Rams don't have much experience but have had great luck with 13th overall pick

The first NFL draft in which the Cleveland Rams participated was the 1937 NFL Draft. Over the nearly 90 years, the Rams football team has selected a myriad of players. But when it comes to the 13th overall selection of the NFL draft, that has only happened four times in the team's history. If the Los Angeles Rams stand pat at the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the team will have selected at that spot five times.

The question becomes, how successful or not has this football franchise been at 13? After all, 13 is one of the rare prime numbers that is associated with luck, karma, and kismet of the beneficial or adversarial kind. So, fans are naturally curious as to how well the team has managed that selection over the course of history.

1939 - Graylon Smith

The first 13th overall selection was all-purpose player Graylon Smith. Smith filled in at six positions and, as was the custom at the time, played both sides of the football. He remained with the Rams for four seasons, but had an unremarkable career.

1952 - Bob Carey

Bob Carey was the first player selected by the Los Angeles Rams at the 13th overall spot. He played end, which meant catching passes as well as defending them. He recorded 47 receptions for 663 yards over his career. He played four seasons in the NFL, retiring in 1958.

2007 - Adam Carriker

Adam Carriker was drafted by the Saint Louis Rams in 2007 with the 13th overall pick. He played two seasons with STL before being traded away to Washington. He would continue to play in the NFL for three more seasons.

Rams saved the best 13th overall selection for last

2014 - Aaron Donald

If you ever find yourself disappointed with the LA Rams selection in a draft, remind yourself that draft scouts and analysts do not have a monopoly on getting it right. Need proof? Aaron Donald's draft profile was summed up by this insanely inaccurate assessment:

"Average backup or special-teamer"

Aaron Donald's draft profile summary.

Need more proof? How about this:

"Draft Projection
Rounds 4-5"

Aaron Donald's draft projection

Talk about missing by a country mile. It's no wonder that defenders who face the same cliche detractions of being too short and too small to be a true threat in the NFL have employed Aaron Donald's career as inspiration. Imagine the outcry that would swell social media if general manager Les Snead dared to spend the 13th overall pick on a player projected for Day 3 in this draft?

Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here. Aaron Donald was projected as a player who barely deserved an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in the NFL, and yet he proved to be such a dominant player that fans continue to beg for his return long after he has retired.

Few fans celebrated the additions of Kobie Turner or Byron Young on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, but both have proven to be superb NFL players. In the opinions of many, outside linebacker Byron Young has proven to be the steal of the 2023 NFL Draft.

If you find yourself scratching your head over general manager Les Snead's selections in this draft, wondering what he knows that you don't, you can safely conclude that he does know. Snead has made a career of zigging while the consensus zags.

Aaron Donald was projected to fall to Day 3 in the draft. Thank goodness Snead added him in Round 1.

As always, thanks for reading.

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