Grading the Falcons-Rams NFL Draft Trade: Who Won?

The NFL Draft has become quite a phenomenon among sports fans. The hysteria surrounding the event is always filled with wild storylines, surprising picks, and blockbuster trades.

As the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft wound down, the Atlanta Falcons made a very surprising move. They traded with the Los Angeles Rams to move up to pick number 26, selecting edge rusher James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee.

Here are the details of the trade:

• Falcons receive the 26th overall pick in this year’s draft, and the Rams’ third-round pick Friday night.
• The Rams moved down 20 spots to draft at number 46 overall, but also picked up Atlanta’s first-round and seventh-round picks in 2026.

Any time a draft day trade goes through involving first-round picks, it begs the question, who won the trade?

Grading the Falcons Trade

The Falcons used their upgraded pick to draft James Pearce Jr. He was the second pass rusher of the night that Atlanta drafted. They had already landed linebacker Jalon Walker out of Georgia with the 15th overall pick. That makes this trade very intriguing from the Falcons’ perspective.

Pearce Jr. was the only edge rusher in this year’s draft class to post a sub-4.50 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He has exceptional speed and quickness and is expected to contribute early in his career. There were even some people who had Pearce Jr. going to Atlanta with their 15th pick.

So, the pick itself is solid.

Everyone knows that Atlanta has had a putrid pass rush for years. In fact, they have ranked at or near the bottom of the league nearly every season since losing Super Bowl LI to the New England Patriots.

Adding two elite pass rushers with exceptional tape in college makes for a great first day.

However, they certainly paid a handsome price. If the Falcons are not dramatically better next season, the first-round pick could carry with it a ton of weight and be a big loss. Not to mention, moving into the first round on Thursday will cost the Falcons money.

Grade: B

Grading the Rams Trade

The flip side of the trade is in Los Angeles.

We obviously do not know who they will select with the 46th pick on Friday night. But the value they received for No. 26 is amazing.

“Falcons pick up 2,010 points and the Rams pick up 2,873. Difference is around the 67th pick in the draft. A lot of upside for the Rams if the Falcons have a bad season,” NFL salary cap and contract expert Jason_OTC posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The Rams’ front office has already built a reputation for being draft wizards. They have hit a ridiculous number of home runs in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft in recent years.

So, moving down from No. 26 to No. 46 likely does not concern them much. But to essentially land what will likely be a mid-first-round pick and a seventh rounder for a third-round pick is quite the deal. I am having a difficult time finding anything wrong with this trade from the Rams’ perspective. They went nearly a decade without a first-round pick and won a Super Bowl mixed in. Next year, they will have two.

Grade: A