New Rams rumors ignite on Day 1 of the draft over this unexpected tactic

How close do you believe the LA Rams are to winning Super Bowl LIX as the roster now stands? If you believe that this team is truly close, then 11 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft do nothing to get you closer to the end game of winning an NFL Championship this season. That is why one of my articles covering 5 Bold Predictions touched base on the Rams emerging with just nine rookies from the 2024 NFL Draft.

This team is about winning now, and less about winning four years from now.

To win now, the Rams cannot settle for players who may or may not contribute in 2024. This team must add immediate contributors. The type of players who they are so convinced in their ability to start and compete at such a high level that the reward warrants an investment of multiple picks. Perhaps even multiple picks in Round 1 in future years?

Believe it or not, that is what The Athletic's Senior NFL Insider Dianna Russini is reporting about the LA Rams now. This is not some general rumor that the team is setting up for a trade-up scenario. This latest rumor is much more specific and involves a report that the Rams are actively pursuing a trade partner to land within the Top-10 picks of this draft.

That certainly heated up rather quickly.

As far as the front office is concerned, the team's overall roster is fairly saturated with depth. And this team has made significant investments to restock the interior offensive line as well as the secondary already. So where do the Rams need to invest right now?

The most obvious answer is the defensive front. Either a top-notch defensive lineman or pass rusher would be incredibly welcome on the roster for 2024. But are their other areas of interest that have been hinted at but not as obvious? We know that the team has actively pursued investing in a tall and elite wide receiver, and that a tall target for the passing game could be a huge boost to this team's red zone offense.

But with one year on the books for OT Alaric Jackson, is this a golden opportunity to add a future franchise blind side offensive tackle? That would not only create significant competition in training camp. but could allow the team to use Jackson as a future plug-and-play swing tackle in 2025 and beyond.

How much does that cost?

Before we consider the options, let's set the stage for what moving up will cost the team. If you adhere to the traditional Draft Value Chart, then the cost of moving from the 19th overall pick to the 10th overall pick is at least a combination of picks from Round 1 and 2, plus an additional pick. So how high could the Rams go if they wanted to hit their apex?

If the Rams wanted to package Round 1 picks in 2024 and 2025, they could get as high as the fifth overall pick held by the Los Angeles Chargers. Why that high? Well, we know that the top three picks in this draft are almost certainly quarterbacks. At four, the Arizona Cardinals have been linked consistently to Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. But after that, mock drafts begin to stray.

The Rams have never been shy about taking huge risks with the belief that they can fill a perceived need with one shot and call it a day. GM Les Snead has been willing to package multiple picks, including first-round picks, if the player is seen as a true game changer. But historically, the team has tended to withhold that level of investment for proven NFL veterans only.

Still, if the team enjoys the type of success that many expect them to in 2024, this could be the last time that the team is within reach of a Top 10 selection for quite some time. So how can the team leverage their lofty position in this year's draft to grab an elite prospect?

So the question, who could the team be targeting that high?

Defensive lineman

The most obvious reason to trade up is to grab the top defensive lineman in this draft class. The reason? The 2024 rookie class is not particularly deep at the defensive line position, and the team clearly has a great need to find starters with the retirement of DT Aaron Donald and the loss of DE Jonah Williams to free agency. While the team does have some players who can absorb some of the work load by taking a larger share of the rotation, the simpler solution is to identify an NFL DL starter and select him.

Texas DT Byron Murphy II is the standout defensive lineman in this class, and he has been mocked off the draft board as early as the ninth overall pick. He stands 6-foot-1, weighs 297 pounds, is incredibly versatile, and has every ounce of swagger, power, and production sought in a clear-cut DL starter. The team needs to address the defensive line, and even with forewarning from Donald, this is the first opportunity to backfill his vacancy.

Pass rusher

Another option to climbing the ladder into the Top 10 is to be in a position to land one of the best pass rushers in this rookie class. While not as thin as the defensive tackle position, the Rams draft board may view one prospect so much higher in terms of plug-and-play production that a significant investment into moving up to make the selection is worth the effort.

Is Florida State outside linebacker Jared Verse a target? He certainly possesses the type of draft profile that could lure the Rams into the Top 10. He stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 254 pounds, and is a consensus Day 1 starter. He is a refined pass rusher who has a complete arsenal of pass rush moves, He is a polished edge rusher who, when paired up with OLB Byron Young, becomes a keystone of this defense for years to come.

Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner could be another target for a Top-10 ascension by the Rams. In many mock drafts, he is the first edge rusher off the board. Turner stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 247 pounds. He is also quite refined with a complete arsenal of pass-rush moves. But Turner is more athletic than refined, which means that he is the type of outside linebacker who needs patience and great coaching to realize his optimum performance. But his ceiling is incredibly high. Oh, and here is a fun fact, Dallas Turner's NFL comparison is former Panthers DE/OLB Brian Burns.

Wide receiver

It is one of the 2024 NFL Draft's worst kept secrets that the LA Rams have been eyeing up tall wide receivers. With the disappointing results from the Wild Card Round in the 2024 NFL Playoffs in the red zone (0 for 3), you can bet that the team wants to do a much better job of putting points on the scoreboard this season. One of the prospects who could add instant success in the red zone is Washington Huskies WR Rome Odunze.

While the depth of the 2024 WR rookie class is immense, there is a trio of top receivers in this draft class that stands apart from the rest at an entirely upper level. They are Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU WR Malik Nabers, and Washington WR Rome Odunze. Of the three, only Odunze has been linked to the Rams in pre-draft meetings.

Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 212 pounds, Odunze is projected as a Day 1 starter in the NFL. And with the Rams default offensive package at an 11-personnel, there is most certainly room on this team for one more pair of hands. But Odunze is more than on-field production. He was a team captain, a role that is held out for only the top leaders of the team. He can separate, put up yards after the catch, and frequently catches the football that his quarterback just threw in his general direction.

He is an NFL-ready physical receiver who has that passion that the team loves so much.

Offensive tackle

If you take a look at the LA Rams offense, the only area that could even begin to enterain a Round 1 investment is the blind-side left tackle position. Until now, the Rams front office has not invested heavily into the offensive line, relying on elite skill players to make the offense go. But that changed in 2023, and the results of a formidable offensive line not only showed up in an incredible season for RB Kyren Williams, but in an incredible season for veteran QB Matthew Stafford.

So this could be the sequel to 2023.

The Rams have already invested heavily in the interior offensive line by signing LG Jonah Jackson, extending RG Kevin Dotson, and moving IOL Steve Avila from left guard to center. While the team also extended LT Alaric Jackson, is this a perfect time to invest in a franchise blind-side left tackle?

In terms of talent, this is a relatively deep rookie class at offensive tackle, and the Rams have already met with two of the top offensive tackles in this class: Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga and Washington OT Troy Fautanu. So what can we tell you about them?

OT Taliese Fuaga has been a right tackle at the collegiate level who has been projected to move to the guard position by some teams in the NFL. But no team trades up in Round 1 for an offensive guard and seldom does so for a right tackle. While there could be a plan to phase him into a swing tackle role or a left tackle position, the variables involved make him an unlikely target if the team trades up.

The same cannot be said about OT Troy Fautanu. He is a bona fide blind side tackle who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 317 pounds. He is a barroom bouncer in the guise of an NFL offensive lineman. This guy is a scrappy snarler who seems to get stronger and angrier as games progress. He is passionate, fierce, and incredibly coachable. Perhaps the thing that stands out most about him is his competitive spirit. He wants to go for it on every play. He hates to come off the football field. If he makes a mistake, he screws himself up to ensure that he plays flawlessly for the rest of the game. He is a seawall of protection in pass blocking, and a road grader in run blocking.

So there you have it. If the Rams do move up to within the Top-10 of Round 1 in the 2024 NFL Draft, I believe that the selected player will be one of these players. Who do you think is their target?

And as always, thank you for reading.