Ranking the LA Rams' last 10 first-round draft picks

For the first time in a long time, the LA Rams will finally step up to the 2024 NFL Draft podium and make a selection on Day 1. The last time the team did so was in 2016, when the team was armed with the first overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. That pick was made to add quarterback Jared Goff to the Rams roster, a move that ultimately would change the trajectory of the entire franchise.

The Rams have not had a first-round pick before this year since 2016. But what about the picks before then? Have the Rams had much success at selecting players in Round 1 in the recent past? Well, to be honest, the team has had mixed results when expanding the population of Round 1 picks to include 10, which seems like the right number to explore the team's overall effectiveness at Day 1 picks.

But let's not fool ourselves into the belief that Round 1 picks are instant stars in the NFL. In many cases, they need time to acclimate to the speed and physicality of the NFL. Sometimes, despite the best intentions and effort of the team, the fit or the player simply does not work out. In those cases, the team will either trade the player, release the player, or simply let that player remain on the roster through their rookie contract, but reduce his role and not extend him when that player's contract expires.

So how do you rank players who were selected to contribute at various roles, seldom ones that have similar criteria to make comparisons relatively straightforward? For this exercise, we will use a combination of both subjective and objective criteria to assess the quality of the last 10 first-round draft picks. That criteria will include longevity, number of starts, impact of that player, and an overall assessment of how well that player performed for the team. It will fall into place as we begin to work through the team's history of first-round draft picks.