Rams alarming rate of trading up on Day 3 of 2025 NFL Draft was right strategy

(2) - Trading up to get NT Ty Hamilton

TRADE 3: The Rams traded a Round 6 (195th) pick and a Round 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears for a Round 5 (148) pick.

Ohio State defensive tackle Ty Hamilton is a talented and versatile defensive lineman who pushes athleticism off the charts and who is more than willing and capable of doing the dirty defensive lineman trenchwork that does not make the stats sheet but helps the team win games. And that is a custom fit for what the Rams need on the defensive front.

Almost all draft boards projected Hamilton coming off the board sooner than Round 5. Some projected him as early as Day 2. So the Rams once again pounced to trade up for a player who they believed to have much higher value. And in the Rams' defense, that value could be realized.

It's rare indeed to select a rookie in Round 5 who is a consensus NFL starter. But Hamilton is one of the defensive linemen up for grabs in a deep and talented DL class. And his availability in Round 5 is a dramatic bargain.

Did I boast about his athleticism? Of course I did, because he is an athletic freak. Just check out his RAS numbers:

Unlike some athletically gifted players, Hamilton did not rely solely on athleticism to make plays.

He is a bona fide run-stuffer who has sneaky success at rushing the passer. At 6-foot-2 and 299 pounds, he is not a towering mountain on the defensive line. But he does have a superhuman center of gravity like a wrestler, the footwork and handwork like a boxer, and the agility of a cat.

He arrives with some polish, but plenty of room to refine and enhance his arsenal of pass rush moves as well as stunts. The Rams coaching staff is more than capable of unlocking his full fury. He is a smoldering coal of passion that will burst into a bonfire in 2025.

(1) - Trading up to get RB Jarquez Hunter

TRADE 2: The team next traded two picks, in Round 4 (127) and Round 6 (190), to the Indianapolis Colts for their Round 4 (117) pick.

While the Rams may have taken the greatest risk in drafting Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter, he certainly brings the chance for the greatest reward. The team has long flirted with the chance to add a power back whose north-south running will get the job done. The team also wants to add explosive running to the offense.

In Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter, the team checks all the boxes and then some.

And to top it all off, Hunter played for Rams GM Les Snead's Alma Mater, the Auburn Tigers. The Rams had a perfectly sane understanding that the Rams roster was already robust and filled with returning players. The Rams traded up to lock in an explosive running back with a north-south mindset who can run over or run away from defenders.

It was clear that the Rams did not knee-jerk react to the draft board. This was a true effort to land a specific set of skills that the Rams offense needs. What is the cost of finishing off a set with the last piece of the set? The value of those final pieces goes up exponentially

When it comes to the Rams' running game, the offense lacked in several areas. The Rams had almost no explosive plays. The Rams lost a significant number of fumbles. And as an entire offense, the Rams threatened few teams with an intimidating presence by running the ball.

Snead continues to have ties to Auburn's football program, so you can bet that the team benefited from unique insight into Hunter's role and contribution to his college football team.

But it all comes down to one thing. Can Jarquez Hunter crack this lineup and get carries in his rookie season? The Rams have to try. After all is said and done, the Rams' offense was too lackluster in 2024. The Rams were not exactly productive at gaining yards or scoring points, despite having the most expensive offense in the NFL last season

The Rams have to give out opportunities to more than a select handful of players. Nobody can put up yards or points from the bench. And few running backs who get over 300 carries in a single NFL season fail to put up 1000+ yards. In 2024, Kyren Williams had the third most carries (316 carries) in the NFL, behind Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (341 carries) and Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry (325 carries). But Williams' output of 1,299 yards was seventh in rushing yards.

Hunter can help, instantly. His burst is enough to get significant yards quickly. His power is enough to break tackles and wear down defenses. Best of all, he comes to the NFL quite capable of pass blocking too., He brings it all. He simply needs offensive snaps and carries.

As always, thanks for reading.

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