Rams may find this new challenge facing them in the 2025 NFL Draft

When the LA Rams stepped up to the draft podium in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, they had been frustrated with their efforts to move up the board to select either Georgia TE Brock Bowers or Texas DT Byron Murphy II. The team was unable to lure any NFL team to trade back to their 19th overall pick, so they acquiesced and selected Florida State OLB Jared Verse.

In many draft big boards, Verse stood as the top edge rusher, and was entrenched among the Top 10 rookies projected to come off the draft board. Imagine that, a Top 10 rookie falling to the Rams at the 19th overall pick. That is a solid foundation to emerging with a very impressive rookie class.

The thing is, no two drafts are the same. One rookie class may be loaded with top-tier talent, but the talent plummets in later rounds. Another rookie class may be less laden with elite talent, but makes up for it with an abundance of potential NFL starters in the middle rounds. The next rookie class may have not true Top-10 worthy rookie, but boast a ton of talent that extends beyond the draft and into the ranks of undrafted rookies to sign after the three-day event.

The LA Rams are projected to make their first selection of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 26th overall pick in Round 1. While early, that is a rather late spot to make a selection. Ultimately, there is little difference between a late Round 1 pick and an early Round 2 pick. Right now, that difference could be even smaller.

If many NFL teams view this rookie class with 10 or fewer players with a Round 1 grade, 22 teams will be eager to trade back on Day 1 to add picks in the more value-relevant picks on Day 2. Unfortunately, the Rams have projected selections at the 26th overall pick followed by making a selection at the 90th overall pick. The team rounds out Day 2 by making the 100th pick

With a huge gap between the 26th and the 90th picks, would the Rams already be entertaining an option to trade back? Perhaps. But if many teams are eager to do so, the value of trading back plummets. If an NFL team is urgently seeking to trade into the tail end of Round 1, the Rams could demand a Round 2 pick plus a potential future Round 1 or 2 pick. But in the image that appears to be forming around this year's draft, the team may only be able to get a Round 2 plus a late Day 3 draft pick for trading back.

With that type of return, the only reason to make that trade is for the salary cap savings of selecting players later in the draft.

The LA Rams have faced and overcome challenges in the past, so there is no reason to fret too quickly over the perceived lack of abundant elite talent in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Rams front office has a proven track record of finding elite NFL playmakers from less-regarded rookie prospects. If the early reports prove to be true, the Rams scouting department and personnel executives have their work cut out for them.

As always, thanks for reading.

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