acquired for an inevitable trade or two on draft day. While that all seems logical and straightforward, it's a difficult steeple-chase track to run. As a result, some NFL teams take their eye off the ball. In these worst case scenarios, the Rams take their eye off the big picture, and get swept up in the heat of the moment. Let's dive right in so you see what I mean:

VII: Trade up for a quarterback in Round 1

There is logic to the LA Rams investing in the quarterback of the future. But when should the team do so? Well, that depends on perspective. As of today, the LA Rams have four quarterbacks on the roster. Veteran QB Matthew Stafford is the clear starter. Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is the eventual backup, but he will serve a two game suspension to open the 2024 NFL season. Second-year QB Stetson Bennett, a Round 4 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, is the likely backup quarterback for the team in the first two games of the 2024 NFL season. And QB Dresser Winn may pan out as a camp arm, but he is back for his second season with the Rams.

I believe Winn will be a practice squad quarterback for at least the first month of the 2024 NFL season.

As an NFL team's General Manager, Les Snead must weigh the return on any investment. If he views the need to trade up in the 2024 NFL Draft, which he may choose to do, which position entails the reward for the risk of packaging multiple picks to do so? One such position that the team could target by moving up is the quarterback position. But is the cost of doing so worth the reward? One fan does not think so:

So trading up in the draft should be to nail the guy who will give long-term production to the team. But the LA Rams, as the roster is currently constructed, does not have that QB2 role from yesteryear open. In fact, if you compare the draft indices of QB Stetson Bennett from the 2023 NFL Draft, the Rams need to select a quarterback at the level of Spencer Rattler or higher in the 2024 NFL Draft to end up with the equivalent talent level in this year's draft.

Let's tackle this quandary another way. If the Rams plan to package multiple picks to trade up for a quarterback in Round 1, the hope is that the quarterback selected turns out to be good enough to re-sign to a second contract. But what are the historic odds in the NFL of doing so?

Per a recent report on social media by NFL Insider Adam Schefter? Not very good:

If the Rams do trade up, you hope that they have better than a 50/50 shot of extending the guy. That tranlates into offensive linemen only as being worthy of a trade-up scenario.