Rams’ Trent McDuffie trade makes No. 13 overall pick a no-brainer

The Los Angeles Rams have already addressed their biggest need of the offseason, and they didn’t wait until free agency or the draft to do it. On Wednesday, the franchise reportedly agreed to a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for cornerback Trent McDuffie. In exchange for the All-Pro corner, Los Angeles sent Kansas City its 29th-overall pick, a fifth, a sixth, and a 2027 third.

The trade will undoubtedly affect how the Rams approach the 2026 Draft, as they now only have one first-round pick, no. 13.

However, since the cornerback spot is now addressed with McDuffie, who is also expected to sign a long-term deal, the team's draft strategy has changed instantly.

L.A. doesn’t have to take a first-round corner like many mock drafts had them doing. Instead, the Rams could use the 13th-overall pick on exciting wide receiver prospect Makai Lemon.

Rams could target Makai Lemon in first round after Trent McDuffie trade

Before this trade, just about every mock draft had Los Angeles using at least one of its first-round picks on a corner — some mocks even had the team taking two corners. Now that the team has an elite corner and just one first-round pick, L.A. could use the selection just outside the top 10 to go in several different directions.

Those directions include corner, still, another position on the defense, or wide receiver. One of the wide receivers who will likely be on the board at that point is USC playmaker Makai Lemon, and he has consistently been referred to as the perfect receiver for a Sean McVay offense.

Lemon is a 5-foot-11, 192-pound receiver who has shown the ability to play outside and inside, make extremely tough catches, and be dynamic with the ball in his hands after the catch. He has frequently been compared to Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and would be the perfect addition to a wide receiver room that already includes Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

Since Nacua and Adams are already in the room, taking a wideout that early may not necessarily be a priority for the franchise, but Lemon could be too tempting to pass up. With the cornerback position addressed, the Rams now have some freedom to lean into that temptation.